Part 26 (1/2)

Sam crept to the door of the cage and stretched his neck to sniff the harness. He looked at the harness, then looked at her . . . and stepped out of the cage, making anxious little sounds.

”All right,” she said brightly. ”Let's go walk in the snow!”

She s.h.i.+mmied out of her end of the leash and put the harness on him, double-checking to make sure nothing was too tight. Then she put on her coat and s.h.i.+mmied the leash back up to her waist. Sam hesitated and looked ready to bolt back into his cage, but he followed her to the front door and pressed himself against her legs, which made putting on her boots a balancing act.

Zipping Simon's keys into her jacket pocket, she opened the front door, and she and Sam stepped outside.

Closing the door, she took a deep breath, grabbed her end of the leash before the loosened loop slipped down, and moved away from the building. After a moment, Sam followed her.

”There's Henry and Vlad,” she said, spotting the vampire and Grizzly on the other side of the complex. ”Let's go over and say h.e.l.lo.” She started walking but stopped as soon as she felt a tug around her middle. She looked back at Sam, who hadn't moved but was now studying the red leash stretched between them.

Meg smiled. ”See? Safety line.”

His tail began to wag. He trotted up to her, and the two of them followed the walkway until they reached Vlad and Henry.

She couldn't identify the expressions on their faces. Since they weren't yelling at her-or threatening to eat her-she gave them a bright smile and said, ”Sam and I are mighty adventurers, just like in the movies.”

”I can see that,” Henry replied after a moment. He looked at Sam. ”You can follow a scent better than she can, so you make sure our Liaison doesn't get lost.”

Sam replied in Wolf, and she and the pup continued their circuit around the complex.

Watching the woman and Wolf pup, Vlad felt relieved that Simon wasn't going to be within easy reach of a telephone. When he'd promised to keep an eye on those two, he hadn't antic.i.p.ated Meg doing anything like this.

”That's Sam,” he said, struggling to keep his voice neutral and not provoke the Grizzly.

”It is,” Henry agreed.

”That's Sam on a leash.” Because their second form couldn't be contained by such things, the Sanguinati didn't have the hatred of chains and cages that filled the s.h.i.+fters, but even he felt anger at seeing a terra indigene being treated like a . . . a . . . dog. He could imagine what Blair or, even worse, Elliot would say if they found out.

Hearing the Crows, he amended that thought to when they found out.

”And that's Meg with a leash around her waist,” Henry said as Sam ran around her in circles and pulled her legs out from under her, dumping them both in a s...o...b..nk. ”Hard to get away from what's on the other end, but a good way to haul someone back if there's trouble.”

A good way to capture two instead of just one. But Vlad didn't say that. He just watched while girl and pup got untangled and climbed out of the snow.

”Something frightened her at the plaza,” Henry said. ”For a moment, the air carried the scent of the man who tried to break in to the efficiency apartments. But with all the police around, it was not a good time to hunt.”

Vlad watched as Meg and Sam started the second circuit around the complex, heading back toward him and Henry. Sam was ahead of Meg now, sniffing at everything. Then he bounced back to Meg for a moment before bounding into the lead again.

This was the Sam he remembered before Daphne was killed-an exuberant pup. How could a piece of leather that should have offended make so much difference? Why did it make so much difference?

Sam was digging at something in the snow, and Meg was watching Sam. So neither of them saw Blair standing at the entrance to the complex, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the leash and harness.

”Henry,” Vlad said.

”I see him.”

Before Meg and Sam noticed him, Blair stepped out of sight. Not gone, no, but watching as Sam took a running leap and disappeared in a drift.

He howled that squeaky-door sound that couldn't be mistaken for any other Wolf. Meg laughed and took a step back. ”Climb, Sam. Climb! We are adventure buddies scaling the mighty snow!” She pulled, and Sam climbed until he got out of the drift. He shook himself off and looked at Meg, tail wagging, tongue hanging out in a grin.

”Time for dinner?” she asked the pup.

His answer was to set off at a brisk pace, pulling her along behind him.

When Meg and Sam were inside Simon's apartment, Vlad watched Blair reappear at the entrance, looking wary. That harness and leash would infuriate all the Wolves in the Courtyard. Without Simon's presence, Blair, as the Courtyard's main enforcer, would either defend Meg or let the other Wolves have her for this offense. Which would bring the Wolves into conflict with the Sanguinati, because Grandfather Erebus was entertained by the Liaison and her courtesies, and he had made it clear that Meg was under his protection until he said otherwise.

Blair looked at them, nodded, and walked away.

”What do you think?” Vlad asked.

”See what you can find in the books or the computer about adventurers and ropes. See if you can find out why Meg did this.”

”I can look. Or I can just ask her.”

”Or you can just ask her.” A thoughtful pause. ”She does not think like other humans, and she does not think like us. She is something new, something little known and not understood. But she found a way to quiet Sam's fear, and that should not be forgotten.”

No, that shouldn't be forgotten, which was something he would point out to Blair.

Henry blew out a breath. ”Come. There is pizza and a movie. What was chosen for the entertainment?”

Vlad smiled, revealing the Sanguinati fangs. ”Night of the Wolf.”

CHAPTER 11.

Her coat dangling from one arm, Meg rushed back into Simon's living room and shrieked, ”Sam! What are you doing? Stop that! Stop!”

The pup continued chewing at the cage and pus.h.i.+ng his little paws against the wires so hard that it looked like his toes had elongated into furry fingers that were trying to reach the latch.

She banged the cage with the flat of her hand, startling him enough to take a step back.

”Stop that!” she scolded. ”You're going to break a tooth or cut your paws. What's wrong with you?”

He talked at her. She threw her hands up in exasperation.

”You have food. You have water. You already ate the cookies, and we had a quick walk. I have to go to work now. If I'm late again, Elliot Wolfgard will bite me, and I bet he bites hard.”