“So how was your hunt?” Kristina asked Melanie as the two of them rode in the Ka-62. It had been two weeks since the storm, and while she’d seen the increased amount of respect that Melanie and Keith both treated Magnus with, it was her first chance to talk about it with her. Up front, Keith piloted at the controls while behind them, Kim and Magnus flew the Blackhawk with Edward and the twins in the back. They’d wanted to bring The Wolf, but Akiko had to go back to take care of Thornblood business and had taken it along with young Jay. They’d left while it was still dark out to take advantage of the best conditions they could, and to the east, Kristina could just see the sun start to glow on the horizon.

For Kristina, it was her first chance to talk with Melanie. They’d been so busy with trying to run two clans remotely, using just the Internet and phone lines. Now, after flying for hours, she felt she finally had a chance to talk with Melanie privately.

“Good,” Melanie said with a smile. “Magnus was a great hunting partner.”

For some reason, Kristina felt a surge of jealousy, and part of her wished she’d changed and gone on a hunt with Magnus as well. She couldn’t stalk like a Lycan, but she could hunt with the best of them. She just hadn’t, feeling self-conscious every time she saw Magnus in his wolf form. He was amazing, as handsome in Lycan form as he was in his human form, and she’d gone to bed for the past two weeks feeling an inner tremor that she’d tried to force herself to deny.

Melanie noticed and leaned in, chuckling. “Why didn’t you hunt? Bears eat meat too, you know.”

Kristina shook her head, agonized. “It’d never work out, Melanie. Besides, I’m better with moose anyway.”

Melanie raised an eyebrow but said nothing, turning her attention out the window of the Blackhawk as they cruised. After a bit, she leaned back over. “You know, a cop on a false murder charge and the betrothed Alpha Male of the most powerful Lycan clan in North America should never have worked out either. But we did. Never mind what his crazy ass sister did.”

Melanie suddenly laughed, and Kristina raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I let Kim in on that last sentence. We tease each other like that. She just growled at me. You know, you’ve impressed her as well.”

“Yeah?” Kristina asked, intrigued. “I figured she’d be happy to not have the grumpy bear around the manor all the time.”

“She’s enjoyed having you around. Keeps her in . . . wait . . . she says it keeps her in fighting trim, having another woman to bounce ideas off and spar with mentally. Just what have you two been up to before I got to the manor?”

Kristina laughed, thinking back to the times she’d been able to spend a few minutes with Kimberly. They’d been rare, but she had to admit they’d been fun. “Nothing too much past my grumpy morning.”

“I heard a little bit, so no details necessary,” Melanie said. “But I’m glad, really. Kim needs some challenging from time to time. She’s such a spoiled little . . .”

Melanie laughed again, and Kristina knew that she was being chastised over her link as Keith joined in too. “She didn’t like it?”

“It was a growl from the depths of Alpha Lycan-ness that would make most people pee their pants. I’m so gonna get my ass whipped when we land,” Melanie said with a laugh. “Think I can interest you in being my bodyguard?”

“Hmm . . . tell Kim I’ll think about it. I’m a guest of the Lockwoods, but you’re going to my home, remember?”

“Good point.”

They sat back, enjoying the rest of the chopper flight as they wound their way north. The landscape was pristine white, forests shrouded in white blankets as they left behind the narrow southern band of Canadian cities and encountered the wilder untamed great white north.

They were soon paralleling the single highway that led to the Aklark/Kenai territory, nothing but a single black ribbon in all of the white. “How the hell do they get that thing plowed?”

“One of the supply trucks for the research stations up north,” Kristina said idly. “They always send a truck up after a storm like that, and it has a plow on the front. It’s not a great job, but it gets the main road, and we have some better plows for trucks around town, and we always put in a good stock of salt too.”

Melanie nodded, and Kristina sat back to enjoy the rest of the flight. It was only her second helicopter flight, and she still felt giddy about it, even with the helmet taking away some of the sound. They soon landed, and Kristina stepped out, inhaling the scent that told her she was home. “Hmm, they said nothing is quite like home, and they’re right. Smells different.”

