Page 13 of Beautiful Madness

“But,” I interrupted, “that’s achance you’re willing to take.”

“Yes, Kaitlyn. It mostcertainly is.”

“I’m not letting Bastien biteme either, Saul. No vampire is sinking his nasty fangs into my flesh.”

“He already did, though, didn’the?”

I frowned. “Did what?”

“He bit you. He tasted you whenyou saved him from the grave into which his brother put him.”

I could feel myself going pale.He wasn’t wrong. Bastien had scraped his fangs along my wrist, just barely, butenough to get my blood inside him. “How the hell do you know that?”

Joe pulled in behind Zach’scar, and I could see Remy leaning against his truck, a cup of something thatwas either hot coffee or whiskey in his hand. I motioned for Joe to go ahead,that I’d be out as soon as I finished my conversation.

“It’s a simple thing, Kait,” Saulsaid, impatient. “And it’s the only choice you have if you want to track thedaywalkers. Call Bastien tonight.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Isnapped, and ended the call.

The daywalkers wereuntraceable. They left no scent, no tracks, and now, no piles of dead bodies.

And I already knew I was goingto call Bastien. I didn’t like it, but if it was the only way to go monsterhunting, then I was getting bitten by the county master. And after I’d savedFarrow’s life, Bastien would do anything for me. He’d have bitten me anyway,though. Vampires loved to taste power, and though mine was chaotic anddangerous, it was strong.

“Fuck,” I muttered, and before Igot out of my car, I called Bastien’s phone. He’d get the message as soon as heawakened, and we’d do the damn deed. “Bastien,” I said, when I got hisvoicemail, “call me. I need…” I blew out a breath, unable to say the words.“Just call me.”

Joe, Zach, and Remy watched meas I slid my phone into my pocket and walked toward them. I was weighed downwith stakes and extra blades, and though I didn’t know if the items would workon the daywalkers, I also carried other tools of the trade, such as silvercrosses and holy water.

“Who are we hunting?” Remyasked, when I joined them. “Deadly daywalkers or absent alphas?”

Remy Simon had come back intoour lives like he’d never been gone, and he hadn’t talked to me about what he’ddone while he was away. I didn’t ask, either. He still looked at me with alittle coldness in his stare, but he was attempting to play nice. He wasn’ttrying to kill me. Not yet, anyway. Remy disliked nonhumans, and he didn’t carewho knew it.

“How do we know Jared isn’tjust off somewhere taking care of business?” Joe asked. “Maybe he’s in a fightwe don’t know about or looking for some witch in another country who might thawout Lennon so he can kill her.”

“No,” I said. “Something hashappened. He’d have told me if he planned to take off, and he would have takensome of his guards with him.” I’d been successful in tamping down my fear, but itbegan to rise again as I spoke. “He’s alive, though,” I assured them. “If hewere dead, I’d know it.”

“You really believe that?” Remycocked an eyebrow. “Or do you just want to believe it?”

I stared him down. “He’s alive,and we’re going to find him. We’re going to hunt Jared, the daywalkers, andSam.”

“Sam?” Zach asked, surprised.“Since when?”

“Since I discovered he’s gonenuts.” I sighed. “He’s losing his control, and I need to talk to him. Rickbelieves he killed a woman just because she was blonde. She had no kids. Shewasn’t abusing anybody.”

“What do you believe?” Joeasked.

I shook my head. “I don’tknow.”

“Supernats,” Remy said,nodding. “Fucked up bunch with too much power.”

I ignored him and his insult.

“Some people,” Joe said, “will bepissed if you go after Sam.”

Zach crossed his arms and spokefor the first time. “Some people were pissed when she didn’t.”

I smiled. “Some people can kissmy ass.”

Both men spoke the truth,though. Sam had managed to garner fans who were all for his vigilante justice.Max had shown me websites dedicated to him. And they wouldn’t care that Sam wasgoing off the deep end, but those people and their feelings weren’t my problem.