Page 31 of Blood Magic

Chapter Twelve

Somehow, a local TV reporter got wind of Sara’s death and when they dug up her body, it was filmed and on the late-night news—and I saw Remy Simon.

The clip I saw showed him standing in the shadows, as still as any vampire, but when they pulled his sister up, he strode forward and fell to the ground beside her. He was unaware he was being recorded. His face was unguarded, his emotions raw. There was grief and pain, but so much rage. So much. I was sure keeping his thoughts hidden was habitual and reflexive, because when the detective leaned forward to say something to him, he blanked his face so quickly it was disorienting.

I saw it. For a few seconds, I saw inside Remy Simon, the hunter. I’m not sure what the regular viewer would see, but then, they weren’t looking for death in a man’s stare. I was.

I was still watching when Moreno called me. “It’s done,” he said. “Simon isn’t happy, but he knows we have to keep her for the investigation.”

“I saw him on the news. That is one scary guy, Rick.”

He hesitated. “Kait, your name wasn’t mentioned, but with some digging, he’s going to find out who you are. I wish you hadn’t called him. If he gives you any trouble, let me know.”

“I’ll be okay. I can handle him.”

“Let me know.”

I gave in. “I will.”

He sighed. “Be careful, Ms. Silver.”

It wasn’t late—not for me—but I knew without a doubt that someone would be interfering with my sleep, so I decided to go to bed early. I had to take something to help me go to sleep, or else I’d just toss and turn and wish I were at the office talking to desperate people or in the middle of Jakeston chasing down bad guys.

Four hours later, someone did interfere with my sleep. My wolf. Once I came fully awake I realized I’d been feeling an itchy, restless need long before I’d opened my eyes. I understood what was bothering me. It wasn’t long before the full moon would make her appearance, and the lead-up to that magnificent event was causing an electric, growing energy inside me.

I would go to my new pack the night of the coming full moon—Halloween night—and I would shift and run with wolves who didn’t really want me. I had a feeling that night would be…interesting.

Plus, it was the first time in my life the moon would be able to force my shift. She’d tried before. She’d tried hard. But until Jared had freed my wolf, there’d been only excruciating pain. My entire body tightened and tingled with the realization of what was to come.

For the first time since I’d been freed, I thought I could shift on my own, and likely it was because the moon, while not full, was still affecting me strongly. I lay staring up at the dark ceiling, my need growing stronger, and finally, I gave up.

I wanted to shift.

I left my demon blade hidden in my closet—no way was I taking it to the woods and risking losing it—put on a loose top, a pair of faded old khakis, and my boots, and then, just in case, I stuffed an extra outfit into a bag, slung it over my shoulder, and crept from the house.

Ash was sleeping in Lucy’s room and didn’t bother coming to see why I was up. Probably, he didn’t even hear me. I was relieved. I didn’t want to have to explain to Lucy that I was off for a midnight run, though that was how I’d found her tied to the log. That was the night I’d tried to kill a powerful demon and had instead freed him upon my world.

He’d been quiet for a while now, which made me hope that he’d simply faded more quickly than I’d believed and had become a harmless spirit, doomed to wander the world forever without a body, a home, or the ability to possess or harm anyone.

One could hope.

My street was quiet at this ungodly hour, but I could still hear the sounds of the city as I jogged down the sidewalk and headed for the field behind the warehouses. From there, it was not far to the woods, and instead of trying to outrun my pain as I had the last time I’d been there, I would shift.

Funny how that thought, though it caused a streak of pleasure to shoot through me, also caused me no little amount of fear. There were various reasons for that, and perhaps the biggest one was simply the fact that though wolves had to shift, there was a huge risk in doing it. It was not our world. It belonged to the humans.

Part of me—the wolf part—wanted to call my alpha, but I would not call him. I was free. I could shift. I didn’t need Jared to hold my hand while I did it. And if something happened that I couldn’t manage, it was okay. The moon was coming. But deep inside, I knew that this was why I’d awakened. It was time. And I was going to shift. All on my own.

I picked up my speed and in seconds, I was racing across the field, faster than I should have been able to, faster than any human could have managed. I was exploding with energy, and the very second I reached the woods, I secured my bag low in a tree and began to shift.

I was too far gone to even remove my clothes. Good thing I’d brought extra. I couldn’t feel bad about my lack of control. Control would come. I was essentially a baby wolf—a pup—and control would come in time.

When my alpha pulled my shift from me, it was less painful, somehow, but with the moonlight bathing my body, I fell to the ground as I contorted, crying out in pain and agony and ecstasy, and I let my wolf out to play.

God knew she deserved it.

I shifted. All by myself, I shifted. I was proud, and I was happy. I would maybe shed a tear over it later, as this was a big fucking deal, but right then, all I could do was roll around on the ground, playful and energetic. I pulled in the scents of the night, I lifted my nose to the sky and howled to the beautiful moon, and then, I kicked off and ran through the night, not a care in the world.

My wolf wished the alpha were there to share in the perfection of that moment. I was not a lone wolf at heart, and I regretted that I had no one with whom to play. I gathered my feet beneath me, and I flew through the night with my unformed thoughts and my joy and my extreme hunger.