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All of Caitlyn's life, lost cats and dogs had come to her for help. Instinctively, they had known she would understand them and open her heart to them. With Raquel and Coco, that phenomenon had risen to a new level, and her heart had responded.
They walked on each side of her, holding her hands as Toni took everyone on a tour of the school. Dragon Nest Academy was housed in a three-story H-shaped mansion. The center section was reserved for administrative offices and schoolrooms. The west wing held dorm rooms for single males on the second and third floors. A few married couples, like Ian and Toni and Phil and Vanda, had rooms on the first floor.
The east wing was for single females. Coco and Raquel shared a room on the second floor, and they had been eager to show it to Caitlyn. She'd gone with them while Carlos helped Fernando move into his new room in the west wing. Fernando had announced he was officially ready to crash after his long plane trip.
Caitlyn lounged back on Coco's bed. "Where is Teresa's room?"
"She's next door," Coco said as she spread the five nesting dolls out across her pillow.
"They lock the east wing off every night," Raquel said.
Caitlyn sat up. "You can get out, can't you? In case of a fire?"
"Oh yeah, we can get out," Raquel said. "But no one can get in."
Coco laughed. "Uncle Carlos is afraid one of the werewolf boys will like us. He said dogs and cats can't mix."
Caitlyn snorted. "I have news for you. All men are dogs." After the girls laughed, she continued, "You guys are too young to worry about boys."
Raquel stacked her dolls back together. "Uncle Carlos says we are the most precious girls on the planet. The future of our species depends on us."
Caitlyn winced. Carlos shouldn't be laying such a heavy burden on these children. She'd have a word with him.
"Teresa is supposed to marry Emiliano," Coco said.
"Teresa's only twelve," Caitlyn protested.
"Oh, it won't happen for a long, long time," Raquel assured her. "Like about five years."
Caitlyn grimaced. "Is Teresa okay with this?"
Raquel shrugged. "Emiliano's the only one she can marry."
"He likes her," Coco said. "He looks at her when we're eating lunch." She grinned at Raquel. "I saw Tiago looking at you."
Raquel snorted. "He has big ears. You can have him."
Coco chewed on her bottom lip. "Maybe we can share him."
"You can't share a husband!" Raquel crossed her arms and made a sound of disgust.
"Wait a minute!" Caitlyn stood. "You are way too young to be thinking about marriage."
Raquel scowled at her feet. "We have to save our species. Uncle Carlos said so."
Caitlyn groaned. "Uncle Carlos should be smacked upside the head."
Raquel and Coco giggled.
"I'd like to see that," Coco said.
"If anyone could smack him, it would be Caitlyn," Raquel added.
The two girls looked up at Caitlyn with admiration and hope in their eyes. Her heart expanded and her mind hardened with resolve. These girls deserved a childhood that was free of the heavy burden of saving their race. They'd already suffered enough. They needed to have choices in life. If she could help Carlos find more were-panthers, it would ease their burden. And it would enlarge the list of potential mates in their future.
"I need to talk to Emma." Caitlyn headed out the door. "I'll be back in a little while."
After ten minutes she located Emma and Angus in a security office on the ground floor. They were discussing something with Ian MacPhie.
"Are you ready to go back to the townhouse?" Emma asked.
"I'd like a word with you, if you don't mind." Caitlyn waited for Ian to leave the room, then launched into her proposal.
Angus and Emma looked surprised. When they didn't respond right away, she pressed on. "I have contacts at the embassies in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I know the Thai language. I'm also familiar with the dialects used by the hill tribes where Carlos will be going."
Angus held up a hand to stop her. "I believe Carlos has already arranged for an interpreter."
"But can he trust a stranger?" Caitlyn asked.
"She has a point there," Emma murmured. "Didn't Carlos have trouble with his translator in Nicaragua?"
"She'd be invaluable as a translator, I grant you that." Angus gave Caitlyn a worried look. "But can ye manage a trek into the jungle?"
"We may not have to go into the jungle," Caitlyn said. "I have always attracted dogs and cats. They seek me out the same way Raquel and Coco did in the garden at Romatech. I believe if I was with Carlos, the were-panthers would come to us."
"How interesting." Emma perched on the edge of the desk.
"I visited a hill tribe before when I worked for the State Department," Caitlyn explained. "I think we could simply stay with the tribe and the were-panthers would find us. It would keep Carlos from wandering aimlessly about the jungle."
Angus rubbed his chin, considering. "Ye make a good case for yerself. How does Carlos feel about yer idea?"
Caitlyn shifted her weight. "Well, he - "
"He's against it for sure," Emma said. "He probably thinks it's too dangerous for you."
Caitlyn made a face. "He sorta mentioned that."
"It is too dangerous for you," Angus grumbled.
Emma rolled her eyes. "The men always say that. But if you think you can handle it, Caitlyn, I see no reason why you shouldn't go."
Caitlyn grinned. "Thank you."
"I just want to know why," Emma continued. "Why are you willing to do this? I realize you're attracted to Carlos, but he's doing this to find a mate."
"I know." Caitlyn sighed. "I know I might lose him. But I still want to help him. And I want to help the children."
Emma nodded. "All right. I say we let her go." She gave her husband a questioning look.
Angus hesitated. "Are ye sure ye want to do this, lass? It could be dangerous. At the least, 'twill be verra uncomfortable."
"I'm sure."
Angus nodded. "Then ye have my blessing. I'll tell Carlos of our decision."
After Carlos finished helping Fernando move into his new room in the west wing, he headed for the security office to talk to Angus.
"Carlos?" Teresa approached him in the main hallway. She appeared nervous, her teeth stained red from chewing her bottom lip, which was covered with a thick coat of lipstick. "Can I talk to you? In private?"
"Yes." His immediate worry was that one of the werewolf boys had developed a crush on her. The school had ten teenage werewolf boys living on campus, all training to become Alphas, and Teresa was the only girl close to their age. It didn't help matters that she was trying to look older. He wondered if he could manage to tell her to lay off the makeup without hurting her feelings.
He followed her into a room filled with tables and chairs and a television.
Teresa paced around the room. "This is the teachers' lounge, but it's empty now."
"I can see that." He watched her pace nervously for a while. Whatever was bothering her, she was having a hard time talking about it. "Have any of the boys been bothering you?"
"No." She clutched her hands together.
Another possibility occurred to Carlos. She might have started menstruating, which meant the time for her first transformation would be with the next full moon. "Are you close to the time for your first shifting?"
"I - I don't know. I don't think so." She took a deep breath. "I don't want you to go on your trip."
"Fernando will be here - "
"It's not that," she interrupted. "I don't want you to risk your life again just to find a mate."
Carlos sighed. "You know I need a mate. And you and the other girls need a were-panther woman who can guide you when the time comes for your first shifting."
Teresa lifted her chin. "I don't need anyone to help me. I can take care of myself. And I can take care of you. I want to be your mate."
Carlos stepped back in shock. The notion was so ludicrous, he nearly barked with laughter. Instead, he turned his back to her and cleared his throat. Merda! How could he tell her this was ridiculous without hurting her feelings?
He turned slowly, schooling his features. "It's kind of you to make such an offer, but I'm afraid you would leave Emiliano devastated."
