Chapter 5: The Border Line

I walked down to the Miller Road marker with twenty Ember Creek wolves behind me and Ewan at my right shoulder.

He had said he would stay at the house if I wanted.

I had said I wanted him where Corbin could see him.

Dusk was coming down over the redwoods, and the stone marker looked small in the headlights.

Redwood wolves stood on the other side of it in a loose half circle, thirty of them at least.

Tobias was at the front, hands in his jacket pockets.

Corbin got out of the SUV and stopped when he saw me.

He looked ten years older than he had in the lobby.

His collar was open and his hair was a mess, and under his eyes the skin had gone gray.

"Anneliese," he said, and his voice broke on it. "Thank God."

Tiffany climbed out of the other side with a white cardigan around her shoulders.

"Anneliese, honey." She pressed a hand to her chest. "We've been sick with worry."

I didn't answer her.

I looked at Corbin.

"You've made your point," he said. "Come home. We'll talk about the surgery. I'll take you in myself."

"It's done," I said. "The Ember Creek healer took the silver out yesterday."

His face went through three expressions and settled on none of them.

"Did they get all of it?" Tiffany asked quickly. "Every piece?"

"Six," I said.

"Six," she repeated.

Her face went still, and then she smiled and said, "That's wonderful," and I thought nothing of it.

"Anneliese." Corbin took a step toward the marker. His voice dropped into the low register he used for the whole pack. "Come here."

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