Part 36 (1/2)

Before he was finished, he heard footsteps coming down the hall.

”I don't see anything,” a man called out.

It sounded like the homeowner. Didn't he have sense enough to wait for the cops if he thought something was wrong?

The man clattered into the room. He was short and stocky with a fringe of dark hair around his bald head. Logan cowered back like he was only a frightened dog.

”Jesus Christ,” the guy exclaimed. ”A dog got in here.”

Logan fought the urge to attack. He could take this guy so easily. But the man was an innocent bystander who had come home to find a dog in his house. So Logan played the part he'd a.s.signed himself, ducking his head submissively and edging toward the side of the room, hoping he could make a break for it.

”Good doggie,” the man said.

The woman rounded the corner. She was taller than her husband, with red hair and a big bust. Both of them looked to be in their mid-fifties. Too bad they'd decided to come home early.

As the lady of the house took in the scene, she gasped. ”That's no dog; it's a wolf. Shoot it, Bart. Shoot it.”

Logan felt his heart start to pound.

The guy moved toward a drawer in an end table that Logan hadn't searched. When the man drew out a gun, Logan howled, then turned and ran down the hall.

Unfortunately, he'd only run into a trap. The door was closed, and he stopped short. He could turn and attack. Or he could run up the stairs.

He chose to run.

At the top of the stairs he turned right, dashed into a bedroom, and found the window closed. It wasn't the room Rinna had used as her escape route.

Downstairs, he could hear the woman shouting out advice. ”Stay away from it. It could be rabid.”

”What do you expect me to do?”

”Call the police.”

He didn't hear the end of the conversation because he was already out of the room and into another. To his vast relief, one of the windows gaped open.

Sticking his head out, he saw that it opened onto the front porch. When he climbed out, he almost lost his footing.

Above him he could see a white bird circling the house.

Rinna. She came down low, then landed a few feet away.

He wanted to shout at her to get away. But he couldn't talk. All he could do was say the words of transformation in his head.

In the distance he heard a siren. The cops were already on their way.

He pushed a curse out of his mind and focused on the chant. He could see flas.h.i.+ng red and blue lights by the time he made it to human form. The pain of changing quickly twice in rapid succession made his head spin, but he knew he didn't have much time.

Rinna hovered around him, her wings frantically beating the air as though she could somehow help him.