Page 48 of Beautiful Madness

“You’re feeling protective,”Sam said. “You care for her.”

Remy clenched the blade at hiship and narrowed his eyes at the shapeshifter. “You’d be better off to stay outof my head.”

Sam held up a hand. “I wasn’tin your head. I know how you feel because when she came back, I felt the sameway. The angel did something to her.” Then he looked at me. “Or you tooksomething from him.”

“What do you mean?” I asked,fascinated despite myself.

“In fiction, angels areprotective, but they also inspire protectiveness. Regard.” He shrugged. “Lust,even. That’s not just for the demons and the humans, you know. You came backwith a little extra something.”

Had Nicole surrounded me withsome sort of protection spell, or…

Had Lucas?

When he’d kissed me, maybe he’dleft angel particles inside me, if that was a thing. Or maybe I’d taken thatalong with his roar. His killing voice.

“I don’t know,” I murmured. “Idon’t know about angels.”

“Whatever,” Remy said. “It’llwear off.” But he didn’t sound too sure.

“I’m ready to find the alpha,”I told them.

“You have his scent?” Remyasked.

“Don’t you want to run home andget dressed?” Sam gestured at the ground around us. “You didn’t leave anythingbehind when he carried you into the sky. Not your phone, nothing. Just theblade you wear.”

I did want clothes, especiallyboots, but I didn’t want to waste any more time. “No,” I decided. “Remy’s coatwill do. And Jared is close. I can…” Then I widened my eyes when I understoodwhat I was about to say. “I can feel him.”

As soon as I realized it, assoon as I admitted it, heat rushed over me, along with fear, worry, anger, anddespair. There was also happiness, because he yet lived.

And because he felt me, aswell. I think he had all along. I was the one who’d been blocked, not him. Butthen, I felt something bad. Jared was nearing his end.

I shuddered, and the heatturned to ice. “Jared,” I whispered. “I’m coming for you.”

The spell hadn’t worn off—Icould feel the ugly magic of it, as well. But it was no longer able to blockme. I was more powerful than the witchwolf’s spell. And my alpha was dying.

Remy’s cell phone rang and hewalked a few steps away to speak into it in lowered tones as I turned in acircle, trying to pinpoint exactly where Jared was. There was no time tosearch. I had to know where he was, or I would lose him.

Sam quietly watched me, thenhis cell rang. “It’s Lucy,” he said. “She’s probably been trying to reach you.”And after he said hello, he handed the phone to me.

“Lucy,” I said. “I’m fine. Itwas—”

“Kait, yes, I know. I know. ButI need to tell you that Jared is dying. He’s dying, because they have not cometo feed him, give him water, or take the spikes from his body—and that’s whatis going to kill him. It’s weakening him so fast that every bad thing happeningto him has escalated. Ordinarily, the lack of food and water wouldn’t hurt himthis fast. But—”

“I can feel him,” I said. “Ifeel his weakness. But I don’t know where heis, Lucy.” I clenched thephone and shut my eyes. “Where the fuck is he?” I cried.

“Follow the feeling,” she said,but her voice was thick with tears and doubt. She knew as well as I did thatthere was no time to track him. Tracking him could take days, and we didn’thave hours.

“You dreamed he died, didn’tyou?” I whispered.

She didn’t say anything for afew long seconds. “Yes,” she said, finally. “You found him, but it was dark,and he was dead.” Then she burst into sobs. “His last thought was of you. Yourmother is on her way to you.”

“No,” I told her. “Do not cryfor him. I won’t let him die. I won’t.” Then I ended the call and turned toRemy. “You drive. We’re going back to Shadowfield. I’ll explain what we’regoing to do on the way there.”

It was a simple plan, but itwas a plan.

And it would work, because ithad to.

ChapterTwenty-Five