Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

stiff. It’s loaded for werewolf. We have allies here, so wait until I tell you to shoot.”
    I found the revolver. There was no time to check it, but I’d loaded it before I put it in the pack. That would have to do. The Smith & Wesson was a lot heavier than the SIG, and it could do a lot more damage.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Jesse whispered, and I remembered she was human and couldn’t feel the song of the Alpha’s strength.
    The music grew, abruptly doubling, and the focus faded until I couldn’t tell that it was coming from Adam anymore. Light feet ran up the stairs and the bolt turned on the door. Jesse was still looking at me, but I had my revolver up and aimed as the door opened.
    â€œDon’t fire,” I said, raising my gun and putting my hand on top of hers so that the automatic’s nose stayed on the ground. “He’s one of ours.”
    The man who stood in front of the door had skin the color of hot chocolate, a green T-shirt that said DRAGONS KILLED THE DINOSAURS, and hazel eyes. It was the shirt that told me he was David’s man. He was standing very still, giving us time to decide he was on our side.
    â€œI’m Shawn,” he said, then he saw Adam.
    â€œDamn,” he said, stepping into the room and shuttingthe door quietly. “What’s going on?” he asked, his eyes on Adam, who was flat on his back, his arms and legs doing a strange, jerky sort of dance.
    â€œI think he’s changing,” Jesse answered.
    â€œConvulsions,” I said. “I’m no doctor, but I think that too much of the silver has worked its way into his nervous system and damaged something important.”
    â€œWill he be okay?” Jesse’s voice shook.
    â€œHe’s tough,” I told her, hoping she wouldn’t notice I hadn’t answered the question. How much silver did it take to kill a werewolf? Usually it was a function of power—but there were some werewolves who were more sensitive to it than others.
    â€œI was switching guard duty with Hamilton when the captain picked a fight with Connor and gave me the high sign to get my ass up here,” Shawn said. “I hadn’t taken three steps when every werewolf on the place was converging on the captain. I take it that something about this fit called them all?”
    I nodded and explained to both of them as best I could. “I don’t know how Christiansen is doing it,” I told him, “but he’s pulling Adam’s power and muddying it. I bet everyone will think it’s him.”
    â€œBecause of the fight,” Shawn said in an “ah-hah” voice.
    But I’d lost interest in how quick off the mark Christiansen had been, because Adam quieted and lay limp. Jesse would have gone to him then, but I held her back.
    â€œWait,” I said, using the opportunity to take the automatic back from her so that she didn’t fire it by accident. “Make sure he’s finished.”
    â€œHe’s not dead?” she asked.
    â€œNo. I can hear him breathing.” It was faint and shallow, but steady.
    I stowed the Smith & Wesson on the top layer in my pack and put the SIG back in its holster. Thanks to Christiansen we weren’t going to have a pack of wolves converging on us—but that might change at any time.
    Adam hadn’t moved, but his breathing grew deeper. I started to tell Jesse that it was all right, when Adam abruptly rolled on his side and jerked into a fetal position with a low groan.

chapter 15
    â€œ Now is he shifting?” asked Jesse.
    â€œThat would be bad,” said Shawn. “We don’t want him changing until he’s kicked off the effects of the drugs. I talked to some of the men who were in your house when he broke free. He was tranqued up then, too.”
    â€œStop scaring her,” I snapped. “He’ll be all right. Besides, I don’t think he’s changing.” Actually, that were-wolfy feeling of power had died to nothing. I had no idea what he was doing.
    The dress shirt Adam wore, dirty, torn, and stained with drops of blood, looked more gray than white. A lot more gray. He’d broken out into a sweat, and the fabric began to cling to him, outlining the taut muscles of his shoulders and back. I could even see the bumps of his spine. The shirt shimmered a little under the cold fluorescent lights as he shivered miserably. I couldn’t tell if he was conscious or