By the time I finish with the dragon’s tongue, it’s almost midnight, and Cassie’s gone. She told me not to do anything she wouldn’t do and drove off toward Quarry Pack territory.

I’m hot and sweaty again. Another wave of heat hit me when I corked the last vial, and it hasn’t receded. A sense of impending doom hangs over me. Cassie’s story didn’t make me feel better. It made me feel like the foundation of everything is even more rickety than I thought it was.

If she’s betting on me somehow changing the course of Sunset Pride’s future, she’s got the wrong female. I’m not being humble or unwilling...