Chapter Sixteen
“The blade knocked the magic right out of him,” I said as my mother braided my hair. “He’s not as powerful as Anika believed. Not with his magic, anyway.”
“He came here to sneak-attack a peaceful wolf village when he caught the alpha gone.” She shook her head. “What kind of cowardly garbage does that?”
“He’s not getting anything by twisting the rules like he’s doing,” I told her. “The council will put him away.”
She snorted. “The council doesn’t care about us, Kaity. They only care about control and power.” She hesitated and her gaze met mine in the mirror. “Speaking of the council…”
“Nothing yet.” I honestly didn’t know why the council hadn’t contacted me. They would know that I’d lost my magic to a siphoner.
She put a small band around the end of my braid.
“I have no doubt they’ll call you in soon.
” She tugged it gently, but I could see anger in her eyes.
She looked exhausted, as well. Probably she was tired of worrying about me.
“Real alphas don’t sneak into a pack and start fighting—and killing—the pack they want to take over. They fight the alpha, one-on-one.”
“The way he did me,” I murmured.
The fight had left me…tired. Though I’d had two days to heal, I was still depleted. The daywalker bite on my shoulder ached constantly, and my energy was flagging. I didn’t feel like a wolf. I felt like a human who had some major vitamin deficiencies.
It really didn’t matter why Voss did what he did. Jared had stayed with me for two nights, and this morning, when he knew I was stable, he took his best warriors and went to find Gavin Voss. He left Leonard Bosch behind to watch the pack in his absence.
My mother leaned over to hug me. “You’re still not well, honey. Let’s get you into bed. I’ll bring you a breakfast tray.”
I patted her arm and then stood. “I’ve rested enough. I want to get back to work. I need to talk to Rick about a missing woman.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You’re taking on missing persons cases?”
“The ones in Lucy’s dreams, like always.”
“Oh, she had a terrible dream yesterday. Just terrible. She scared everyone at the Inn half to death.”
I frowned. “What? Why didn’t she come to tell me?”
I’d been staying in Jared’s house—and in his bed—as I recuperated, and as soon as I asked the question I knew why Lucy hadn’t come to discuss her dreams. Not only because she didn’t want to bother me while I was healing, but because Jared wouldn’t have allowed it.
But I was fine now.
I was fine.
“As long as you’re only talking,” my mother said, reluctantly. “I guess there’s nothing I can do to stop you. I’m honestly surprised you didn’t insist on going with Jared to bag Voss.”
I shrugged. “I did what I needed to do when it comes to Voss. Jared will handle him.”
“He absolutely will. And I’m grateful you took some time to recover. But if something happens and Jared doesn’t find him right away…honey, I’m afraid he’s going to come for you with his magic. And I don’t think you should be fighting that…that abomination.”
I began buckling on my belts and weapons.
That alone made me feel more energetic. “When he attacked me, my blade reflected the magic back at him.” I looked at her.
“You saw that. I’m the only one who can fight it.
And Jared won’t fight him. He’ll simply kill him.
” I patted my demon blade, which Sam had immediately scooped up after I’d lost it during my fight with Voss. “If he comes for me, I’ll be ready.”
She didn’t want to argue with me, so she changed the subject. “Rick was here.”
I frowned. “He wanted me?”
She grinned. “That he wants you is no secret to anyone—not even your alpha.”
I could feel my face getting hot. “Rick may be human, but he’s discovered he likes the chaos.”
“Nah,” she disagreed. “He only likes the chaos if it’s attached to you. He’s crushing on you hard, Kaity. That boy wants to get jiggy with you, and eventually, you’re going to have to figure out what to do about that whole situation.”
I frowned. “There’s nothing to figure out. Rick and I are friends. We care about each other. He’s…” I shook my head, floundering. “He is…”
“I know Jared is your supernatural world man, but I’m your human world man…”
She snorted. “Yes,” she said. “He certainly is.”
“Mother. Did he say what he needed?”
“He needed to talk. But neither Jared nor I thought—”
“You should have asked me.” I grabbed my phone and headed for the door. “I’ll call him.” Then I turned back to lean down and hug her. “Thanks for taking care of me.”
“I’ll always take care of you, Kaity.”
I walked outside, then stood still for a moment, pulling fresh air into my lungs, lifting my face to the sun. The birds were as thrilled as I was that spring had come, and they were filling the morning with song.
It was already warm, as though when I’d lingered in my bed, resting from my wolf’s fight, winter had given up and died. I could smell the wildflowers, the fresh grass, even the sun burning through the air.
Shadowfield was alive, despite Voss and his wolves.
I loved it there, but I had Silverwood, and it was time to get back to my life.
I called Lucy as I strode to my car, though she was lodged in the Inn. I could have gone to see her—and my plump little dog—but now that I’d gotten my day started, I didn’t want to delay.
“Kait,” she exclaimed. “How are you feeling?”
“Good,” I told her, smiling. “I’m heading to the city to talk to Rick, then—”
“What? Right now?”
“Lucy, I—”
“I’m nearly finished with your breakfast. Wait. Hang on. I’ll meet you at your car in five minutes. Ten, tops.”
