Page 50 of Silver Claw

Cindy screamed when she saw me. “You’re…you’re bleeding. You’reinjured. Oh, I didn’t think a ghost would be violent like that. How did it eventouchyou?”

Al was pale and looked like he might faint. “I don’t like blood,” he murmured.

“Let me clean you up and disinfect those wounds,” Cindy said, trying to tug me out of the living room as I was trying to edge toward the front door.

“No need,” I told her, prying her fingers off my arm. “It looks worse than it is. Besides, Jeannie needs you right now. She’s been through a trauma.”

Thankfully, that took her attention off me and put it on her cat.

“She looks like she’s coming off a major hangover,” I said. “But a little rest and a lot of food and she’ll be back to normal in no time. Normal,” I added, “before the possession.”

And we took our demon and hurried out of the house.

The next homeowner refused to let me in because of the slashes and blood, though I’d used wet wipes in the car to clean up.

“Shouldn’t you have healed those cuts by now?” Zach asked.

Truth was, I should have. The claw marks were deep, but I should have started healing immediately. “It’s because the demon was still in there when she scratched me,” I said. “I could have healed an attack by a regular cat, but the demon is slowing things down.” I shrugged. “It’ll be fine. Eventually.”

If I were part demon, as Anika had said, surely that wouldn’t have happened. I wasn’t any different than I was the first time I’d fought a demon to save Lucy and had stolen his blade.

I definitely didn’t have any demon blood mucking up my DNA.

Anika Draper was wrong.

Chapter Twenty-One

There was an hour left before I had to meet with the council, and I was dressed and waiting. I wore black, soft leather, and my hair was slicked back from my face and hanging down my back in one long braid.

The deep scratches marred my face, and I thought maybe they’d scar me forever.

I didn’t care.

My boots added two inches to my height, putting me at a solid six feet, and I wore armor beneath my shirt. The only weapon I had on my body was the demon blade.

It was the only weapon I needed.

I think I knew even then that the council meeting wasn’t going to go the way I hoped.

Too jumpy to stay inside, I left Jared’s house. Outside waiting were Zach, Sam, Remy, and Joe. And when I looked up, I saw Jared and Rick, standing a little away, talking.

They were both watching me, something eerily similar in their eyes.

The alpha and the detective.

Joe walked right behind me and the others fell in beside me as we strode to Jared and Rick.

I think they knew the meeting wouldn’t go the way I’d hoped, too.

And I was abruptly aware that they were worried that the council was going to hurt me. God knew they’d hurt me enough to warrant that worry.

Jared opened his arms and I went to him, releasing a long, slow breath when I was wrapped in his familiar, perfectembrace. I slipped my arms around him and inhaled his scent, and as always, for a moment, I felt safe.

I felt invincible.

Surrounded as I was by such love, I didn’t need magic. I didn’t need the council. I needed only my people.

I pulled back a little and smiled up at him, but his gaze remained serious, roving my face and lingering on the demon wounds, then my lips.