Page 21 of Bad Medicine

“Let’s go,” Max said, standing.“Glad you got your mind off the naked pictures, Kait.”

I frowned. “Dammit, Max. Canyou get them taken down?”

“Some of them.”

And all the way to my mother’s,Max brought up the images, one at a time, and even Lucy had to laugh at some ofthem. “I’m going to kick the detective’s ass,” I muttered.

When we arrived at my mother’shouse, I told the others to go on in. “I’ll be there in a minute.” Once theywere out of the car, I unlocked my phone and sent Rick a text.

You know those picturesweren’t really me, right?

After a couple of long minutes,he replied.Of course. None of them could compare to you.And heactually sent a wink emoji.

I laughed and got out of thecar to go see what my mother wanted. Knowing her, it was something that I wasabsolutely not going to like.

And for a little while, Iforgot about the shapeshifter.

Chapter Ten

I tried Zach’s cell againbefore I went inside, and again, I left a voicemail when he didn’t answer. Itexted the alpha, as well, just to check on him. Jared didn’t reply, but I knewhe would. I also trusted that he would keep Zach safe. If I hadn’t, I wouldalready have gone to Shadowfield. My mother would have understood.

The house was warm, bright, andcheerful, bursting with holiday music and decorations, and the giant tree hadso many presents beneath it they were spilling across the floor. The scent ofcinnamon and apple pie hung in the air, the fireplace was blazing, and for afew seconds, I stood frozen in the doorway as nostalgia squeezed my heart.

Ash rolled around on the rug infront of the fire, being goofy and hoping, as usual, to be the center ofattention. Several of my mother’s friends from town were there, and theirchildren gathered around Ash and gave him what he wanted.

“This house is too big for justme,” my mother said, coming over to stand beside me.

I draped my arm over hershoulders. “What happened to your housemates?”

“They’ve gone on to live theirlives. Laura Jean is living in town, so she’s not far, but the others haveflown the nest.” Her smile was only a little sad. “This is only a resting placefor them, and they always leave.”

“Your strays,” I said. “Therewill always be more of them. It’s like they’re bears, and your house is made ofhoney.”

She laughed. “Yes, but they’rehuman, and they always go on to travel their own paths.” She sobered and lookedup at me. “I’m ready to leave this life. It’s time, Kaity.”

I sucked in a breath. “Mom!You’re sick?”

She snorted. “I’m ready toleave this life—not this world. Slow your roll, girlfriend.”

And suddenly I understood whyshe’d brought me here. “You’re moving into Shadowfield permanently.” She’d needme to take what I wanted from the house—childhood stuff that had been packed upand stored in the attic, any furniture or keepsakes I might want before she gotrid of them, and she’d need some help getting the place ready to sell.

“Come outside with me,” shesaid. “I want to show you something.”

When I opened the door to gooutside with my mother, I saw Joe rise immediately from the couch and set hiscup down.

“That boy,” my mother said.“Doesn’t he know what we are? You should tell him you don’t need a human’sprotection, honey.”

“I do need him,” I murmured,and allowed him to trail a discreet distance behind us as we walked through thefrosty night.

“It’s good to see you withfriends,” she said. “I can’t tell you how often I worried about you livingalone there in that cold house in the city, having no one but your detectiveand your work…” She shook her head. “Everything is so much better now.”

She wasn’t wrong. “And you’llbe at Shadowfield with your pack,” I told her. “That’ll be good for you. Youneed people.”

“We all do, Kaity.”

I nodded. “I’ll help you getthe place ready to sell.” We stopped walking and I took in the line of treesthat led into the deep woods, some of which belonged to the house. The houseitself was in good repair, my mother and I had poured a lot of work into it toget it in great shape. “Five acres and a nice, five-bedroom home,” I said.“It’ll sell fast.” And I was surprised by how sad that thought made me. “I’llmiss this place.

“First,” she said, “I boughtmore land. It now comes withthirty-five acres—mostly woods—and thebasement can be finished to make an apartment or more bedrooms.”