Page 84 of Harvest Moon

But what I couldn’t figure out was why it was only affecting omega wolves. Werewolf metabolism really was faster than human metabolism. We rarely got sick. It was damn hard to poison us.

Anything that made a werewolf sick ought to have been tenfold worse for humans. But it wasn’t. The Condition was just ours.

Maybe I was full of shit. But hell, I’d spent years testing out theories in biology classes and trying my ideas. I wasn’t just going to dismiss a hypothesis without even bothering to test the thing.

I squeezed Lex’s hand tight. “If it’s a chemical agent, we can figure out how to neutralize it or avoid it entirely. I get it’s scary this second, but I promise, if that’s why Claudia’s sick, we’ll figure out what to do.”

There were wet tears in his luminous eyes, and he was biting down hard on his lip to keep it from trembling, but he nodded. I hated he had to carry this—not alone, sure, but I wasn’t an omega. I wasn’t susceptible like he was. I’d never know exactly what it felt like to have my life put at risk in that way, but I did know what it was to fear for him—both for his own health, and for the enormous blow it’d be if anything happened to Claudia.

Now, there were solutions in front of me though. I could set my mind to figuring out how to handle this. It all boiled down to scientific principles that I could work my mind around, and if I couldn’t figure it out alone, the Grove pack had a doctor for an alpha.

“Okay,” Alexis rasped. “This is fine.”

“It’s going to be.”

He didn’t let go of my hand all through Sears. Funny, how even in the home goods section of the store, the Sterling logo was everywhere I looked. If I weren’t already mad at them over buying my family farm, then the problem with their sprayers would’ve done it.

But Lex and I found an air purifier from another brand, and carrying it under one arm was a real pain in the backside. Only, letting go of Alexis when he needed me would’ve been worse. He wanted my hand, he’d have it, and any other part of me he asked for.

Oh, not like that.

Perverts.

Well... a little like that.

Grabbing a jug of juice from the grocery store on the way home proved a lot easier. We got some kind of organic stuff, pasteurized just like Linden asked, and drove back to the farm.

On the dirt road, I couldn’t help watching Lex from the corners of my eyes. I was scared, the closer we got to the farm, the more susceptible he’d be. But nothing on the road worked that fast or right away. Claudia was more vulnerable because she was already sick, and she was pregnant.

Mrs. Mena didn’t seem to have it quite so rough, so though I wanted nothing more than to grab Lex and drive straight off in the other direction, I figured it’d be a while before Alexis showed any symptoms. By then we’d be long gone, and if I had it my way, we’d never come back.

Of course, that would mean the Menas had to move too. But they might like Grovetown—hard to imagine anyone not liking it.

Good lord, I was seriously thinking about living in the same town as my in-laws. Suppose Alexis was worth it, and his pa and I already got on just fine. With enough pies, maybe his ma would come around too.

I carried the air purifier into the house, leaving the juice for Alexis. Soon as we were inside, he rushed to the kitchen for a glass, like that juice might be Claudia’s saving grace.

She drank it down quick, though I thought that had more to do with how sweet it was than anything else. Nevertheless, Dr. Grove and Alexis both felt better seeing her down the glass.

I took the filter from the purifier into the kitchen to wash it, as the instructions ordered, when Mr. Mena came in after me.

“You really think your old farm is dangerous?” He was scowling at me, eyes just like his son’s—full of concern and stark emotion he didn’t try and push down.

I scowled, setting the water tank aside. “I don’t rightly know, Mr. Mena. I think it’s possible. Claudia got sick real quick when those sprayers started going off, and she seemed okay up to that point.”

Mr. Mena frowned, crossing his arms. He leaned back against the laminate countertop with a huff. “Forgive me, Ridge, but I could kick your father. He never should’ve sold your home.”

I laughed, a dry breath of a thing, and shrugged. “Nah. He shouldn’t have, and I suspect he and I are going to have words about it a couple more times before all’s said and done, but there’s no changing it now. I am sorry if—”

Mr. Mena shook his head and reached out to pat my shoulder. “You have done nothing wrong, Ridge. I’m glad you’re here. Glad you’re using that clever head of yours to look out for Alexis.”

Heat rushed into my face. I didn’t think anybody, except maybe Alexis, had ever given me much credit for being clever. Still, if I had the kind of smarts that made me a good match for his son, that was the kind of smarts I wanted.

“Me too, sir. But if there is a problem, what do you think you’ll do?”

He shrugged, his shoulders heavy. I understood—the weight of all this was too much to brush off easily. “Laura and I will have to figure that out.”

“I guess that’s how it goes,” I said. “But the two of you ought to come out to Grovetown for a visit once the baby’s born.”

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