49. Werewolf Puberty

Author’s note: There are a lot of point-of-view switches between Jian and Aline in this chapter. Thank you for understanding!

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-Jian-

(in San Francisco, at Talu’s house)

Talu’s warning pounds in my head. I've been wallowing in self-pity for two weeks. He's right. I'm not proving myself much of a man here. And he is now allowing me to show myself worthy of Aline.

I sigh and stare pointedly at the sheaf of papers he removed from the manila envelope.

"So, what did the leech find out?"

My gaze shifts warily between the papers and Talu.

"First, let me tell you what Mei’s ex- told me."

And so he tells me how the bloodsucker was hunting in the woods during a stopover to Europe at the same time the terrible twins paid Mei a visit. That was also the same night Talu was with Aline on a jet plane bound for Syracuse.

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-Aline-

(in Syracuse at her place)

We're still on the porch and I'm mulling over Felicia's suggestion.

“So, why not both?”

Her words bounce aroun