THE CEREMONY WAS about to begin.

Hi and I hurried to chairs marked with our names on white index cards. Shelton was already seated, and was absently scrolling his new iPad.

“Ya’ll are late,” he said. “Ben went looking for you.”

“I brought Coop out for a visit,” I said. “He hasn’t seen his mother in weeks.”

“I’ll shoot Ben a text,” Hi said. “He’s probably lost.”

Shelton glanced at Hi, then started giggling. “Sorry man, but you look ridiculous.”

“The word you seek is fly,” Hi replied. “Diamond stud earrings are the bombtrack. This is high-quality bling.”

“For the ladies, maybe. For you? Not so much.”

“I can’t wait until your mom sees that ear,” I said. “Please call me when that happens.”

A large platform had been erected in the center of the LIRI courtyard. The entire staff was present, decked out in their finest. The mood was festive, energetic. Smiles were everywhere.

“Too bad school starts tomorrow.” Hi fiddled with his newly implanted gem. “I was getting used to being liked for a change.”

“Who knows?” Shelton closed out his email and dropped the iPad to his lap. “Maybe the Bolton kids will accept us now. Some must’ve heard what we did.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” I didn’t want to talk about school.

I hadn’t spoken to Jason since blasting him at the country club, when he’d asked to escort me to the debutante ball. Since then I’d completely blown him off, mainly because I didn’t know my answer. And I still had no plan for dealing with Madison. I’d be dodging landmines all next semester.

Problems for another day.

Two weeks had passed since I’d shown Kit the manuscript. Events had unfolded quickly, and as well as could be hoped.

Dr. Andrews’s team of experts had authenticated our folio as a missing chapter of the Book of Kells. The discovery ran as breaking news on CNN. The art world was still frothing with excitement.

The Irish government had gone ballistic, demanded the immediate return of the pages. Kit had hired an attorney. After days of negotiations, a deal had been struck.

No one would talk numbers, but rumors ran wild.

I spotted Ben hurrying up the aisle.

“How’d you sneak by me?” He slipped into his seat and elbowed Hi. “Nice sparkler, Snooki. When’s your debut?”

“Philistines.” Hi rubbed his rib cage. “You guys wouldn’t know class if it died in your bathroom.”

“Maybe you got distracted by all of Sewee’s new gear,” I teased Ben. “She’s looking awfully tricked out these days.”

“You should talk.” Ben adjusted his tie and ear-tucked his hair. “I saw about a dozen packages on your doorstep. How much camping gear did you buy?”

I waved away the comment. “Your eyes deceive, sir.”

“Shelton’s hoarding car catalogs,” Hi said.

“My license is right around the corner,” Shelton replied. “Always be prepared. Isn’t that the Boy Scouts’ motto?”

“Any chance I can score another gold coin?” Hi asked. “I was thinking Gucci for school this year.”

“You spent your allowance,” I said. “Everything left is for outfitting the bunker. I have big plans.”

We never mentioned the gold coins. Not to anyone. The ancient manuscript had been more than enough to preserve Loggerhead Island.

The Virals deserved a reward. We’d solved the riddles and dodged the bullets. We deserved something for our troubles.

“How’d it go with the old geezer?” Ben asked me.

“Splendidly,” I said.

After much debate, we’d given Rodney Brincefield a few doubloons. It just felt right. Without his brother’s stone disk, we wouldn’t have made it through the tunnels. A debt was paid.

“It was nice to see his surprise,” I added. “He really is harmless.”

“Crazy harmless,” Shelton said.

“Why does Chance get a share?” Hi whined. “He’s already filthy rich.”

“We wouldn’t have found the treasure without him. Fair is fair.”

I could have also added “massive guilt,” but didn’t want to be that honest. My debt to Chance was larger than a few gold coins. I intended to make up for playing head games on him. Just don’t ask me how.

The dignitaries began taking their chairs. Kit sat behind a long table at center stage, looking extremely uncomfortable.

“Tell me how this works again?” Hi asked.

“It’s a rededication ceremony,” I said. “There’ll be speeches and backslapping, that kind of thing. Later there’s a buffet.”

“No, I mean the deal your father struck to keep LIRI running.”

