Blue wadded up her wrapper. “Life isn’t carefree. The minute you let your guard down, everything’s taken from you. Just remember why we’re all here. And I doubt you could convince any of those abused kids that life is carefree.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “But it’s an idyllic world we endeavor for. That’s why we’re all here—so one day our kind can enjoy the same life that many humans have.”
“Humans have their own set of problems,” I pointed out. “Granted, they’re not battling Vampires or rogue Shifters who want to slaughter their families, but it’s not always an easy life. I don’t think we can ever create a perfect world, but maybe we deserve more perfect moments.”
Gem raised her cup. “To perfect moments.”
We all silently toasted.
Viktor walked in, dark circles under his hooded eyes. “This room smells like a dirty hamper.”
Gem pointed at the floor beside him. “Wyatt took off his boots. I don’t think he’s cleaned those since the eighteenth century.”
I reached in my bag for extra fries. “Any luck placing the kids?”
Blue cleared up the napkins and bags. “Come sit down.” She fluffed an orange pillow just as he took a seat to her left. “Did you eat? I have an extra burger.”
“I cannot eat. I have too much on my mind.”
Holding my drink, I stretched my legs out and sighed. “We might have to split them apart.”
Viktor rubbed his bleary eyes. “I spoke to a trusted friend who has access to information on local packs. He will keep our secret because exposing us would be exposing himself for accessing files he should not. I cannot place them with just anyone who has room—they must be good men. No troubles, no criminal backgrounds, enough room. But he was not able to find a pack that fits the criteria.” Viktor rested his elbow on the couch arm and covered his eyes. “We have a moral obligation to these children.”
“We’ll come up with something,” Blue promised him. “Sometimes when you think about a problem too much, you can’t see the answer. Maybe if you just get some rest, the answer will come to you.”
“She’s right,” Niko agreed. “We all want what’s best for the children, and we’ll find a solution. Your light is stressed. You don’t want your wolf coming out at the wrong time.”
Viktor folded his arms and muttered something.
“In English,” Gem said softly.
“You are right,” he said. “I am no good unless I sleep. Perhaps Matteo can take them back to the sanctuary.”
“It’s not the right place for them, Viktor. You know it.” Blue handed him her drink. “That place is for Potentials, and they don’t belong. They need parental figures. Shifter kids won’t do well without proper guidance. The guardians there won’t be able to help them through their first change or teach them how to control their animal. They’ll never be fit to live in a pack if they didn’t grow up in one. It’ll be harder for them to be chosen by good Packmasters.”
“You are right, my dear. I am just talking out loud. We are running out of options.” He stretched his arms across the back of the couch and yawned. “You two are busy in here today.”
Slumped in the beanbag, I stared up at the ceiling. “We think we’ve made a connection. We’re still waiting on a few callbacks. I don’t know what it means, but if everyone’s an alpha or a redhead who can make an alpha, then we need to figure out the mystery before everyone else does.”
“Perhaps you should consult the Relic,” he suggested. “It is always best to take advice from a professional. He might have a better understanding. May the fates help us if it is bio warfare. Why does that not sound right?” Viktor repeated the phrase, testing it on his tongue.
“Biological warfare is correct.” Gem noisily slurped her strawberry shake all the way to the bottom. “It could also be the beginning of a mutation.”
Wyatt belched. “What’s that supposed to mean? We’re all mutations.”
“Yes, but nobody knows if one Breed began another. Or did we all form separately? And we’re not the only Breeds there have ever been. I’ve read ancient books that talk about species I’ve never seen nor heard of. The extinct ones.”
Wyatt wiped his fingers on his shirt. “So you think natural selection is taking out Shifters? Seems a little drastic.”
She tossed a pillow at him. “I never said I was a scientist. But think about it—the weather is always more intense where there’s more Breed. We know it’s true even though no one has ever done scientific studies on it. Remember that year a whole bunch of Shifters were relocated to that small town in California, and they had that drought and all the fires? So maybe that same type of energy is affecting our DNA. Not many cities have as many immortals as Cognito. What if we’re actually harming ourselves by living in close proximity?”
Wyatt tossed the pillow back. “If that’s true, then we’re all screwed. Might as well start reserving our slots at the cemetery.”
Viktor stood. “Let’s not be dramatic.” He crossed the room and paused in the doorway. “Speak to the Relic and see what he has to say. I have more calls to make in the morning. Spokoynoy nochi.”
“Good night,” Gem said in return.
When he left, I stole Viktor’s spot. “Let me see the list.”
Blue reached for the notebook next to Niko and handed it to me. We wrote down all the names, excluding those we ruled out as unrelated.
I set down the notebook. “I think we’ve got enough. We’re only missing two.”
“Yes, but what if those are the outliers?” she asked.
“Then we scrap the idea. But this is over our head. We need to call Graham and see what’s going on. If he thinks it’s contagious, he’ll have ideas about how we should handle it or who we should turn it over to. There has to be someone who specializes in this stuff.”
Gem curled up with her head on a purple pillow. “Don’t forget, it could also be a genetic shift. Maybe it’s not contagious. Or maybe they have a shared defect.” She yawned noisily. “I couldn’t find anything in my books that looks remotely similar. I wish I could help.”
Blue rubbed her arms as if a draft had blown through, and I could only imagine her fears. What if her own blood was diseased and it was only a matter of time? Alphas supposedly had the most powerful blood and magic. If they all perished, and there was no one left to lead Shifter groups, it would be chaos. They might wind up wiping each other out before the virus did.
Blue rose to her feet. “You’re right. We have enough evidence to connect the deaths. We might never hear from the remaining two. Let’s call the Relic and see what we’ve got.”
Chapter 24
We called Graham, but he couldn’t meet us on such short notice. We made an appointment for Friday evening, and that gave us an extra two days to follow up on the final names on our list. I spent the next day in the rock-climbing room downstairs, trying to scale the walls without a safety harness. After falling twice, I hooked up and took my time until I reached the top. Climbing helped me focus and learn patience. I had a habit of wanting to rush things.