Page 86 of Bad Medicine

“That doesn’t make sense,” I interrupted,scoffing. “My father wasn’t a child abuser.”

“Wasn’t he? But they should nothave forced you to watch his death. You blame yourself and you want to savehim. You don’t want it to be too late. And you’re torn because the other partof you understands exactly why the shapeshifter does what he does, and yourelate to him. But you must clear your mind and understand only this one thingabsolutely—the shapeshifter is killing humans, and you must stop him. No matterthe twists and turns of your psyche, you do know this. You simply have toaccept it.”

The shapeshifter was killinghumans. I needed to stop him. I hunted and killed rogue supernaturals toprotect humans who had no power. He was killing them, and I would stop him.

When did that become unclear inmy mind?

“I will,” I whispered, more tomyself than to Saul. “But you’re wrong about my father.” And just as I startedto end the call, he told me something that made me hate myself—and Saul—just alittle.

Something that made my heartnearly stop.

“I, too, see things, Kaitlyn.The shapeshifter has your friend Lucy. This will make it easier for you tocatch him. The council needs him, and you must give him to them. Do youunderstand?”

My lips had gone so numb andtingly that I could barely speak. “Is she alive?”

“I don’t know.”

“How can I find him? Whereishe, Saul?” I was shouting now, and both Joe and Zach stormed into the room,ready to fight.

“You have been with him enoughto hold the scent of him in your brain,” Saul told me. “Do what you do best,Kait. Find the scent, follow the trail, neutralize the monster. And then,” hecontinued, his voice hard, “handle the fucking daywalkers. The council will notgive you forever.”

Then he was gone.

Lucy was in the hands of akiller, and I was no longer torn.

Sam the shapeshifting serialkiller would die.

And with Zach and Joe at myback, I slid deep inside myself and found the dark scent of the shapeshifter.

I grasped the thread weavedfrom that scent, and I began to hunt.

Chapter Forty

“Call Lucy’s phone, Joe. Justin case.” Yes, I knew I was desperately hoping Saul had lied simply to incenseme, but I had to try.

“Went straight to voicemail,”he said, surprising no one.

And five minutes later, asthough he somehow knew I was coming for him, Sam called me. I thought about notanswering. I didn’t want to have a conversation with him. I was on his trail,and I didn’t need his voice. But I drove on, my windows down, the cold airclearing my mind further, and I did answer. “Sam,” I said. “What the fuck doyou want?”

“Really?” His voice wasdifferent, somehow, wet and thick, making me think of congealed splats of blood.“I thought we were becoming friends, Kait. I saved your life. I saved that boy.I—”

“I know what you’ve done,Shapeshifter. I was there. What do you want?” I was afraid to let him know Iwas aware he had Lucy, because I was terrified that would cause him to killher. If he hadn’t already.

“You know,” he said, quietly,“you’re really starting to piss me off. But fine. I knew it was going to take awhile to win you over. I have another gift for you.”

“Fuck you, Sam,” I bit out. “Don’tyou kill her.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” hetold me, almost jolly. “She’s all yours.Youwill kill her.”

“Save me some time.” I clenchedthe steering wheel so hard it creaked. “Tell me where you are.”

“You’re afraid,” he went on, asthough I hadn’t spoken. “You don’t want to like me because it feels wrong toyou. You want to think you’re better than me. That you’re doing what’s rightand I am what’s wrong. I get it. But I’m not going to hang around forever,waiting for you to accept me.”

“Where. Are. You.”

“I need you to see what I willdo for you, Kait. I want to belong to someone. I think that’s all I’ve everwanted.” His voice lowered, like he was talking more to himself than me. “Iwant to be part of…of a pack, I suppose. You know what that’s like, don’t you?”

“Then stop killing women.” Ileaned forward slightly, as though it would make him hear me better. “Please,Sam. Let the humans deal with their lawbreakers. You can find them. You canpoint law enforcement to them. But you have to stop killing them.”