"Why didn't I think of this before?"

"What?" Del a and Miranda asked at the same time.

"I think I know how to get to the bottom of this."

Chapter Thirty-nine

"It doesn't work like that," Derek said ten minutes later, wearing his shirt completely unbuttoned. No doubt Kylie had banged on his cabin door after he was already undressed.

Kylie glanced at his chest and noticed that his scratches were healing. "What do you mean, it doesn't work like that? I thought you could communicate with animals."

Derek closed the cabin door and moved her off the porch as if he was afraid one of his roommates might be listening.

"It's not like I can ask them questions. I hear or, should say, sense their emotions. And not even al of them."

"You said the lion told you he didn't like how you smel ed."

"He didn't tel me. He thought it." Derek shook his head. "It won't work, Kylie."

"But it has to." Her throat tightened. "They're going to close down the camp, Derek. I'm just getting a grip on the whole non-human stuff, I can't leave now."

He studied her face for a moment. "I know, but-"

"It's not just about me, either. You've seen what's been happening at the camp. Everyone is turning on each other. Everyone says the camp is what helps keep peace among al of us. If they think the various supernatural gangs are bad now, think of-"

He put a finger to her lips and she fought the desire to slip her hands inside the opened shirt and hug him. "I'm not disagreeing with you. But I just don't think it wil work."

Right then she remembered. For Derek to be able to turn off his gift, he had to continue to shut them out. Yet he'd saved her from the lion. She hadn't even considered his sacrifice until now. How could she have forgotten that?

"I'm sorry." She closed her eyes a second. "It's because of your gift, because you have to stop using it. I forgot-"

"No," he said. "Okay, yeah, maybe a little."

"It's okay, Derek," she said, seeing guilt in his eyes. She remembered that only a few weeks ago she would have eaten worms to send her gift packing. "It's not fair of me to ask you to do this." She turned to leave.

He grabbed her by her arm. "Wait." His gaze met hers. "I was serious when I said it was only a little part of why I'm hesitating. To be honest, I'm this close to saying the hel with it and playing the Tarzan role."

She saw from his expression that he told the truth. "Hey," she said. "That Tarzan role saved my life. Don't belittle it."

"I know, and that's why I'm thinking about accepting it. But this is ... over the top. It's not like I can sit down and have a chat with the animals. It doesn't work that way."

"How do you know?" Kylie asked. "Have you tried?"

"No, but ... others have this gift. And if I could actual y do that, Holiday would have said something."

"Holiday has said a thousand times that everyone's gift is different. Look, I know you said that so far al you hear are their thoughts, but somehow you communicated with that lion not to make hamburger meat out of us."

"Okay, if by some miracle I can actual y communicate with them, it stil won't happen. That FRU James guy wouldn't let me near the animals. He had me in the office again today. He thinks I'm involved. He even accused me of doing it to impress you."

Kylie considered going to Holiday right then, but she knew Holiday would worry someone might get hurt and would say no. She tilted her chin back in defiance. "Then we don't ask him to let us in. We sneak in."

"Sneak by a vampire? That's like trying to fool Superman."

"Yeah, but I happen to know what his kryptonite is."

"He has a kryptonite?" Derek asked.

"Yup. And her name is Holiday."

* * *

Kylie admitted this might be a long shot, but when it was your only shot, you made the most of it. And that's what she and Derek had done. They had to acquire a little help to pul it off, but she was dang proud of her plan.

Kylie and Derek waited a few hundred yards away from the wildlife park gates, hidden behind some trees. According to Del a, that distance would be far enough that Burnett couldn't smel them. Kylie clutched the maps of the park she'd printed off the Internet from the computer in Holiday's office.

Once Burnett was out of the way, getting into the camp was going to be a piece of cake. Wel , it was when you had a certain eye-color-changing shape-shifter helping you out. And to make sure they didn't run into any unexpected surprises, Del a would make a sweep of the park, and then stand as lookout.

Their biggest concern was if Derek's ability would al ow him to learn anything from the animals. He was skeptical. Kylie wanted to believe in miracles.

Her phone rang. "Done," Miranda said.

Which meant Miranda had managed to get Holiday's cel phone and send Burnett the 911 message, a ruse Kylie knew he would not be able to resist. Helen, gracious enough to help, was right now having a meltdown by the creek that required Holiday's help. The longer Burnett searched for Holiday, the more time Derek would have with the animals.

However, first they needed Burnett to leave. And he did a few minutes later, when he slammed the door to the office and disappeared into the night.

"Looks like he's in a hurry," Derek whispered.