“Sure.” She whipped it from her back pocket and pressed it into my hand. “I disabled the password so Roni could play games. Just swipe the lock screen and then dial.”

Possibilities and repercussions cascaded through my head as my fingers closed over the slim phone. This gave me an out if I wanted one. It meant I could call a cab and go home, leave the conclave to tidy up their own messes. Dialing in also meant placing a grief-stricken warg who had taken his vendetta too far into custody until the magistrates decided on a punishment for abducting one of their own. Graeson wasn’t in his right mind, kidnapping me proved that, but he was thinking clearer than Vause seemed to be. As tempting as it was to steal that promised call to Aunt Dot or leave the wargs to their scheming, I had to see this through. I was done running when others needed my help.

“Do you mind if I walk up the road a bit?” I propped my lips into a smile. “I’d prefer some privacy to make the call.”

“Oh. Sure.” Her brows pulled into a deep V in the center of her forehead. “I’ll go wait in the car.”

“Great.” I swiped my thumb and dialed random numbers. “I’ll handle this as quickly as possible so we can get more eyes out for your sister.”

Nodding, Daphne turned and started walking back to her vehicle. I took the road and made a beeline for the trees where I last saw the golden wolf. I needed Graeson, and his wasn’t a number I could dial. It wasn’t like wolves carried phones in their fur suits. We’d have to do this the old-fashioned way, through a howl-o-gram.

“Dell.” I rustled a shrub with my foot. “Dell.” I shook a tree limb. “I need to get in touch with Graeson. Can you do that mind thing and send him a message?” Pitiful whimpers lured me deeper into the undergrowth. “Dell?”

“Right…” a drawn-out grunt, “…here.”

A pale figure curled into the fetal position rocked on the damp carpet of the forest floor. I shoved through the dense undergrowth and knelt at her side. “Are you all right?”

Her stiff limbs extended one by one, joints popping into alignment, until she managed to roll onto her back. Sweat slicked her skin, and her bare breasts jiggled from her shortness of breath. “I’m good.” She sprawled nude in the dirt without a hint of modesty and picked a skeletal leaf from her hair. “I can ring up Cord from here.”