few moments. Then said, "What in the name of Carfolian Hell were you doing outside?"
He didn't like getting chewed out—not when he'd almost gotten killed. And, of course, he couldn't answer in his present form, so he stood up. Taking a step back, he said the words of transformation in his head, feeling the change take him again.
The pain in his injured leg was worse now that he had disturbed the tissue. But he gritted his teeth as he faced Rinna.
She had something in her left hand, and when she tossed it toward him, he realized she'd snatched up his pants before dashing away.
He pulled them on.
"How did you get outside? And what were you doing out here?" she repeated.
"I followed the old man through the entrance. Something was wrong with him."
"You're lying!"
"No."
"Haig wouldn't go outside with you there."
"See for yourself."
"I will."
She turned and started running back in the direction of the cave, looking to left and right as she went.
Luckily no other enemies sprang up during the short trip back to the shelter.
Logan kept up with Rinna as best he could. As soon as she reached the rock wall, she pressed her hand against the vertical surface.
The door opened as he had seen before, and she dashed inside. He followed, and this time he understood better how to ignore the sensation of the force field trying to hold him back.
Rinna looked wildly around the front area of the cave, then charged to the back. When she returned, her eyes were wild.
"He's not here. What have you done with him?"
"What? You think I attacked him?"
"I… don't know."
"He went out, and I followed him."
"But where would he go?"
"You're asking me ?" he answered sharply, but the look of terror on her face softened his heart.
"I'm sorry. I know you're upset."
"Upset!" she echoed.
"Before he left, he looked like…" Logan stopped and swiped a hand through his hair, wondering how to describe what he'd seen.
"Like what?" she demanded.
"Like he was listening to something I couldn't hear."
She gasped. "No."
"You know what was going on with him?"
Her face had taken on a look of alarm. "I… not for sure," she said in an uncertain voice.
"Are you thinking he'd rat you out?"
"No." She raised her chin, apparently eager to go back to her previous theory. "What really happened. Did he go after you… and you killed him?"
"Jesus! All you want to do is blame me."
She took her lower lip between her teeth. "I'm sorry," she said in a small voice.
He took the opportunity to ask a question. "You've been with Haig a long time?"
"Since I was a little girl."
"He's your father?"
"My friend." She gave him a direct look. "Why did you go outside? I told you it was dangerous."
"Like I said, I tried to follow Haig. But he disappeared before I could get through the door. When I couldn't find him, I tried to go home."
"You can't. Not without my help."
"That's just great! Where the hell are we—I mean, what world is this?"
She swallowed. "A universe parallel to yours."
He wasn't exactly surprised, yet the confirmation shook him.
She glared at him, but below the anger, she looked shaken.
Now that he had her talking, he kept probing for information. "You say it's dangerous. Give me the tools to cope with this world. I saw men herding people along, people chained together. Who were they?"
Rinna swallowed. "Slaves," she finally said. "And if you don't want to end up as one of them, you'd better try not to get caught. If those guys could have subdued you without damaging you too badly, they would have sold you to the highest bidder."
"Sold a werewolf?"
"That makes you especially valuable."
Before Logan could respond to that observation, a low buzzing sound made Rinna's gaze shoot to the place where the door was located. "Carfolian Hell."
"What?"
"Somebody's out there."
"It's just Haig coming back."
"No. It's someone who isn't keyed to enter." She moved to a spot along the wall where a chink in the rock let in light from the outside. When
He didn't like getting chewed out—not when he'd almost gotten killed. And, of course, he couldn't answer in his present form, so he stood up. Taking a step back, he said the words of transformation in his head, feeling the change take him again.
The pain in his injured leg was worse now that he had disturbed the tissue. But he gritted his teeth as he faced Rinna.
She had something in her left hand, and when she tossed it toward him, he realized she'd snatched up his pants before dashing away.
He pulled them on.
"How did you get outside? And what were you doing out here?" she repeated.
"I followed the old man through the entrance. Something was wrong with him."
"You're lying!"
"No."
"Haig wouldn't go outside with you there."
"See for yourself."
"I will."
She turned and started running back in the direction of the cave, looking to left and right as she went.
Luckily no other enemies sprang up during the short trip back to the shelter.
Logan kept up with Rinna as best he could. As soon as she reached the rock wall, she pressed her hand against the vertical surface.
The door opened as he had seen before, and she dashed inside. He followed, and this time he understood better how to ignore the sensation of the force field trying to hold him back.
Rinna looked wildly around the front area of the cave, then charged to the back. When she returned, her eyes were wild.
"He's not here. What have you done with him?"
"What? You think I attacked him?"
"I… don't know."
"He went out, and I followed him."
"But where would he go?"
"You're asking me ?" he answered sharply, but the look of terror on her face softened his heart.
"I'm sorry. I know you're upset."
"Upset!" she echoed.
"Before he left, he looked like…" Logan stopped and swiped a hand through his hair, wondering how to describe what he'd seen.
"Like what?" she demanded.
"Like he was listening to something I couldn't hear."
She gasped. "No."
"You know what was going on with him?"
Her face had taken on a look of alarm. "I… not for sure," she said in an uncertain voice.
"Are you thinking he'd rat you out?"
"No." She raised her chin, apparently eager to go back to her previous theory. "What really happened. Did he go after you… and you killed him?"
"Jesus! All you want to do is blame me."
She took her lower lip between her teeth. "I'm sorry," she said in a small voice.
He took the opportunity to ask a question. "You've been with Haig a long time?"
"Since I was a little girl."
"He's your father?"
"My friend." She gave him a direct look. "Why did you go outside? I told you it was dangerous."
"Like I said, I tried to follow Haig. But he disappeared before I could get through the door. When I couldn't find him, I tried to go home."
"You can't. Not without my help."
"That's just great! Where the hell are we—I mean, what world is this?"
She swallowed. "A universe parallel to yours."
He wasn't exactly surprised, yet the confirmation shook him.
She glared at him, but below the anger, she looked shaken.
Now that he had her talking, he kept probing for information. "You say it's dangerous. Give me the tools to cope with this world. I saw men herding people along, people chained together. Who were they?"
Rinna swallowed. "Slaves," she finally said. "And if you don't want to end up as one of them, you'd better try not to get caught. If those guys could have subdued you without damaging you too badly, they would have sold you to the highest bidder."
"Sold a werewolf?"
"That makes you especially valuable."
Before Logan could respond to that observation, a low buzzing sound made Rinna's gaze shoot to the place where the door was located. "Carfolian Hell."
"What?"
"Somebody's out there."
"It's just Haig coming back."
"No. It's someone who isn't keyed to enter." She moved to a spot along the wall where a chink in the rock let in light from the outside. When
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