(Kealen)
Mira noticed it first.
Three weeks after the fever outbreak ended, she had me in for what she called a routine post-illness check — not because I'd been sick, but because she was doing them for everyone who'd been in close contact with patients for extended periods. She checked the standard things, asked the standard questions, and then paused with her hand on my arm in the specific way she paused when something registered that she wasn't expecting.
"Hold still," she said.
"I am holding still."
"Your pulse," she said. She moved her fingers slightly. "How long has it been like this?"
"Like what?" I asked.
She looked at me. "Strong. Very strong." She pressed two fingers to the inside of my wrist and counted. "Your wolf response is elevated. Significantly. Have you been feelin
