Blue moon - By Lori Handeland Page 0,79

quite a few.

Why did we have to shoot all the wolves? Wasn't there an easier way to get rid of them? Why couldn't we put them back the way they'd been before all this started? If anyone would know how to cure a werewolf, wouldn't it be the man who'd been hunting them for most of his life?

I sat in a chair next to his temporary bed. The small emergency section of the clinic didn't have rooms, only curtained partitions. If someone needed to stay longer than a night, they were sent to the hospital in Clearwater.

Thankfully Mandenauer wasn't that bad off, although he didn't look good. He'd lost a lot of blood, which was being reintroduced via an IV. I hated those things. They felt like someone had stuck a knitting needle into a vein.

"The doctor says you can leave in the morning."

He opened one eye, then closed it again. "Yee-ha."

I snorted. "You've been hanging out with me too long."

"Or perhaps not long enough." He opened both eyes. "You saved my life. Thank you."

"I think you saved mine. But you're welcome."

"You will not hunt tonight."

The words were not a question, but I answered anyway - in a manner he could understand. "No?"

"No. You are not trained to do so alone."

"We don't have much time."

"True."

"Is there anything else I can do?"

"Bring me some vodka."

"I doubt that will mix well with the drugs. Anyway, I meant is there anything else I can do to the werewolves? Isn't there a cure?"

"None that I know of."

My heart flipped and settled like a stone in my belly. "None?"

He sighed. "That I know of that work. There are in-numerable theories, myths, legends. I prefer to be sure and use the silver. But I have an associate who has researched the cures. As of yet she's found nothing."

It was bad enough that Cadotte might be a werewolf, but I couldn't accept that there was no way to fix him. I wouldn't.

"Can I talk to her?"

Mandenauer's eyes popped open. He'd nearly been asleep. He waved a hand at his trousers, which were slung over a chair. "Her number is in my wallet. Elise Hanover."

I already had the pants in my hand. "Dr. Hanover?"

"You know her?"

"She works at the CDC. Or maybe not." Confused, I stared at Mandenauer. "She's one of yours?"

He nodded.

"You had my calls rerouted, didn't you?"

"Do not be angry. I had all the calls out of Miniwa sent through my people. Do you think we want the entire world descending on this town before we get it cleaned up?"

I thought we'd been lucky to avoid media mania. Instead we'd been manipulated.

I stood there with Mandenauer's trousers hanging from my hand and watched him drift off to sleep.

Every time I turned around there was a new secret, another conspiracy, someone who wasn't who I thought they were. It was getting old.
Chapter 33
"What happened?" Elise cried. "Has he been killed?"

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"This is my private line. Only Jdger-Suchers have this number."

"Mandenauer gave it to me. I need information."

"I need to talk to him."

"He's sleeping."

The line went dead. I cursed and hit redial. When she didn't answer, I hit redial over and over again until Dr. Hanover picked up. "What?"

"I need information," I repeated.

"Without Edward's okay, you get nothing."

"Listen." Quickly I told her what had happened that day and what I wanted. "I'm not waking him. You can forget about it."

Silence met my declaration. For an instant, I thought she'd hung up while I ranted. I waited for a dial tone. Instead I heard a soft sigh.

"Fine. But I want to talk to him as soon as he's able."

"And my information?"

"You'll have it. What harm can it do?" she mumbled. "Fax number?"

"Hold on." I got the number from the nurses'station and gave it to her.

"You'll stay with him?" she asked. "He shouldn't be alone when he can't protect himself."

"You think the wolves will come after him here?"

"With Edward, there are more than wolves to worry about."

"Peachy."

Moments later a nurse brought me the faxed information from Dr. Hanover.

"Interesting reading, Jessie," she said.

I glanced at the top sheet. "Ways to Cure a Werewolf." Well that was succinct and to the point. Not very secretive, either. But then again, who'd believe this shit was real - unless they'd seen what I had?

I gave the nurse a sheepish smile and pointed to Man-denauer. "It's for him."

"Uh-huh," she said, and left.

I spent the next hour reading Elise's fascinating material. Not only were there several methods for