Exposure by Kathy Reichs Page B

vibrant little downtown featuring boutiques, restaurants, and high-end office space.
    Fresh, conspicuously green, and close to downtown, Daniel Island had quickly become a coveted address. It’s where I’d live, if given the choice. With my friends close by, of course.
    We halted in the shadow of a boat shed at the end of the dock.
    “You guys ready?” I whispered.
    A round of nods. Coop sat back on his hind legs with an expectant look.
    “We shouldn’t have brought the freaking wolfdog,” Shelton griped. “We can’t take him inside the house. What if he barks? Decides to chase rabbits?”
    “Coop will stand guard,” I assured him. “Plus, he amplifies our flare powers. That might come in handy, don’t cha think?”
    Assuming they work properly. Or at all.
    I brushed the unpleasant thought aside. To pull off this home invasion, we had to use our powers. There was no way around it. Lucy and Peter needed our help.
    We’d just have to be vigilant to any . . . irregularities.
    “Enough talk.” Ben’s eyes already gleamed. “We need to be quick. If anyone spots Sewee before we get back, we’re cooked.”
    I ignored Ben. My current strategy was to pretend he wasn’t there.
    Closing my eyes, I tripped the mental breaker.
    SNAP.
    Fire. Ice. The opposing forces sent waves thrumming through my body.
    Raw energy balled within my chest, compressing and compounding until I felt ready to explode. The power raged. Primal. Bestial. Something ancient, yet newborn at the same time. The intensity was unlike anything I’d felt before.
    Shelton dropped to a knee, bathed in sweat. “What . . . what . . .”
    Hiram shook, his lips moving soundlessly.
    “Amazing.” Ben staggered sideways, steadying himself against the shed.
    I didn’t move. Couldn’t. Every muscle in my body had seized.
    The maelstrom peaked, then shattered like a dropped vase. Darts of adrenaline circumnavigated my nervous system.
    My canine DNA rose from its hiding place. Stretched it paws.
    Every sense hummed. The world around me sharpened to a laser-like precision unlike anything my species was built to experience.
    My eyes cut like diamonds. I scanned the cove, searching for signs of movement. Detected none. My ears picked out a ticking clock inside a neighboring house, fifty yards away. Distant car horns blared inside my head.
    I flexed my fingers, reveling in their sudden dexterity. My arms and legs throbbed with energy. Lifting my nose, I sniffed, read the panic sweat dripping from the other Virals.
    Except Ben.
    He reeked of something else entirely. A sweet, musky scent. My mind made connections, though I didn’t understand how, or why.
    Was it . . . hunger? Joy? Triumph? I couldn’t be sure.
    “That was . . . intense.” Hi’s voice cracked on the last word.
    “We haven’t flared all together in a while.” Shelton pocketed his spectacles. “Tory’s right. The powers are getting . . . wilder. Almost rabid.”
    Sister-Friend.
    I glanced down. Coop was at my side, tail wagging. I rubbed his snout.
    Hello, Coop.
    The boys jumped. Six golden eyes shot to me.
    I grinned. Shut my eyes once more.
    Stilling my thoughts, I delved deep into my subconscious. Visualized the hidden connections between our minds.
    I knew they were there. Had learned that much about our powers.
    Wherever we went, whatever we did, telepathic bonds linked us. Viral to Viral. Those bonds were the essence of what made us a pack.
    A web sprang to life—flaming cords, stretching between us in a fiery grid, dancing and humming with vitality.
    So much easier than before.
    Guided by instinct, I . . . reached somehow, gripping the gleaming ropes with my consciousness, overlaying my thoughts in a manner I can’t fully explain. My spirit soared as I imbedded myself into our shared thought matrix.
    I sent a message.
    Hello to you guys, too.
    “Oh, man.” Shelton grabbed his head. “I’m never going to get used to that.”
    “Is it like before?” Hi asked,