who couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Sometimes it was better not to disabuse them ofthat notion.Brad was just glad Theo didn’t ask exactly what modifications they’d done to the boy. He didn’tknow—it hadn’t seemed wise to take too much interest. Theo, though, seemed happy with “superwerewolf.”“Are you sure he’ll Change?” Theo said. “That tinkering might have screwed him up. Nothingworse than a werewolf that can’t Change. Happened to a cousin of mine. Ripped him right apart.”“He’s already Changing.”“At sixteen?” Theo looked impressed.Carter scowled. Obviously he hadn’t started shifting into a wolf yet. Sixteen wasn’t unheard of, butit was early.“He’s smart, too,” Brad said. “Genius smart. Taking college math already.”“That’s just book smart,” Carter said. “Don’t mean nothing.”Only it did, and judging by Theo’s expression, he knew it. His clan had muscle and they hadnumbers. All they needed was brains. If this kid had that—in addition to other enhancements—hecould be just the ticket to make the Cains serious contenders to the <strong>Pack</strong>.“Are you sure he’s Zack’s boy? I can’t see my son getting mixed up in some mad scienceexperiment.”“He didn’t realize he was. He was seduced by a subject and seems to have died without realizinghe’d fathered another son.”“So are we sure he’s Zack’s, then?” By Carter’s tone, he really hoped the answer was no.Brad laid a photo on the table. “This was taken a few months ago.”Like Theo and Nate, the boy in the picture was dark-haired with green eyes. And he was big—oversix feet already, with shoulders almost as broad as the doorway behind him. His hair was shaggy,hanging in his face, which wasn’t such a bad thing, considering the state of his skin. If all that didn’tconfirm he was a Cain, the scowl did—a perfect match for the one on Carter’s face.“Uncle Zack had light hair,” Carter said. “I’ve seen photos.”“He took after his mother,” Theo said. “The boy is Zack’s. He has his eyes.” The old man’s voicesoftened as he picked up the picture.“You can keep that,” Brad said. “I also have some newer ones from my surveillance.” He laid thoseout. “I couldn’t get close enough for a good shot, even with a telephoto lens, but he’s had his hair cutand his skin is clearing, probably as his hormones settle after his Change. Still, he’s easy to spot.”“So you know where he is? And you can guarantee he’ll still be there when we arrive?”“If he isn’t, I’ll track him again. But he’s been living in this rented house for two months with hisfoster father, three other subjects and one of the doctors from the experiment.”Brad eased back and let them look at the photos. “So, all that’s needed is a yes and a cash payment.I’ll give you the address right away. Plus a sure-fire way to catch him.”“He’s sixteen,” Nate said. “We can catch him.”“Don’t be so sure. He’s smart and he’s a good fighter. You know a werewolf named Liam? Runswith a guy named Ramon?”“Heard of them,” Theo said.“Some folks hired them to track down your grandson. That’s why the St. Clouds hired me—theyknew Liam and Ramon managed it, so they figured another werewolf could do the same. And theycan’t hire Liam again . . . because he’s dead. Your boy killed him. His first challenge and he tookdown an experienced werewolf and made another one decide he didn’t want the job anymore.”Theo practically beamed. Too bad Brad already set the price. He probably could have doubled it.“But you know a way to catch him?” Nate said.
“I do.”Brad slapped another photo on the table. A smiling teenage girl with blue eyes and blond hairstreaked with red.“Cute,” Carter grunted. “Let me guess—this guy has a crush on her.”“More than just a crush. She’s his girlfriend.”They looked surprised. The girl definitely did not seem like a romantic match for the scowling brutein the other photos. But Brad had done enough surveillance to be sure of his facts.“She’s another subject, one who escaped with your grandson and his foster brother. She’s anecromancer.”Carter’s face screwed up. “A what?”“Someone who can speak to the dead,” Theo said. “Like the Alpha’s girlfriend. The one on TV.”“She’s hot,” Nate said.“Little young for you,” Carter said, still eying the photo.“I meant the one on TV,” Nate said. “So the kid’s got it bad for this girl?”“He does, and he already has a werewolf’s protective instinct. In spades. He’s the same way with hisfoster brother, which would be the backup plan, but the brother is a sorcerer and knows self-defense. Anecromancer has no defensive powers and this one’s a tiny thing. She’s his weakness. That’s howLiam and Ramon got close enough to fight him. They made a tactical mistake, though. They settledfor teasing and threatening her, which only pissed the boy off enough to fight. If you want him, takeher. He’ll come running.”The Cains paid. Didn’t haggle over the price, either. They even covered dinner. As Brad watchedthem struggling to calculate the tip, he felt a little sorry for Derek Souza. Being handed over to theCains wasn’t a fate he’d wish on anyone, especially a bright kid like that. But business was business,and family was family. A werewolf belonged with his kin, whoever they were.
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