I sighed. “Fine, Luce. Bring Ash so I can kiss him before I go.”
“Ash,” she agreed. “And food.”
I called Rick as I climbed into my car to wait for Lucy. The detective was nearly always busy, but just like Remy, he’d always take my call.
“Kait,” he answered. “You’re good?”
“I’m good,” I said. “My mother said you wanted to talk to me.”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Look. I saw your fight with that…that wolf. I could’ve solved the whole thing by hauling my shotgun out of my car. Jared was being a bastard about it, though, and thought you needed to get the shit kicked out of you.”
“I needed to prove to myself and to the packs that I could still be powerful,” I said gently, “even without my magic.”
“It’s fucking stupid,” he said. “You don’t have anything to prove. If they don’t know you by now, it won’t matter how many times you go after a piece of worthless garbage.”
I drew back and frowned at the phone. He was angry. Raging. Which surprised me, because Rick was no stranger to the supernatural world and our savagery. God knew he’d seen it enough.
When I hesitated, he took a deep breath.
“I know, Kait. I just needed to get that off my chest. If I’d been Jared when you were…
fighting, I wouldn’t have cared what you said or what you wanted.
I’d have waded in and yanked Voss away from you.
I’d have pistol-whipped him until he couldn’t move, and then I’d have blown out his brains. ”
“Rick,” I murmured, finally.
“Fuck,” he said, his voice so low and quiet I almost couldn’t hear him. “Fuck.”
I swallowed hard, then took a deep breath.
“Where are you?” He needed to see me. He needed to know I was okay.
For some reason, he’d been hurt by what he’d seen, more so than any of my other battles.
I didn’t know why, and it didn’t matter.
I just needed to hug him and let him feel my warmth.
Let him know I was still me, and that I was okay.
“On my way to a house on Stone Street. There’s a murder victim inside. There may or may not be signs of supernatural activity, so the DSA was called in to check it out before the humans start arriving.”
“Give me the address. I’ll meet you there.”
He didn’t argue or ask if I was sure I was healed enough to come in. He just gave me the address. “I’ll wait outside for you,” he said.
I leaned over and shoved open the passenger door when I saw Lucy hurrying toward the car. She carried a huge brown bag in one hand and held Ash’s leash in her other.
Ash jumped into the car and began immediately wiggling his little butt as he covered my face with his tongue. Lucy stood in the doorway with the bag of food, and even more than Ash’s kisses, I wanted that food.
The smell of juicy meat woke up my appetite in a hurry.
“What in the…did Ash just growl?” Lucy asked.
“That was my belly,” I said dryly, wrapping my arms around the energetic dog. “I’m heading to the city to meet Rick. I’ll eat on the way.”
Lucy laughed, then called Ash to her. “I’ll tell you about my dream tonight. I have some new information.”
“Okay,” I said. I gave Ash a kiss. “Go with Lucy, buddy. I’ll see you both tonight in Silverwood.”
I waited until I was on the highway before I pulled the bag to me. Lucy had wrapped meat-and-egg-filled biscuits in foil, and if Joe or Zach had been with me, I’d have let them drive so I could enjoy breakfast.
“Oh hell,” I muttered after half the bacon of one sandwich fell onto the floor. I closed the bag and pushed it away. I’d eat after I saw Rick and toured his murder house.
He was leaning against his car when I pulled up, and for a few seconds once I shut off my car, we simply stared at each other through the windshield.
He didn’t move when I finally climbed out and walked toward him, but there was something in his eyes.
“Hey,” I said.
Finally, he smiled. Barely, but it was there. He straightened and held out his hands, and I went to him. It was as natural as anything to slide my arms under his suit jacket, to press my palms against his back, to inhale softly to get his scent.
There’d always been a line.
But it was so dim now I could barely see it.
He wrapped me up in his embrace and we stood quietly, our bodies pressed together, saying nothing, because we didn’t need any words.
And when he slid his fingers over my arm to my throat, then my face, lightly caressing, I only watched him.
“You look good,” he murmured.
I tilted my head and grinned. “So do you.”
He sobered almost immediately when his stare dropped to a nearly healed cut on the side of my neck. “It’s getting harder for me to watch the abuse you take.”
“Why?” I asked. Because we both knew I was never going to go through life gently.
He hesitated, then brushed my lips with his thumb. “I don’t like to see you hurt.” He shook his head. “Also…I’ve realized the world would hold little meaning if you weren’t in it with me.”
I was at a loss for words.
So I didn’t say anything.
He sighed gently and dropped his hands from my face. “Let’s go inside. What’s a better way to start the morning than investigating a murder?”
“I can think of one,” I murmured. I ran my hands up over his chest, and as he froze, unsure, I cupped his face and pressed my lips against his. I didn’t kiss him gently. I tilted my head, opened my mouth, and put everything I felt for him into that kiss.
I loved my human world man.
When I finally pulled away, we were both dazed. For a few seconds, we stared into each other’s eyes, smiling.
“Rick, I…”
“I know,” he murmured.
And for a little while, there were no shadows in his eyes.