“First, Kit created a nonprofit trust and donated the manuscript,” I explained. “The cotrustees are the new Loggerhead Island Foundation, of which Kit is the director, and Trinity College in Dublin, keeper of the Book of Kells. Then the newly created trust secured a loan from the Bank of Ireland. Very nice terms.”

All three boys opened their mouths.

“Don’t ask,” I said. “But the answer is, a lot. A whole lot.”

“So the trust bought Loggerhead Island?” Ben asked.

“Correct. And not just the real estate. The trust now owns LIRI and all of Morris Island as well. The institute is no longer subject to CU’s fickle budget.”

Kit had insisted on the purchase of both islands. The State of South Carolina had agreed, with one stipulation. Loggerhead and Morris would forever remain nature preserves. Neither could be commercially developed. Kit had been happy to agree.

Everyone viewed the deal as a win-win.

“With the Kells folio as collateral,” I said, “LIRI will never have funding issues again. In fact, Kit says they may expand. LIRI is poised to become the premier veterinary research facility in the world.”

“No wonder they appointed your dad director,” Hi said. “He saved Christmas.”

“He’s perfectly qualified. The position’s been vacant since Karsten, and Kit is a member of the senior staff. He’s a logical choice.”

“Easy there, Lady Defensive.” Hi twirled his earring. “Just yanking your crank. I couldn’t be happier that Kit is director. He raised everyone’s salaries. My father may hang a picture of him in our living room.”

“Did you read today’s paper?” Shelton asked. “Sounds like the Bates brothers rolled on Short. They copped to the Fletcher murders.”

“You still believe Short knew what the treasure was?” Ben asked. “Pages from the Book of Kells?”

I nodded. “He’s a rare-document expert. My guess is that Short saw a copy of the same report Jonathan Brincefield did. I think he was willing to kill because he knew the stakes.”

Marlo, Duncan, and Short had each been charged with two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder. My view? Lock the slimeballs up and toss the key.

Kit’s generosity had benefited the Virals as well. Though a shockingly long list of museums, landmarks, and wildlife organizations had banned us for life, we’d avoided criminal charges.

Because we were minors, the police had kept our names from the media. Very few knew what had actually occurred, or how and where the folio had been discovered. That was fine with us. Kit could have the celebrity.

The man who gave away a fortune had tongues wagging all across the Lowcountry. Kit had become a local media darling. Whitney was in heaven.

“How’s the auction going?” Shelton asked.

“The last doubloons sold this morning,” Hi said. “Great price. I shut down the eBay account and moved the money from PayPal. I think we’re good.”

An AV geek tweaked a microphone. A loud tap tap carried over the afternoon air. Kit thumbed a stack of note cards. Nervous.

I caught movement in my peripheral vision. Streaks of silver outside the perimeter fence. I stayed alert, knowing the sighting was not accidental.

Coop appeared, Whisper at his side. Buster and Polo crowded behind, completing the family portrait.!!!They shouldn’t be here. Too risky.

Maybe it was the good vibes, or my giddiness at how things turned out.

It could’ve been my happiness at seeing Kit receive the recognition he deserved.

Or perhaps it was being with my best friends. My pack.

Whatever the reason, I decided to have some fun.

I slipped on my shades.

Reached deep.

SNAP.

The flare pulsed through me. The transitions were getting smoother, the change less physically jarring.

But the powers remained volatile. A mystery. And the virus still plagued our nightmares.!!!Worries for another day. Focus.

I closed my eyes, plumbed my subconscious. Images sprang forth. Me. Ben. Hi. Shelton. Coop, watching through the fence.

I’d tried to explain, but the others didn’t fully understand. They got the main point—our mental linkage was possible only when the pack was together. We didn’t know what that meant, but took comfort in the bond.

In my mind, I saw the fiery ropes. The flames were even brighter with Coop near. The wolfdog was the final link.

Opening my eyes, I sent the briefest of messages.

SCRAM!

Coop yapped, circled, then disappeared into the forest.

Beside me, the other Virals flinched.

Three voices hissed in unison.

“Get out of my head!”

Smiling, I complied as Kit rose and walked to the podium.

No way I’d ruin my father’s big day.