Edward, getting out of the other chopper, stretched his arms and inhaled too. “You’re right.”

Edward was about to say more when a man emerged from the outbuilding, stopping everyone in surprise. Keith, who’d been hugging Melanie and conferring with Kim, turned, surprised. Kristina made her way over to Magnus, who also looked surprised. “What’s the shock? That’s Robert Jorgenson, one of the Kenai.”

“Yes . . . but this wasn’t an informal visit,” Magnus said softly. “With the Alpha Male of two clans and both of his Alpha Females with him, this is the Lycan equivalent of a state visit.”

“Hmmm . . .” Kristina said as she watched Robert approach Keith, his face pale with worry.

“Lord Lockwood and Thornblood, I am sorry to have to be the one to greet you,” Robert said, his voice trembling. “The Kenai mean no offense. I am Robert Jorgenson of the Kenai.”

“It is surprising, Robert Jorgenson, to be greeted in such a manner,” Keith said, his voice formal. “Have we unintentionally offended Lord Kenai? The last time I talked with Peter, he said that we were welcome to come up to visit and pay our respects to Linda Stormstout.”

“It’s not that,” Robert said, blinking, and Kristina realized something . . . the man was scared out of his wits. “Last night . . . while you were in the air, Peter Alces died.”

The shock that rippled through the whole party was palpable as Keith glanced at his family, then turned back to Robert. “This is unexpected, and a very sad event. The Lockwoods and the Thornbloods offer our condolences and any support we can give in this trying time. What happened?”

“The illness that had beset him . . . he died peacefully,” Robert said. “I found him myself. I’m . . . I’m his friend.”

“I understand. If I may say, Robert, I am concerned about this illness. Is it safe for my sister’s children to even be here?”

“I think so, Lord Lockwood,” Robert said. “The illness is strange, and we’re doing our best to contain it, but so far, no children, Aklark or Kenai, have been affected. Your nephew and niece should be just fine.”

Kristina helped Magnus unload the bags from the helicopters and carry them out to the trucks that were out front. Kristina noticed that this time, Ben Stormstout greeted them himself outside the heliport, and for the first time, Kristina wondered just how bad the illness was. Before, Ben had looked tired, haggard, and distracted. Now . . . now, he looked smaller.

“It’s good to see you again, Keith,” Ben said, ignoring protocol. Kristina could see Keith tense for a moment before he relented, shaking Ben’s hand. “I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Yes, I heard about Peter Alces,” Keith replied. “Ben, what’s going on?”

“Hell if we know,” Ben said, leading the Waldwycks toward a small bus that Kristina knew doubled as a school bus. “Some of the superstitious members of my people are calling it the King’s Sickness, because it seems to be mostly affecting the higher-ranking members of the Kenai and Aklark.”

“Is there any common denominator among those who are sick?” Kimberly asked. “Anything?”

“Other than being relatively influential in town? None,” Ben said sorrowfully. “Trust me, Kim, I’ve thought of everything. We’ve had people change diets, even change where they live. Nothing seems to be consistent.”

“Please, we’ll help however we can,” Keith said. “For now, though, this is a family event. If you would, please, Ben?”

They got on the bus, driving out into the countryside. Kristina knew where the Aklark cemetery was, and like many of her people’s formal places, it was very natural. In fact, the Aklark cemetery was in a grove of trees, pine trees that denoted the Aklark that had been buried underneath them, their bodies nourishing the new life that sprang from their deaths.

Ben stopped, sighing as they reached the edge of the graveyard. “Too much dying going on recently.”

“What do you mean, Dad?” Edward asked curiously. “Another death?”

Ben shook his head, waving it off. “Never mind, Edward. Here, this is Linda’s grave.”

