Free Danger in a Fur Coat (The Fur Coat Society Book 4) by Sloane Meyers Page A

But she had made the right decision. Look at how distracted she was from one kiss. If they had made out the whole night, she would be positively unable to get any work done today. Of course, Wyatt wasn’t the only worry weighing on her mind. As time inched forward, Juno was acutely aware that every minute that passed was one less minute she had until Grant and Jack figured out how to get to Chicago. Juno felt like she was failing miserably at getting a cure done quickly. They would probably find a way to get to the city before she could finish her work. What an idiot she had been, thinking she could sneak in here and take care of everything before they had a chance to stop her. Maybe Wyatt was right. Maybe she should have let them decide for themselves what risks they were willing to take.
    Juno swore again as she dropped a test tube full of liquid. If she was honest with herself, part of the problem was also that she wanted to do something to prove that she was worthy. She had spent her whole life feeling like she lived in everyone else’s shadow. She hadn’t come from a big clan, since nearly all of the panda shifters had died before she was born. And even when she was a star student during her quest for a PhD, she always felt like she was too quiet. Like she was overshadowed by the louder, more talkative ones. Maybe trying to do this cure on her own was her way of proving to the world that she had something to bring to the table.
    “No,” Juno said out loud. “It’s not about that at all. It’s just about keeping Grant and Jack safe.”
    Moments later, Wyatt stuck his head into the lab. “Did you say something?” he asked.
    Startled, Juno jumped, and hoped that he hadn’t overheard her.
    “No, I was just talking to myself,” she said, smiling in what she hoped was a convincing way. “You know, mad scientist and all that jazz.”
    Wyatt laughed. “How is the project coming along?”
    “I think I’m getting really close,” Juno said. “I’ve got one more thing to figure out, and then I think I’ll have the medicine ready. The only problem is that I need to test it, and I can’t test it on animal subjects since animals don’t catch the bear flu. I have to test it on humans, but that’s obviously a problem.”
    Juno rubbed her forehead. This whole thing felt out of control and so much bigger than her. She desperately wanted to make a difference and save the world, but she was beginning to realize that she had bit off more than she could chew.
    “Why is it a problem?” Wyatt asked. Juno wanted to roll her eyes. Wyatt was so matter-of-fact.
    “It’s a problem because you can’t just use medicine on humans without their permission. How are we going to get someone to let us inject them with an unproven medicine?” Juno asked. She watched as Wyatt crossed his arms and sat down across from her.
    “Juno, I know that under normal circumstances you don’t want to do something without having someone’s permission. But, look, humanity is on the brink of extinction. Something has to change, and right now it seems like you’re the best hope for that.”
    Juno frowned. “I don’t know. It’s still not right. And what are you going to do? Hold someone down while I stick a needle in them?”
    Wyatt chuckled. “No, I don’t think that will be necessary. There are a lot of sick people around. I’ll find someone in the later stages of the flu to bring in, so that they’re pretty much weak and delirious, anyway. They won’t even know what you’re doing, so it’s not like you’re causing them mental anguish.”
    “But still, that’s not right,” Juno said. Her stomach was tied up in knots. She had spent so much time learning about the ethics of research in school, and injecting someone with medicine without their knowledge or permission set off red flags in her head. But Wyatt was insistent.
    “Look, Juno. I know you don’t like the idea. But look at it this way: if the medicine doesn’t work