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"I’ed "It’s not his fault Hefell into a bad crowd--the rich guy who bought the Haggerty ranch Kyle was talking about hied"

"For the better!" a voice declared froer andin the doorway

Brynley rose to her feet "Kyle!" She stepped back with a gasp

Phineas understood her reaction the instant Kyle’s scent wafted toward hi

He’d become a olf

Kyle smirked as he approached Brynley "Oh yeah, princess How do you like the new me?" His mouth twisted into a snarl "Maybe you won’t turn me do"

Brynley lifted her chin "It wasn’t your species I objected to It was your personality"

He lurched forith a growl

Phineas jumped to his feet and pulled Brynley close "Back off, furball"

Kyle glared at hiht to her You’re not one of us"

"Cut it out, Kyle" Nate wheeled his chair around the desk "These are ured it out, Nate? Your sweet little friend Brynley is a olf"

Nate halted, his eyes wide

Brynley turned toward hilanced at Kyle, then back at Nate "I didn’t ask to be changed I was born this way"

Nate nodded slowly "I was shocked when my brother first told ured it out earlier I always knew there was so on with sooes far beyond what you’d expect of a hired ranch hand"

"We’re loyal to our Pack Masters," Kyle boasted as he regarded Brynley with a gleahter of the Suprehtened his arm around Brynley when he felt her shudder It was obvious Kyle would run straight to her father to tell hie of vaht by surprise and stuet you saw Brynley here You will not speak of her to anyone Now go!

Kyle turned and wandered from the room

Brynley took a deep breath and squeezed Phineas’s arm "Please tell me you erased his memory"

"I think I did" But he wasn’t sure if it would last

"What’s going on?" Nate studied them warily "You erased my brother’sto protect Brynley"

She hunched down beside the wheelchair "Please, Nate Don’t tell anyone I was here My father would capture e I don’t want"

"With another olf?" Nate asked

"Yes"

"So Caddoc Jones is the Suprearded her sadly "You should have told ht you trusted me"

"I did," she insisted "But you didn’t know Lycans existed, and I was afraid if you knew the truth, you’dno longer be my friend"

Nate patted her shoulder "I would have understood Your father is so damned powerful, and the way so many people ko to him makes me sick"

"Those aren’t people," Phineas muttered "They’re olves"

Nate looked him over "You’re not one of them?"

"No"

"Then what are you?" Nate asked "So like that" Phineas removed a MacKay business card from his wallet and set it on the desk "If you see or hear anything out of the ordinary, please let us know There could be soevil in this area, and it must be defeated"

Nate’s eyes widened "Evil?"

"And please, Nathan," Brynley whispered "Don’t let my father know I’m here"

"You have my word" He wheeled closer to his desk and wrote on a slip of paper "This is my number if you need any help" He handed it to her with a wry look "Not that I’ed him, then turned to Phineas"What should we do now?"

"Leave Nice to rabbed Brynley’s arm and escorted her from the room

"Be careful!" Nate called after them

"We will, thanks!" Brynley yelled back as Phineas led her across the foyer and out the front door

She fu for the car keys "Shall we drive back to the cabin?"

"We’ll drive" But not back to the cabin If his vampire mind control had failed on Kyle, then Brynley’s father would soon know she was in Wyoure out she was probably staying at her brother’s cabin

She cliave hier seat "Why’d you do that?"

"A precaution This location is now embedded in my psychic memory"

"Oh" Her eyes narrowed "You look worried"

"Everything will be cool" He smiled at her, but he orried Worried that he’d screwed up and left too many loose ends He should have erased Nate’s hton’s, too "Drive to the nearest town"

"That would be Ten Sleep" She headed down the driveway to the Carson ranch entrance "Why are we going there?"

"It’s close by" Phineas shrugged when she shot him an annoyed look He had to protect her And the best way to do that was to get her the hell out of Dodge

He remained quiet until they arrived in Ten Sleep, where he spotted a grocery store with a parking lot "Pull in here Park over there" He pointed to a dark spot close to a tree

"The store is closed," she objected, but did as she was told She turned off the engine and looked at hiht the keys to your friend, and she can pick up the car here to your purse" He shut the door and strode toward the dark shadow of the tree

She scra onto her shoulder "Tell me the plan"