They gathered around, and as Kristina watched, Aklark emerged from the trees, gathering around as well. Edward was moved. He knew that such a formal ceremony wouldn’t normally take place so long after a death, and as each member of the Aklark said a word about the dead before saying goodbye and disappearing into the trees, he was visibly shaken. Eventually, it came to her turn, and she stepped forward. “Linda Stormstout and I . . . we never really got along. But I do remember her cooking and her stalwart support for her friends and her family. She raised a wonderful son in Edward. For that, I thank her.”

She stepped back and away from the family. This was no longer her place. As she was walking, she saw someone unfamiliar, a pale woman with blonde hair that looked as out of place among the Aklark lands as Kristina would look among a horde of Japanese geisha. She watched but kept going, seeing one of her few friends, Melissa Running Deer, up ahead. She picked up the pace, waiting until she was out of sight of the burial grounds before calling out softly. “Mel!”

Melissa stopped and turned, giving Kristina a smile. “Welcome back, Kris. How was the South? Enjoy some grits?”

“I was so far from the American South you might as well have asked how were the burritos,” Kristina said with a small laugh. “Hey, had a question for you . . . who’s the blonde chick?”

Melissa pursed her lips, shaking her head. “New girl in town, Pauline Desjardins. She’s been around a lot, more since you left.”

“What’s she doing at an Aklark ceremony then?” Kristina asked, confused. “We don’t let normal humans see our ways. Hell, if it weren’t for Edward, we wouldn’t have let the Waldwycks in either.”

“Yeah well, she’s been brought into the inner circle really quickly,” Melissa said, slightly disgusted. “You might as well know, since Edward’s going to find out soon enough . . . she’s living with Ben Stormstout.”

“What?” Kristina asked, shocked. “Mel, Ben’s been a widower for what, two weeks?”

“Yeah . . . and Pauline’s been living in Ben’s house for a week,” Mel said. “Lots of people aren’t happy, but supposedly, she’s just ‘assisting’ Ben. Take one look at her, and you know exactly what sort of assistance he’s getting from her.”

“Shit . . . Edward’s not going to like that,” Kristina said, looking back. At the limits of her vision, she could see Pauline, ghostly almost in the woods, but still clear enough that Kristina could see what Melissa meant. Shorter than the average Aklark woman, she had a figure that was meant for male fantasies, with a waist so small that Kristina was pretty sure she could fit her hands around it, while her hips and breasts were almost cartoonishly swelled out. She was about to say something when Pauline turned her face to look at Kristina, almost as if she knew Kristina was watching, and smile at her. It wasn’t a kind smile, but a predatory grin, and Kristina turned away, concerned. “What the hell?”

“I don’t know. I just keep my head down and out of trouble,” Melissa said, whispering still. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride back to your house. My truck’s just up ahead.”

“Yeah,” Kristina said, shaking her head. Either way, she had questions, and she needed to tell the Lycans about the new girl in town. As they walked, Kristina felt like her friend was hiding something. As soon as they got in her truck, she broke her silence. “What’s going on, Mel?”

“There’s been too much death going on,” Melissa said sorrowfully. “Too much.”

“Ben said something to the same effect. I overheard him mention that to Edward as we approached the graveyard. What are you guys talking about? Linda Stormstout, Peter Alces . . .”

“And Jason Debray,” Melissa said, her eyes sad. “He was a nice guy. Not my type, but a nice guy.”

“Jason . . . Jason’s dead?” Kristina stammered before shaking her head. “Edward’s not going to like that. What happened?”

“Accident in his house. Somehow, he electrocuted himself,” Melissa said. “I didn’t even think Lycans could die from electricity, at least not household levels.”

Kristina sighed, shaking her head. “From what I’ve seen of them, they shouldn’t. Melissa, something’s wrong.”

“And getting wronger every day,” Melissa said.

Kristina nodded and looked out the window as Melissa drove. Things were even worse than they’d been when she first said something to Magnus. Now, she had even grimmer news to deliver.