Page 58 of Beautiful Madness

He was…dark. I wanted to believethe heart of the alpha still beat the same, with love and pride and fierceness,but I couldn’t see it in his eyes. The magic was affecting everyone butespecially the nonhumans, making them want the same thing it wanted. To have aworld without humans. To be free to be who they were.

I felt it, as well, but I couldfight it. I’d been born to protect humans. In one way or the other, I’d beendoing it my entire life. That need lived inside me, and it would not be denied.At my core,thatwas who I was.

The ball of power grew largerby the second, and I knew it might kill me in the end.

But it would die trying.

The cavern fell abruptlysilent. The daywalkers were dead, and suddenly, I was the center of attention.It was as though everyone present understood what I meant to do, and there wasa tiny dark part of them all that wanted me to fail.

I couldn’t be upset about that,though. They were being influenced by the magic, and every single one of themhad been oppressed by humans. It was a human’s world, and the nonhumans weretired.

One by one the wolves wereshifting, and my mother rushed toward me, her face a mask of terror. “Don’tsacrifice yourself, Kait,” she cried. “I beg you.”

“Mom,” I said, gently. “I haveto. I’m the only one who can.” I could absorb what would simply kill them.

And finally, reluctantly, Joeunderstood. He would not survive if he didn’t back down. The greedy, evil ballof magic would snatch him up and devour him.

“We won’t leave you,” Zachsaid, his voice hoarse. “If you die, you won’t have to face your death alone.”

“She’s not dying.” Joe balledhis fists. “She’s not fucking dying.”

Sam stepped up beside me then.“I can help.”

But he couldn’t. Not really.“Take care of Lucy,” I said.

He shook his head. “Lucy willbe released when the magic dies. It’s taken her mind.” His stare was steady.“If you don’t survive this, Kait, neither will she.”

My mother sobbed louder, andone of the wolves pulled her into his arms. Nigel, I noticed. Good.

In the end, before I turned toface an enemy I wasn’t sure how to defeat, Jared gripped my arms, and his wordswere for me as well as those watching. “It is not possible for vampire-mademagic to defeat Kait Silver.”

He smiled then, and I had towork hard, damn hard, not to burst into sobs loud and messy enough to rival mymother’s.

Maybe he was the only one therewho believed in me completely, and that was enough to skyrocket my belief inmyself. “Damn right,” I said, and instead of tears wetting my face, a grinnearly split it. “Damn right, alpha.”

He was Jared again, or verynearly, but there was still that awful darkness sliding through his eyes. Nothis normal darkness, either. They all had it, and it wasn’t natural.Eventually, I believed it might take them all over if it were left to spreadunchecked.

“Do you feel it?” I murmured,staring up at him. “The darkness of that magic inside you?”

He hesitated, then nodded.“It’s reluctant to leave,” he said, his voice low. “And I am reluctant to letit.”

I understood. There was a partof them all that would rather I left the magic alone. With it, they feltinvincible. They soaked up the magic and it felt good. Wrong, but good.

So yes, I understood. Still, Iwould destroy it. I would kill it, and we would all live to fight another day,another enemy.

I’d survived a fight with anangel.

A ball of fucking vampire magicwouldn’t stand a chance.

Still, before I threw myselfinto its eager, ugly embrace, I would take a moment to say goodbye to mypeople. My crew.

Just in case I never saw themagain.

ChapterThirty-One

The magic called the remainingdaywalkers, as though they might be able to stop me. But when they raced intothe caves, the magic-drunk wolves were there to meet them.

I ignored the sounds of thefighting and swept my stare over my team. I lingered on Rick, who stood backjust a little, apart from the group as always, silent and still. He watched mesoberly, but I didn’t see any real fear in his eyes. Rick believed in me, too.