“Um, well. You could try to make some of these tents more stable,” I suggested. “Some look ready to keel over in the next big wind.” I suspected those were the ones whose owners couldn’t shift to their human form. No fingers and thumbs made bolting a tent down pretty hard.
“No problem. Janie and I will get right on it.”
“Thanks,” I said as she hurried off in search of her sister.
I picked my way back through camp, fielding questions and containing squabbles. Nothing like what’d happened with Nick. More like what came from living in close quarters with the same people day in and day out.
Wes was waiting for me when I finally made it back. He pulled me in for a hug and I pretended not to have a pounding headache as I listened telepathically to the rest of the pack try to figure out what’d just happened. Or whether Nick had lost his mind.
“He’s getting worse,” Wes said when I pulled away.
“Yeah.”
“What’s his problem? Can you read him?”
I shook my head. “Not with this. It’s … I don’t know what it is. But it’s not him.”
Wes frowned but said nothing. I needed to change the subject. To move on—back to normal … ish.
“So what are your plans for the day?” I asked, making a special effort to lighten my tone. “Are you and Jack still heading out?”
“That’s the plan. Jack’s in the weapons room doing a reorganize. Figured I had some time.”
“He must be stressed if he’s doing that.”
Wes nodded. “The packs are getting nervous about this thing with CHAS. It’s rubbing off on him.”
“You know we won’t be able to find anything in there for days once he’s done.”
“I know. Fee started baking when she saw what he was up to.”
“Great. So I’ll stay away until at least tomorrow.”
“Probably best. What are you going to do this afternoon?”
I rubbed absently at my temples. “Go for a run. Then the hospital.”
He didn’t answer right away. I felt the slightest increase in pressure from his arms around me. It was the only indication my answer bothered him. “Well … be careful,” he said finally.
Obviously, we still weren’t going to talk about it.
“I will,” I promised. I kissed his nose before stepping away. “You too. I’ll see you when you get back.”
“I’ll call you tonight.”
The strain between us, though unspoken, tugged at me. At my tent’s entrance, I turned back. “Wes, the bond…” I paused, searching for the right words.
“What about it?”
“It wasn’t something I chose. You are.”
