“I’d love to, thanks,” he said, “but I’ve got to head to the library to study for a geography test. My marks are slipping and my dad’s going to kill me if I get anything less than a seventy.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Tora said.

“He does have a gun, you know.”

Tora and Maria laughed. Michael’s father, a sergeant with the RCMP, did carry a gun, although no one in Redstone had ever seen him take it out of its holster.

“Good luck on your test, then,” Tora said.

“Thanks.”

“What are you doing Friday after school?” Maria asked.

Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Thanks for asking, Maria,” he whispered, “but I already have a girlfriend.”

“Very funny,” Tora said.

“We’re thinking about going for pizza, then seeing that new horror movie.”

“Wolf Hounds of Death Creek?”

“That’s the one,” said Maria.

“Noble, Argus, and Harlan are coming,” Tora added.

“I’m so there,” Michael said. He was about to leave when he stopped and stared at Tora. “Are you wearing lipstick?”

Tora could feel the blood rush to her face. “Yes.”

“Looks good,” he said. “See you Friday.” He turned and left the cafeteria.

“You see,” Maria said, smiling. “And the lipstick is almost gone.”

Just then, Maria’s other friends came into the cafeteria. As they approached their table, Maria waved. “Hey, guys, want to go for pizza and a movie after school Friday?”

“Sorry,” said Gabriela Santos. “We’ve got plans.”

“What kind of plans?” Maria wanted to know.

“I don’t know,” she said, with a shrug. “Just…plans.”

The three girls walked past them and sat down several tables away, with another group.

“That’s weird,” said Maria. “We go for pizza and a movie all the time on Fridays.”

“Maybe they do have plans,” Tora offered.

Maria shook her head. “No, something’s wrong.”

* * *

The school day seemed to last a year for Argus. All he’d thought about through science, math, and English was running with the cross-country team after school. Ranger Brock had forbidden the pack to run, which had troubled Argus more than the others. He was the one who felt most at home in the forest. He loved the smell of it, the way the forest floor felt beneath his feet, the way the branches felt brushing against his fur, and, best of all, the thrill of hunting prey between the trees. Running through the forest was a big part of who Argus was. And while cross-country running as a human couldn’t even come close, it was a decent substitute.