Page 70 of Beautiful Madness

“Um,” Max said, holding up hishand. “I’m not sure that’s the proper way to phrase that.” Then he smiled. “Andwewillall get one.”

“Rick?” Lucy asked, looking atthe detective. “Right?”

He gave her a wink.“Absolutely.” But he sobered when he met my eyes. “Absolutely.”

And I still wasn’t convinced hewas fully human. I believed that what I’d seen in the caves wasn’t entirely thefault of the magic. Maybe the magic had activated it, but I was certain Axtonhad left something inside Rick when he’d held him.

“I asked Susan to meet ushere,” Lucy said. “Your mother helped me with the design and Jared’s wolvesinstalled the posts.” She peered expectantly down the silent, empty road thatled into town. “She’ll be here any second.”

My phone vibrated and I pulledit from my pocket. “This is probably her now,” I murmured, but it wasn’t a textfrom my mother. It was a text from Jared. His scouts had informed him that apack of warriors from Colorado, of all places, had infiltrated his territory.He’d gone to handle it.

Despite my faith in hisability, he’d only recently been pierced with silver and held in the nearlyunbreakable grip of an awful magic, and tendrils of fear and worry had wrappedaround my heart. I would always worry just a little.

“There she comes,” Lucy said,as a car sped down the road toward us.

I read the alpha’s text, myheart easing.

Our boundaries were secured.

No issues?

Handled.

I knew he sorely felt theabsences of both Eli and Wyatt, but he would choose another beta soon and hiswarriors were the best. The pack would defend the city, and they would quicklycontrol any threat.

I smiled when I read his nextmessage.See you soon, Silver Claw.

It appeared as though therewere afewpeople who knew about Lucy’s surprise.Can’t wait, GrayShadow.

My mother left the passengerside of the car as Nigel climbed out from the driver’s side. I’d begun tobelieve she was finished with him, but apparently, she wasn’t. She was happy,and again, my heart was eased to see it.

“Oh my,” she cried, rushing tous, her stare on the sign above. “That is sick, Lucy.Sick!”She burstinto tears and then pulled me to her with one arm and Lucy with the other. “Mygirls,” she said. “Now I havetwopacks. It warms me. Warms me to mybones.”

“Let’s go home before the foodgets cold,” Joe suggested, drawing looks from all of us. “Hey,” he said. “Ican’t eat it, but I can watch you eat it.”

But as we turned toward ourrespective vehicles, I hesitated. I held up a hand, and everyone went deathlysilent. My mother, Sam, and I lifted our noses to the air, and even Joe, babythough he was, stiffened as he caught a threatening scent.

“Wolves,” I said. “They must bepart of the pack Jared just sorted out.”

“Why are they here, though?”Zach asked, blades in both hands.

Remy positioned himself so hewas back-to-back with Zach, and Rick ushered Lucy and Max into my car. “BecauseJared isn’t the only alpha the rival packs are going to challenge,” he said.

“Lucy,” I called, just beforeshe climbed inside. “Lock the doors and stay put with Max. Do not get out ofthe car.” After she’d shown up at the caves, I was no longer secure in mybelief that she’d do the safe thing and stay put.

And maybe I could have sent anSOS through the bond Jared and I shared, but it’d take less time to just callhim and explain.

He answered immediately. “Tellme.”

“We’re at the end of thedriveway,” I told him. “Rival wolves are attacking.”

He was gone before I finishedspeaking.

I thought about stayingunshifted and using my voice to kill the invading wolves. I thought about usingmy demon blade to take them out. I considered just throwing magic at them.

But in the end, I shifted to mywolf, because fighting wolves as my wolf was just that damn fun. And shedeserved to kick some ass.

As Max and Lucy watched frombehind the relative safety of the glass, the wolves, two dozen of them, racedfrom the woods, jumped the ditch, and were upon us. The first person attackedwas Joe.