a single month - "
"Makes a blue moon," I finished.
"When the becoming takes place." He glanced at his watch. "That's in five days."
I plopped down on the couch. "You believe this stuff?"
"It really doesn't matter if I do or not."
"Why?"
"Because someone believes, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to make the legend come to life."
Chapter 17
"Maybe we'd better keep all of this between us for the time being," he murmured.
"No problem."
Like I was going to tell Clyde about the wolf god or that Cadotte believed in werewolves. Hell, I wasn't going to tell Clyde anything about Cadotte at all, unless I had to.
"What else do you know?" I asked. As long as he was sharing his delusion, I preferred he share it all.
"The army is begun by the one who will become the wolf god."
"Begun, how?"
"' They're werewolves; how do you think?"
I blinked. "So the wolf god is a werewolf, too?"
"Yes. There's a ceremony that involves the totem, the werewolf army, the one who will become the wolf god, and... "
"And what?"
"That's all I know. The information I have is incomplete. So I ordered a book."
"A book? There's a book on this stuff?"
"There's a book on everything. Sadly, this one is out of print. But I found a copy."
"Let me guess - on the Internet."
"Of course. Cost me a bundle, but it should explain a few things. When it shows up."
I grunted, staring at the drawings, thinking of the wolf I'd seen last night. The behavior of Karen Larson.
The weird things I'd imagined about the totem. If I were a believer, I just might believe.
Then again...
"I talked to the CDC this morning. The doctor said there is a new strain of rabies."
"Did you think they'd deny it?"
"But - "
"You expected them to say, ' Oh, no, we don't know what that is. Why don't you panic?'Or maybe, '
Sounds like a werewolf to me. Have a good time.'"
"You aren't funny."
"And I thought I was."
He patted my knee. Skin against skin, my body reacted, even though the touch had been anything but sexual.
"I'm sure the CDC is working on something. But I highly doubt it's a vaccine against a new strain of super-rabies."
"You think they lied to me?"
"Of course not. The government never lies to keep the panic at bay."
"You're being sarcastic."
He merely raised an eyebrow and shuffled his papers into a single stack.
Considering Cadotte was an Indian, an activist, and a professor, I couldn't say I was surprised he had a low opinion of the federal government. But conspiracy theories had never been my forte. They appeared to be his.
"Let me ask you this," he continued. "Did the CDC give you any advice on dealing with these superwolves?"
I thought back to my conversation with Dr. Hanover. There had been one thing.
"Shit." I lifted my gaze to his. "She told me to use silver bullets."
Cadotte started to laugh. He laughed so hard he choked. I pounded him on the back, none too gently.
"Hey!" he protested. "Take it easy."
He picked up his wineglass and tossed back the remainder of the content. "Silver bullets?" He shook his head. "You thought that was a normal thing to recommend?"
"She had a good reason."
"Wanna share it?"
"The mutated virus reacts negatively to silver."
"I'll just bet it does."
I shook my head. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation.
"I wish we had those bodies," I murmured.
"Mighty convenient that they disappeared, wouldn't you say?"
"I suppose you have a theory on that, too."
"Of course."
"Wanna share it?" I mocked.
His lips twitched, and he cast me a glance that puzzled me. Most guys would have been sick of my mouth by now. Cadotte appeared to like it quite a bit.
"They changed."
"You think Karen Larson and her principal are running through the woods howling at the moon?"
"You got a better idea?"
"Yeah, a million of ' em."
"Name one."
"Someone took them."
"Why?"
I tried to come up with a good reason, but I couldn't. I threw up my hands. "How should I know?"
"You have to admit strange things are happening around here."
"That doesn't mean we've got werewolves. Honestly, Cadotte, have you lost your mind?"
He studied me for a moment. "Why are you so dead set against this?"
"Because I haven't lost mine?"
"You should keep your mind open. Isn't that what they tell you in cop school?"
"They tell us to observe only facts. Study what we can document. What we see, hear, touch is what's real. A theory means nothing. A legend even less."
He sighed. "Jessie, I worry over you."
"I can take care of myself."
"Against