“She’s taking a nap.Do you want me to wake her up?”
“No, I don’t want to disturb her.”Heaviness weighed in his heart.He hated giving bad news.“Juni, I’m afraid your father is deceased.”
She was silent for a moment.Various emotions flittered across her face, finally settling on sadness.“How?”
“He was sick,” he said.
“Sick?Like a head cold or something?”
“No,” he replied.“Your father was found with some odd disease that seemed to have, uh, killed him.I just wanted to make sure you and your sister were okay.”
He ran a hand down the back of his neck, not knowing how to phrase his next suspicion.
“You think Clover or I could be infected, don’t you?”she asked.“That’s why you’re wearing a mask.”
“I won’t lie,” he said solemnly.“Yes, I do.This disease is heinous, and we don’t know how, or if, it spreads.It might be prudent to come into town to let Doctor Rosedale take a look at you and Clover.”
Juniper’s eyes widened.“Are we going to die?Please be honest with me.I have a right to know.”
Jericho opened his mouth, ready to give reassurance, but the words died on his tongue.
“I don’t know,” he admitted truthfully.“The disease seems to attack the blood.So, when Clover wakes up, please go to Doc so he can look you and your sister over.”
“Father didn’t like for us to mingle with humans.”
“Well, as callous as this sounds, your father is dead.And with your mother gone as well, you get to make the decisions now for you and Clover.I don’t know what the deal with your dad was, but wolves were never meant to be solo, living on the edge of society.We’re creatures that need a pack.We need each other.So, I’m asking you to please come to town so the doctor can make sure you and Clover are safe.”
She studied him a moment, emotions playing out in her dark-eyed gaze.Finally, she nodded.
“All right.When Clover wakes up, I’ll bring her to the doctor.”
Relief surged through him.“Thank you.I’ll let Doc know you’ll be in later today.”
As Jericho left, he got the feeling she knew nothing about the disease, and his instincts were rarely wrong.All he could do was pray she and her little sister were okay.
Chapter Five
