“No!” Kaci’s eyes widened in fear and her hands shook at her sides until she curled them into fists. “Not yet,” she amended, though her heart still raced audibly, and her eyes shone with unshed tears. “I’m not ready. He’s been through enough.”

But so had she.

Dr. Carver cleared his throat conspicuously, and I glanced at him. Since Brett was stabilized and the doc’s return trip had already been delayed for more than a day, he was planning to hop on the next flight to Washington State, to hand deliver the blood sample to Dr. Eames and his genetics lab. Which meant he needed to leave within the hour.

“Will you let Dr. Carver draw some blood?” I asked.

Kaci hesitated, so the doctor showed her his too-friendly-to-be-a-threat smile. “I’m sure we can scrounge up some cookies and soda to get your blood sugar back up afterward.”

That did it.

Kaci sank onto the bed next to me and pushed up her left sleeve. Dr. Carver sat on her other side and ripped open an alcohol wipe from his left pocket. The tabby jumped in surprise when the cold cloth touched the crook of her elbow, then laughed nervously and looked at me instead.

“Why don’t the Alphas believe my parents are human?”

“Because you aren’t human. You should be whatever your parents are, yet you’re not. You’re one of us.”

“You’re going to feel a little pinch…” Dr. Carver said.

She closed her eyes, steeling herself for it, and flinched when the needle slid into her skin. Then Kaci relaxed visibly and her eyes opened to look into mine. “So, how come I’m like you if my parents aren’t?”

I smiled at her refusal to watch her blood being drawn. I didn’t know many squeamish werecats. “Well, that’s where it gets interesting. The only way you could have become one of us is by being infected by another werecat, which would make you a stray. But we’ve never found another female stray, and the council wants proof before they’re willing to believe you are one. So Dr. Carver’s going to take your blood to Dr. Eames to have it analyzed for that proof.”

“A stray, huh?” Kaci asked, and I nodded, watching blood bubble into the vial. “That makes it sound like no one wants me. Like a stray dog.”

“I assure you, that’s not the case.” At least for her. Unfortunately, regarding most strays, she had it just about right.

“How does a stray get infected?”

Dr. Carver removed the first vial from the needle cap and set it in his lap, then inserted the second vial.