Recognizing the voice as that of Jack Meyers, the National Pack Enforcer she’d met that very evening, she stopped the change. Breath heaving, she focused on him as the car lurched away.

“You know they’ll hunt you down and kill you. Jesus, how stupid can you be? And Lex and Cade will come back here. You’ll start a clan war, the first one in a hundred years. All for Warren Pellini’s money?

What the f**k is wrong with you?”

“Calm down for god’s sake! I’m not going to hurt you, I just had to talk to you.”

“And you didn’t talk to me an hour ago at the Pack house why?”

“Tina is in it up to her stupid f**king ears with Pellini. She’s a spy. Any reaction we gave you in front of her would have been reported back to him. Probably already has been. We’ve contacted some people who’ve gone to get Ben and to take him, Sarah and the kids out and to a safe location.”

“Oh my god!” She scrambled in her pocket for a cell phone.

“Don’t call the apartment, Pellini has been listening and watching you three. I’ll get you back in another few minutes.”

She nodded and relaxed a bit, hoping like hell Gabe and Nick weren’t crazy with fear for her safety.

“Now, listen and listen carefully. I’m working with Templeton, a human cop named Stoner and an FBI agent named Koehler to take Pellini down. We can’t be seen helping you, Tracy. Templeton did call Pellini and order him to back off Pacific, which he reluctantly agreed to do. But you can’t tell anyone but Nick and Gabe about this. We’ve been working to catch him since the hit on your Third last year.”

“Ben Stoner?”

“Yes. I forgot, he’s a cop in your neck of the woods. He’s been made a liaison between the Pack Enforcement and human law enforcement on this issue. The FBI agent is a wolf.”

“Okay, so what do you want us to do?”

“Tell Gabe and Nick about this but not in the apartment. Write it down and then flush the paper. Don’t say a word about it in front of anyone else. Pellini has spies everywhere. Then get the hell out of Boston tomorrow first thing. Hell, tonight even. Watch your back. We’ll have some wolves on you to keep an eye out but don’t let your guard down for a second. Pellini hates you, Tracy. Hates the Wardens and now he’s sure to hate Nick and Gabe too. Stoner is going to head out to talk to Lex and Cade tonight about this whole thing, they’re under threat as well.”

“Crap. What the hell do we do? Other than watch out for a revenge-crazed werewolf don?”

Jack smiled despite himself. “Keep an eye out and ears open. Gabe will need to let a few tight-lipped comments about me drop here and there. It’s imperative that Pellini continue to think I’m in his pocket.

To keep cover, everyone else has to think so too. This money laundering stuff is small potatoes. He’s got fingers in everything, drugs, prostitution, and we’re very concerned that the lycanthropy virus may be in his hands still. He’s crazy, Tracy. Bio-weapons in the hands of a man like Warren Pellini? It can’t happen. And so I stay deep. And so you and other wolves the rest of the nation looks at for moral guidance must begin to break with me. Templeton will bear some of this as well but we can’t afford to weaken him too much or he’ll be challenged. Stoner will keep you all apprised as he can.”

The car turned back toward the apartment building. “I can’t be gone much longer, we shook a tail earlier but we have to let it pick us up again near my girlfriend’s place. Luckily, she lives nearby. We aren’t going to slow too much. Can you handle a roll to the grass strip at the curb?”

Tracy took a deep breath and nodded.

“Okay and one other thing, I’m going to have to rough you up a bit. I told Pellini I was going to send someone out to put a scare into you to get you the hell out of town. It has to look the part. I’m pretty sure you can trust your bodyguards but I don’t know about the others in the building. It’s a Pack building and other wolves live there.”

“Okay. I suppose I’ll heal.”

He smiled again. “Ready to take one for the team?”

As she nodded he slapped her face, hard. And three more times, until she looked pretty swollen.

“I’m really sorry. Gabe is gonna kick my ass for this. Here comes the place, I’ll open, we’ll slow and you jump out. Tuck your shoulder down and roll. Be well and we’ll be in touch.”

It all happened very fast and suddenly Tracy found herself hitting the grass hard and rolling as the car screeched off.

Running footsteps and muffled voices greeted her as she tried to stand.

“Oh my god, Tracy! Are you all right?” It was Julie, looking horrified. “Get her into the building and up to Gabe’s!” she snapped at two other wolves standing there. Tracy saw Julie talk into a cell phone and then close it and look back to her. “That was Gabe. He’s frantic.” Julie pushed the hair back from Tracy’s face and winced.

The big wolf carrying her was gentle as they went to the elevators. Gabe and Nick burst out and both men froze at the sight of her injured and in the hands of a male wolf.

“I’ll kill Pellini,” Nick growled. “It was him, wasn’t it?”

Gabe took her from the other wolf and told them all to go back to their own homes. Julie rode up with them and went to get tea and a cool compress for her face.

“Are you all right?” Gabe demanded, putting her gently on the bed.