Chunks of the door were leaping off the frame and falling to the carpet each time her body hit the door, but at this rate it would take at least ten minutes and she was likely to damage herself. He got up and walked to the door on legs stiff with shock, fumbled with the lock, dropped his key twice (all the while dodging her small wolf ’s body—she never stopped, she completely ignored him, he doubted he was even a cipher to her now), and finally swung open the door.

He ran after her to do it again, and again. Then she spotted the bank of windows facing west and lunged toward them. He dived and managed to catch her back left leg just as she was coiling for a leap that would take her through the window. She spun, and he had a dizzying glimpse of what looked like a thousand sharp teeth as she growled.

“We’re three stories up,” he panted, clutching her while at the same time trying not to break her leg. “You’ll never survive the fall. Well, you might but—Janet, don’t go!”

She snapped at his fingers. Wrathful growls bubbled up out of her without pause or breath.

“Please don’t leave! I was wrong and you were right—God, you were so right, I was a blind fool not to see it. Please don’t leave me.”

She snapped again, her jaws closing about a centimeter from his flesh. A warning. Probably her last warning.

“I can’t bear it without you. I swear I can’t. I thought I was content before, but it was a lie, everything was a lie, even why I was keeping you was a lie—”

His grip was slipping. He talked faster.

“—but you were right, and you never lied, not once, not even to get away, and Janet, I will spend the rest of your life making it up to you—”

She was almost free, and he was afraid if he let go to get a better grip, he wouldn’t be fast enough.

“—but please…don’t…go!”

She went.

He lay on the floor in his study a very long time. It seemed too much work to get up, find the broom, and start sweeping up the broken glass. He owned the building anyway, so who cared? Who cared about anything?

He couldn’t believe she was gone. He couldn’t believe he—who prided himself on possessing at least a modicum of intelligence—had let this happen.

My name is Janet Lupo.

Had done such things, and to such a woman.

I’m not afraid of any man, and I don’t lie.

What had he been thinking?

My name is Janet Lupo.

How could he have been so blind?

My name is Janet Lupo.

So stupid and arrogant?