that could ever possibly be okay about this. Fuck, Arnold, you don’t even know the half of it.”
“What else could there be? I mean, this isn’t the end of the world—you’re not dead—but this isn’t the greatest way to end a vacation. Does Chaz know?”
“Fuck Chaz!” I cried, slamming my palm down on my computer desk, sending papers spilling to the floor. “The fucking bastard was cheating on me, okay? The whole freaking pack knew he was doing it. Why didn’t I know, Arnold? How did he get away with it this long? He’s been screwing that … that whore for who knows how long, and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down. Chaz was cheating on you? With who?”
I snarled something unintelligible before slumping into my office chair, rolling across the plastic floor mat until one of the wheels stuck on the carpet. Now that the shock of being potentially infected had worn off, my anger was coming back in force. I spat out the words, rubbing hot tears off my cheeks with my knuckles as I vented.
“That bastard has been sleeping with some other Were named Kimberly. They met at his gym. I can’t believe he would do this to me—”
“Shit, Shia, I’m sorry. Do you want me to check the archives and see if there’s anything The Circle might be able to do for you?”
“You have a spell to make Chaz’s dick fall off?”
“No.” He barked unsteady laughter, though it tapered off soon enough into a more serious, professional attitude I’d only encountered in him once or twice before. “No, but we might have one to cure lycanthropy. I know of ways to suppress the change after the fact, so we might have an antidote on file, too.”
That sobered me. I rubbed the palm of my free hand against my jeans, then noticed I was leaving bloodstains behind from where my nails had dug in and stopped, clenching my fist on my knee instead. The cuts didn’t hurt, not yet, but I didn’t want to ruin any more of my clothing after all I had already lost this weekend.
“Yes, please. If there’s anything that can be done to stop it, I’ll do it. God, Arnold, I don’t want to be one of them. I don’t want to be an Other. Not this way.”
“Hey, I don’t blame you or anything, but speaking from experience here, it isn’t the end of the world. Whatever happens, I’ll help you get through it. Let’s focus on the positive for the moment. You said you won’t know for sure if you’re infected right away, right? Well, you might not be. Don’t write yourself off yet.”
I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, placing my hand on my forehead. Arnold was right. That didn’t make it any easier to swallow or set aside, but he was right, nonetheless. “Okay. I’ll try not to freak out any more than I already have.”
“Good. This probably isn’t the right time to ask this, but what are you going to do about Chaz?”
Good question. My eyes popped open, my gaze shifting toward my bedroom as though called. An idea was forming, one I wasn’t about to share with the mage.
“I’m not sure yet. Keep that under your hat, too; let me tell Sara. I need some time to get myself together before I discuss it with anybody.”
“Okay.” He didn’t sound convinced. “This might sound stupid, but don’t do anything to provoke him. He may be in the wrong here, but you could get hurt if you go after him for revenge.”
“I know. I’ll be careful.”
“No,” he said, tone sharp. “Don’t be a cowboy, Shia. He’s got no reason to play nice anymore if he thinks you’re out to get him. The Sunstrikers don’t have a great reputation for playing by the rules. If he gets the idea that you’re going to report him or a pack member to the authorities for assault, he might do something to ensure the sentence never gets carried out.”
My blood chilled, fingers tightening on the phone. “What do you mean? What are you talking about?”
He sighed, the sound crackling through the receiver. It did nothing to reassure me. “Maybe it’s nothing. I never said anything before now because he was your boyfriend, and it wasn’t my place, but the Sunstrikers have a reputation for playing dirty. Nothing lasting, nothing that would stick in court, but that might be because no witnesses ever stuck to their guns or survived long enough to see the witness