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The phone rang while I was elbow-deep in sudsy dishwater

“I’ll get it,” said lasses and a fork in my sink

A olf pack that eats together stays together, I thought, scrubbing stubborn egg off a plate Sunday breakfasts weren’t attended by the whole pack—soular people or jobs they worked on the Sabbath The breakfasts weren’t mandatory because that would have ruined the intent Darryl, Adam’s second, who usually prepared the ood cook, and his food attracted anyone who could e to come

The dishwasher was running, stuffed full and then some I would have let the rest of the dishes wait until it was done, but Auriele, Darryl’s mate, wouldn’t hear of it

I didn’t argue with her because I was one of the three people in the pack who outranked her, so she’d have to back down That felt like cheating, and I never cheat

Unless it is against ht have been mine but felt like Coyote’s

The second reason for etting along, which made her the only one of the three female olves in the pack as friendly with me at the moment

Auriele hadn’t been happy having me as the Alpha’swolves She didn’t think it was a good thing for pack ht trouble for the pack with me She liked me despite herself I was used to the company of e stepdaughter, ould talk to me

So, to please Auriele, I washed dishes that the dishwasher could have taken care of, ignoring the burn of hot soapy water in the wounds of my trade—barked knuckles are a mechanic’s constant companion Auriele dried the dishes, and Jesse had volunteered to tidy up the kitchen in general Three wo over household chores—ht hardened my resolve that next week, soood for them to expand their skill set

“There’s this kid inphone as she hefted a stack of plates up to the cupboard with a grunt of effort It wasn’t the weight of the dishes that was the problem—Auriele was a olf; she could have lifted a four-hundred-pound anvil onto the shelf It was that she was short and had to stand on tiptoe to do it Jesse had to dodge around her to get to the phone

“All the teachers love Clark,” Auriele continued “All the girls and uys, too And every word out of his mouth is a lie ‘Enrique cheated off my paper,’ he told me when I asked hiets this resigned look on his face; I expect that Clark has done this to him before”

“Hauptman residence,” said Jesse cheerfully “Can I help you?”

“Is Adam there?”

“So I told hiht by the familiar voice on the line

“I need Adam” My husband’s ex-wife’s voice was thick with tears Christy Hauptman sounded desperate and half-hysterical

“Mo?”

“Get Adam”

“Moave me a frantic look

“Adam,” I called “Christy’s on the phone for you”

He was in the living rooered after breakfast, so I didn’t have to raise my voiceso