Page 69 of Beautiful Madness

“Vampire-y?” he askedhelpfully.

Joe had thrown himselfwholeheartedly into his death, his rebirth, and his changes. He didn’t mindthat he had to drink blood to survive, but I’d caught him looking longingly andsomewhat regretfully at the huge spreads Lucy prepared for us.

He cherished the fact that hehad a purpose—protecting me and his pack—and that now he was not in the leastvulnerable while he did it. He showed off his growing strength and speed everychance he got, but that was mostly for Max, who watched him with a narrow-eyedsuspicion, not quite willing to leave him but not ready to accept him, either.At times, I caught him watching Joe with a softness in his eyes that let meknow Max hadn’t lost his love for the new vampire, and I believed he would comearound. Eventually.

I peered into Joe’s eyes now,but there wasn’t a single dark shadow inside them. Given time, though, therewould be. He might spend most of his time with me, but he belonged to thevampires. And they would change him.Timewould change him.

But I couldn’t worry about afuture of what-ifs.

“Sure you can,” he said,folding his arms and staring me down. “The people who hire you expect you to bethere at night.” He shrugged one massive shoulder. “When’s a better time totalk about ghosts?”

“You did have the office openat night before,” Lucy pointed out, setting a platter of fried chicken on thetable. “No reason why you can’t again.”

“Nights are for huntingmonsters,” Remy said, leaning away from the dining table and patting hisever-present stake. “And for killing vampires.” He smirked at Joe. “Can’t dothat during the day.”

Zach took a drumstick and bitinto it, then closed his eyes in ecstasy. “Lucy, you are the best cook I’veever known.”

She preened, but before shecould say anything, her ringtone sounded. “Oh,” she said. “Finally!” Shehurried from the kitchen, muttering into her phone, but even as I started tofill my plate, she rushed back into the room. “Everybody come with me.”

“But Lucy,” I said, a hotbiscuit in my hand. “All the delicious food.”

“The food will be here when youget back.” She was practically jumping with excitement, and Sam left the cornerwhere he was conversing with the reluctantly listening detective and wrappedhis arms around her.

“The surprise?” I asked.

She grinned. “It’s ready. Comewith me.”

We all managed to pile into mySUV with Lucy sitting on Sam’s lap, me sitting on Max’s, though he complainedlike a little bitch, and Rick driving. Joe rode shotgun, muttering that Maxcould have sat onhislap, and Zach sat silently against the door andstared at us all with amusement.

It was something, seeingamusement in those eyes.

Rick didn’t ask where we weregoing. “Hey,” I said to Lucy. “You told Rick what the surprise is?”

“I had to tell someone,” shesaid, “and I knew he could keep a secret.”

“What is it?” Max asked. “Likea party or something?” He poked me with a stiff finger. “Your birthday’s comingup? It’s a surprise party.”

“It had better fucking not be,”I said.

Rick drove to the end of thevery long driveway and then turned the car around so it faced back in thedirection of the house. “Everybody out,” he said, and flipped on thehigh-beams.

And finally, we stood outsidestaring up at the huge wooden gateway that straddled the entrance to my house.A beautiful, somewhat fancy sign dangled from the beam.

SILVERWOOD

Lucy came to stand beside me.“You said I could name the property.” She sounded suddenly shy. “Do you likeit?”

“Lucy,” I whispered. “I loveit. The sign is beautiful, and the name is perfect.” I nodded slowly. “Silverwood.”

We all stared up at it, and Iimagined they were all as awed as I was.

“Not just the sign,” Lucy toldus. She shrugged off her coat, pushed up her sleeve, and showed us the new taton her arm. “Sam helped me name us. You know. Ourpack.Jared’s is theGray Shadow Pack of Shadowfield, Adam’s was the Stone Moon Pack of Stonebridge,and Kait’s?” She grinned, nearly bursting with pride. “Kait’s is the SilverClaw Pack of Silverwood.”

“Luce,” I murmured, taking herarm and holding it up to the light. “You got another tattoo.” She hadn’t been afan of tattoos when I’d convinced her to get an anti-possession one forprotection, and now here she was, surprising me with the mark of her pack.

I was touched.

“It’s a silver claw,” she said.“We’ll all get one. Your friend Kassandra did it for me, Kait. She’ll do all ofyou, as well.”