Page 29 of Bad Medicine

I didn’t go far, though. I satin my car for a few minutes, because I was afraid if I left, the shapeshifterwould come screaming from the shadows and would hurt him. Logically, though, Iknew Sam wasn’t ready to take the detective out of the game.

After a while, Rick pointed atme. “Go,” he mouthed.

So finally, I went.

I needed to check on Lucy.

ChapterFourteen

An hour and a half later,squeaky clean and energized by the mountains of food I’d consumed, I sat at mykitchen table with Lucy and Joe and told them everything that had happened.

Almost everything.

I told them that Sam was theshapeshifter, first off. And I told them about the phone call, about Zach,about the gift. I even told Lucy that Sam had promised never to hurt her. Maybeit eased her mind a little, but the only way she was really going to feelbetter was by seeing a dead shapeshifter.

Joe got quiet, probably tryingto absorb the enormity of the situation. He had taken it upon himself to be aprotector—to bemyprotector—and he had to be wondering if there was anyway in hell he could do that now. He had to be resentful of his limitations asa human. Still, his job was protecting me, and he would do it to the best ofhis ability.

I worried it would get himkilled.

“You seem different somehow,”Lucy said, watching me.

I took a sip of coffee. “I’mnot different.” Then, “Are you dreaming again?”

She traced a pattern on thetable, not meeting my eyes. “I dreamed a little last night. It’s coming back.”

“Lucy, that’s great news!”

She shrugged, smiling. “Maybe.It’s been such a huge part of me for so long.”

“I’m going to take Ash aroundthe block,” Joe said, standing. “Both of us could use some exercise. Come on,boy.”

“His leash is by the frontdoor,” Lucy told him, as Ash trotted along happily at Joe’s heels. When weheard the door close behind him, Lucy stretched her arm across the table andtook my hand. “Kait, how much do you know about shapeshifters?”

“As much as any wolf, I guess,”I said. “Which I admit is not a whole hell of a lot.”

She squeezed my fingers, thengot up to carry the dishes to the sink. “What are their weaknesses?”

“Silver.” I went to help her.“Like with most nonhumans.”

“But not you.”

“Not unless it gets inside me. Andthe shapeshifter has to be shot or stabbed through the heart with silver, elseit won’t kill him.”

“What else? We want to beprepared for him. Just in case he…” She vigorously rinsed a plate beforeputting it into the dishwasher. “Just in case he takes me.” Before I could sayanything she turned to me, dishes forgotten. “Kait, do you think he’ll try? Imean, my dreams…”

“We’re going to do everythingwe can do to make sure he doesn’t get to you,” I told her, glad she wassounding more like her old self. The look in her eyes wasn’t fear, really,maybe…caution.

“I know. And he did say hewouldn’t hurt me. So what else besides silver could be a potential weaponagainst a shapeshifter?”

I shook my head. “I don’t knowof anything, Luce. But shifting and maintaining their shift drains theirenergy—especially if they’re injured. So if he ever does get his hands on youand you get the chance to hurt him, take it.”

She only nodded.

“You weren’t shocked that Samis a shapeshifter,” I said. I looked at her. “How long have you known?”

Her cheeks reddened. “I didn’tknow what he was. But I had a feeling he wasn’t exactly…normal.”

“Not exactly human,” I said.