‘I can,’ he said simply. ‘Though the ’wolves have tired of my meddling and threatened me with death, I will not shirk my responsibilities.’ Jicaque sighed deeply. ‘I tried to for a while, I confess; turned my back on my ancient calling and went into hiding.’ This time, the tears brimming in his tired old eyes were for real. ‘In truth, Tom, you’re right to be disappointed in me. By turning a blind eye I have allowed the evil of Takapa to fester and grow. The lupine community has traditionally survived by restricting its activities; hunting only when need is at its greatest; scattering its members throughout the population.’

‘But Takapa wants to swell the numbers,’ Tom said.

‘Yes,’ the old man said. ‘This would-be ruler of the ’wolves seeks to start a fire – a beacon he hopes will lead his kind out from the darkness and into the light. His activities in this city are in preparation for that day. And I fear it is not far away.’ Jicaque looked at Tom, his face inscrutable. ‘I can cure you, Tom. But if I am to fight Takapa, I shall need powerful allies.’

Tom felt uneasy. He sensed what was coming.

‘You have great powers,’ Jicaque went on. ‘Surrender them now and I fear for your safety, and that of Kate, and your family.’

Tom felt like a child cheated of a promised present. ‘But Takapa wants me for research. If I was just human again, it would wreck his plans, wouldn’t it?’

‘Perhaps,’ Jicaque agreed. ‘But Marcie Folan will still want revenge, Tom. She will come for you. And have you forgotten you are still wanted for murder?’

‘You think showing the court I’m a werewolf will count in my defence?’ Tom shook his head wearily. ‘You’re the wise old medicine man; help me out here. Kate’s in danger. My whole family’s in danger. How can I keep them safe?’

Jicaque smiled gravely. ‘If Takapa’s plans succeed, who will be safe?’ He placed his gnarled old hands over Tom’s own. ‘I sense the strength in you. The powers you possess.’ A flicker of pain, or fear, passed over his tanned, lined face. ‘And I sense the balance in you has shifted recently. You must hold on to the good, Tom. Hold on to the good.’

Tom felt a chill pass down his spine. ‘I … I took some kind of drug,’ he said. ‘It was supposed to suppress the lupine in me, to control the bloodlust, but instead …’ He shuddered. ‘I lost control. Stacy Stein and Woollard, they must’ve got the research wrong. They—’

Jicaque pulled his hands away. ‘Woollard, you say?’

Tom nodded. ‘He’s a doctor, over in Harlem, a blood specialist; sometimes helps Stacy out. Do you know him?’