Read Online Canes of Divergence by Breeana Puttroff - Free Book Online Page A

whine that was still coming from the fox made no sense to him until he finally turned around.
    Ben was there, brambles and thorns stuck to his pants, beet-faced and breathing hard, kneeling over the fox, which was, William could now see, dying. Ben’s dagger was through its side, pinning it to the ground.
    He scooped up Alice, pressing her face to his chest as Ben placed his boot over the fox’s neck, withdrew his dagger, and then stabbed it again, this time through its heart. The animal fell silent.
    “We need to keep it – to get it back to the clinic.” Although he didn’t really. He knew, from the wild look that had been in the animal’s eyes, from the white froth that even now was escaping its mouth, what the test results would show.
    Ben nodded. “It’s not going anywhere now. Let’s get the girls there first.” As he spoke he was already walking to where Emma was huddled on the ground. She’d stopped screaming, but tears still streamed down her face.
    William could see small cuts on her hands from where she’d fallen in the roses, but he didn’t think she’d been bitten.
    Ben picked her up, and both of them hurried to carry the girls out of the flowerbeds.
    Alice’s wound was beginning to bleed everywhere. He pressed his hand against it as tightly as he could. She whimpered, but didn’t start crying again.
    Quinn and Linnea were standing at the edge of the flowerbeds looking shocked.
    “What can I do?” Quinn called as he approached her. Her face was white as she took in his appearance. He was covered in Alice’s blood already, and he was sure his own wounds were bleeding, too.
    “You can get Samuel and the rest of the kids upstairs. Now, please. They don’t need to see any more of this.”
    “Are you okay?”
    He nodded, though he was sure she saw right through him. “Linnea,” he said, “please find Mother and Father and have them meet me down at the clinic.”

~ 7 ~
No Choice
     
    Bristlecone, Colorado
     
    Z ANDER WAS SURPRISED to see lights still on inside his house when he pulled up to the curb. Normally, his parents would be in bed before he made it home from a party.
    He checked the clock. No, it wasn’t late enough for them to start worrying. Still, he was wary as he approached the house.
    “Is that you, Zander?” his dad called from the kitchen at the sound of the door closing.
    He didn’t sound angry. “Yeah, it’s me.”
    His dad appeared in the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room, a dishtowel slung over his shoulder. He didn’t look upset, either. Zander relaxed. “What are you still doing up?”
    “Oh, it was kind of a crazy night here with the extra kids. I told your mom I’d finish cleaning up so we can get out of here at a reasonable time tomorrow.”
    “I forgot you guys were leaving.”
    “Yeah, Ashley’s performance is tomorrow night. We thought we’d get an early start and maybe take all the kids to the zoo first. Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
    “Am I sure I don’t want to be packed into a hotel room tomorrow night with you and mom and four little kids?”
    His dad chuckled. “It’s a suite.”
    Zander raised an eyebrow.
    “I know. I don’t think I would have wanted to at your age, either. What are you going to do here for the rest of the weekend?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe hang out with Adam; maybe go through the college catalogs again.”
    “Still haven’t made a decision?”
    “No – and I know I’m running out of time.” This wasn’t entirely true. He knew where he wanted to go – he just wasn’t ready to have that conversation with his father.
    “Another letter came for you today – it’s on the mantel.”
    “Really?” He was pretty sure he’d heard back from all of the colleges he’d sent applications to.
    When he saw the logo on the envelope, he was confused. He hadn’t sent his application to DU. As he tore it open, he tried hard to convince himself it was something else, just junk mail, or … but