“There’s a way unless she placed a call afterward. Then you would need the police to get records from the telephone company.” Pete joined Vlad at the counter and pointed to a small button beneath the others on the phone. “I would try ‘redial’ first and see what you get.”

He pushed the button and listened to the phone ring and ring and ring.

“Walker’s General Store.”

A beat of silence before Vlad said, “Tolya?”

“Did Meg Corbyn say anything else?”

A chill went through Vlad. “She’s not saying anything at the moment.”

“The Wolves are running into a trap. Joe Wolfgard is trying to stop them. The town is preparing for attack. Jesse Walker is taking all the youngsters to a hiding place in the Elder Hills.”

“Who is with you?”

“The men in the town. Vlad, are the humans going after all the Wolves? Or are they after all of us?”

“I don’t know. Do what you can, Tolya, and I’ll do the same.” He hung up.

“Bad?” Pete asked.

“Very.” He opened Meg’s address book, found the number for Sweetwater, and dialed.

“What?” A male voice, already stirred up and angry.

“This is Vlad Sanguinati at the Lakeside Courtyard. Can you get a message to Jackson Wolfgard? It’s urgent.”

“Lakeside? Has your prophet pup gone crazy too? Jackson’s pup ran in here all pee-stinky, called someone, and then ran away yelling that they had to hide. Some of the Ravengard are following her to make sure she gets back to the Wolfgard den.”

“Tell Jackson that the terra indigene and the Intuits are in danger. The other kind of humans have turned on us.”

“I— I’ll tell him.”

Vlad hung up and looked at Pete, who was sickly pale. “Where are your offspring?”

“Lorne from the Three Ps came out to help. He took them to the medical office.”

“The Lizzy too?”

Pete nodded.

“Keep them there until I say otherwise.”

Vlad left the Liaison’s Office, turned to smoke, and raced off in the direction of the Wolfgard Complex.

•••

Skidding to a stop in front of the Wolfgard Complex, Meg flung herself out of the BOW and screamed, “Sam! Sam!”

He ran to greet her, followed by the other puppies and Skippy.

Meg opened the back of the BOW. “Get inside, Sam. Get inside. We have to run. We have to hide.”

He jumped into the BOW and immediately went to the passenger seat. The other pups hesitated, sensing something wrong in her behavior.

“Skippy. Come on,” Meg panted. As soon as he jumped in the back, she grabbed a pup and tossed her into the BOW. Then another and another and the last one.

“Meg?” Jane, the Wolfgard bodywalker, hurried toward her in human form while the pack’s nanny rushed toward her, snarling. “Meg, what are you doing?”

“We have to run!” Meg screamed. She closed the BOW’s back door.

“You’re bleeding.”