“She doesn’t want to go to the infirmary, Eric. She said she gets a cold every winter, and she felt this one coming on while we were in New York. She says she’ll be fine by morning. She wants a hot toddy. A strong one.”

“I’ll get it,” Olivia said. “I can stop in the infirmary and get some medicine.”

“Go,” Slick ordered.

Forty minutes later, over Sam’s raspy protests, Hawkins bundled her up and carried her across the compound to the infirmary, where the nurse took over and ordered the others back to their barracks.

Alpha watched these strange goings-on, his yellow eyes glowing in the darkness before he sprinted inside the house to where Pappy was dozing on his chair. He tugged on his pant leg, gently at first, then barking to get his master’s attention. Pappy bounded out of the chair. “What?” Alpha raced to the door.

Pappy slipped into his boots before he pulled on his jacket to follow the big dog. Halfway across the compound, his heart started to thud in his chest when he saw where Alpha was going. He entered the building quietly, sought out the nurse, and had a whispered conversation. Alpha whined at his feet. He reached down to stroke the big dog’s head.

Sam looked ashen, and she was shivering despite the mound of blankets on top of her. Her eyes were closed, but they opened when she heard Alpha whining.

“Under the weather, eh?” Pappy said in what he hoped was a neutral, upbeat voice.

“It’s just a cold. I get one every year around this time,” Sam said, her voice raspy and strained.

“I get one, too. Actually, I’m late this year. What I mean is, I usually get a bad cold around Thanksgiving. I used to get one in September, like a late-summer cold, then it switched up. I was never able to figure it out.” Pappy was babbling, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. “Sleep is good. Hot tea and Pop’s chicken soup. You’ll be right as rain in a day or so. At least that’s how it works for me. The hot toddy the nurse said you had makes you sweat out all the toxins.” Shut up already, Pappy, he cautioned himself.

Her teeth chattering, Sam said, “I’m so cold. I can’t get warm. I lost my shoes last night when I walked back to the barracks.”

“Alpha will find them. Lie still. It’s when you move that you get the chill. I’m sorry about last night. I don’t have a problem sharing Alpha with you even though it sounded like I did. Would you like to hear Alpha’s story?” Why did his voice sound so desperate?

“Well, sure, like I can refuse, right?” Sam grumbled.