Page 35 of Bad Medicine

“Where did they take you?” someoneelse said, and I closed my eyes at the darkness in the detective’s voice. “Tellme what you see, Kait.”

“They filled me with silver,” Isaid. “I don’t know where I am.”

“You know what silver can do,don’t you, Jared?” Eric asked. “Now Kait is done talking. You listen, and whenyou’re ready to stop her pain, you know what to do.” He lowered his voice. “Youcan stop it at any time.”

“Hang up, Jared,” I begged, butI knew he wouldn’t.

“I’ll find you,” he swore, andhis voice jumped as he ran. “I’m coming for you.”

“Kill her now,” Adam ordered.

“Boss?”

“Kill hernow.”

“No,” Jared roared.

“Then stay where you are, anddo not shift. It wouldn’t surprise me if your nose could pick up her trail,”Adam said, his voice a little canned coming through the speaker. “LeaveShadowfield and I swear I will have them rip her heart from her chest. Do youunderstand?”

“Fuck you,” Jared ground out.His voice was hoarse, raw with emotion, and shaking with the need to kill.

“I have wolves all aroundShadowfield,” Adam said. “If you leave, I will know, and when she dies, it’llbe your fault. When you’re ready to stop her pain, you have to do only onething. Order your people to stand down so my wolves can come to you. They’regoing to dose you the same way they did Kait. Lennon wants to see you before Ikill you. It’s the least I can do for her. Eric.”

“Sir?”

“Begin.”

Adam wasn’t having me beatensolely because he hoped Jared would trade himself for me. He was doing it becausehe hated Jared and he wanted to rule alone. He was doing it because he fearedand hated me. And because he so badly wanted to see my torment—and becauseLennon had whispered into his ear. It wouldn’t have surprised me to learn she’dcast some insidious spell on him. I still had trouble believing Adam was…this.And Adam wasn’t the only one who needed to die.

I knew she was listening.“Lennon,” I said, as Eric and the other wolves closed around me. “Your time isup, witchwolf. You should have walked away.”

At first, she said nothing.Then, “I couldn’t, Kait. You know why.”

Because despite everything,Jared was her alpha, and she believed she loved him—in her own twisted way. AndI understood her jealousy. It was eating her alive. Jealousy, envy, need…shecouldn’t have him, but I could. And that was why she wanted me to hurt before Idied. That was why she wanted Jared to hear it. She wasn’t filled with love forJared. She was filled with hatred and bitterness for us both. And maybeherself, as well.

“No more talking,” Adam said.“Call me if there are changes.” And he took himself and Lennon out of the call,the coward.

Eric handed his phone toanother wolf, and there was only a second’s hesitation, as I stared up at him,before he backhanded me. I couldn’t help the grunt that slipped from my mouth.And my wolf, drugged as she was, growled.

“We can’t let you rule us,”Eric said, as though I’d asked him to explain how he and the other warriorscould be so cruel. “We can’t let you kill our alpha.”

“Leave her alone,” Max yelled.Then, “Joe! Joe! Help us!”

Perhaps in his eyes, Joe coulddo anything.

I struggled to my feet and theylet me, but as I held up my hands and willed my wolf to come, willed myself tochange, willed my body to just fuckingwork, Elaine balled her fist andsent me back to the floor.

They beat me until I was out ofmy mind. My body was unable to heal through the silver, which continued to burnthrough my system. They beat me until I couldn’t tell where one part of my bodyended and another began. I was squishy and swollen and leaking blood,spoutingblood, dying.

I could no longer see well, andthere was a buzzing in my ears that made me want to shake my head to dislodgeit. And the pain…

Well, that was something elsealtogether. It was monstrous and unfathomable. I’d known pain. I’d lived withit for years. But the pain of silver in a wolf shifter while being brutalized…therewere simply no words for that.

Then, something happened thatshocked us all.

Adam Thorne strode into theroom. “My turn,” he said. “Back away, wolves.”

They all did as he asked,hastily, leaving him to walk to me and stare down at the thing on the floor. Hebent forward and yanked me up, then put his face against mine. “All you need isa little anger,” he said. “So Kait. Tell me. Do you know what’s stronger than awolf shifter?”