“How you doing, Argus?” Noble asked.

Argus sniffed the air. “Am I smelling what I think I’m smelling?”

“You are,” Harlan said, placing the greasy brown-paper bag on the bed.

Argus grabbed it and began wolfing down the burger. He was four or five bites into it before he noticed that Harlan was dressed in running shoes, sweats, and a school T-shirt.

“Why are you dressed like that?” Argus asked, around a bite of burger.

“Well,” Harlan began. “Since you’re not on the cross-country team anymore, Coach Quinn asked me if I wanted to run in your place.”

“What? You took my spot on the team?”

“Not really. Anyone who wants to can join the team. And by the time you’re out of the hospital and well enough to run, the cross-country season will be over.”

Argus just looked at Harlan. “But you’re so…well, skinny. There are some fast people on that team, especially Shannon Boersma’s younger sister, Katelyn. I just couldn’t catch her. How are you going to do against someone like that?”

Noble put a hand over his mouth to try and hide his laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Argus said.

“Uh,” Harlan began. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but I ran with the team today.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Well, I finished first.”

“No way!”

Harlan shrugged. “It’s just practice.”

“You finished ahead of Katelyn?”

Harlan nodded.

“She’s a provincial champion.”

“I know. Coach Quinn was really impressed.”

“Impressed,” said Noble, looking at Harlan. “He was practically doing handstands.”

“There’s a meet next weekend,” said Harlan. “He’s expecting me to win.”

Argus’s whole body slumped forward, his chin coming to rest on his chest.

Noble felt a little sorry for his brother. Harlan just happened to be the slowest member of the pack in their wolfen form. But if Argus was angry, he let it pass.

Argus raised his head. “Maybe I’ll be out in time to watch you run.”

“That would be nice,” said Harlan.

Noble had trouble believing what he was hearing. He looked into Argus’s eyes and said, “What have you done with our brother?”

“I’m still me,” Argus said. “But I figure, if it’s not me leading the running team, at least it’ll be a Brock.” He extended his hand in Harlan’s direction.

“Thanks, Argus,” Harlan said, shaking it. “It means a lot to me that you feel that way.”

“I’m glad you’re taking this so well, Argus,” Noble said. “Because we’ve got another little surprise for you.”

“What?” Argus asked, smiling. “What is it?”

Noble reached into his backpack and pulled out a textbook and two notebooks.

Argus’s smile was gone in an instant. “What’s this?”