Page 60 of Bad Medicine

“Rick,” I said. “No.”

“Hey.” He kissed my cheek underthe alpha’s watchful eye. Briefly, he leaned his forehead against mine. “Rest,honey,” he whispered. “Go on.”

Jared took my arm. He didn’t sayanything, but after one last glance at the sad corpse on the ground, he walkedme out of there.

And I was ready to go. When wereached the alpha’s bedroom, I was nearly too tired to kick off my boots. Ididn’t want to admit that I was still not completely back to normal after havingmy insides bathed with silver and taking such a beating, but I was not. Beingexhausted made my thinking somewhat muddled, and my body ached with a deep painthat was reminiscent of my hobbled wolf pain.

I needed sleep. Sleep wouldrepair me. “Lie with me for a while?” I asked.

“As long as you need me,” hemurmured, “I won’t leave you.”

He undressed, and by the timehe pressed his big warm body against mine and pulled me back against his chest,I was already drifting into sleep.

I dreamed I was someone else.

Something else.

And I dreamed about AdamThorne.

Before I’d killed him, Adam hadbeen about to tell me something—something I hadn’t wanted to hear. In my sleep,I was too defenseless to stop the thoughts from sneaking in and taking hold.

“What do I need to know? I’mready to listen.”

But he didn’t answer, becauseeven in my dreams, the Stone Moon alpha was dead.

ChapterTwenty-Nine

“Have you actually seen any ofthe daywalkers?” Joe asked. “I don’t mean to doubt the council, but if therewere daywalkers in Jakeston, don’t you think we’d have heard something by now?”

At that exact second, Maxtexted me.Trouble is heading toward you, Kait.

It took me a minute to controlmy emotions.Max. I’m so glad to hear from you.

I just needed some time. I’msorry.

What trouble?

Daywalkers.

But I already knew that, didn’tI?What can you tell me?

Um…they’re bad news?

I rolled my eyes, but grinned.Ifigured.

“That Max?” Joe asked.

“Yes. He’s just told medaywalkers are in the city.”

“Son of a bitch,” Joe breathed.“We’d best get to work, then.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “You wereskeptical of the council, but you immediately believe Max?”

“Of course,” he said. “Don’tyou?”

“Well, yeah.”

It was an unseasonably warmevening—downright balmy compared with what it had been, and for a wolf, it wast-shirt weather. Joe and I had parked my car in the lot of a busy shoppingcenter and got out to walk the city. I needed to breathe the air, pull in thescents, and just sort of…center myself.