Page 37 of Bad Medicine

And I did, drifting away on thewings of whatever Ben had given me, my pain dim and distant. I heard themtalking, at times. I knew that the very second my body could withstand theshift, Jared would bring my wolf. I could not heal without her.

“She won’t be completely thesame, even so,” Ben murmured. “Expect some changes, Susan. Her mind—”

“No,” Jared said, anger in hisvoice. “You don’t know her strength.”

“We shouldn’t say such thingsin front of her,” my mother said. “Not where she can hear.”

But Ben’s voice was mournful.“She can’t hear us, Susan.”

He was wrong about that, solikely he was wrong about my mind being fucked up. I wouldn’t worry about it.Not then.

Joe came into the room andstood at my bedside a couple of times, maybe more. Max did not. Zach visited, thoughhe was too recently embedded in his own trauma and should not have been in theroom. He took my hand and talked about his withdrawals, promising he had comeout stronger than ever and that his mind and his body were once again his own.He told me that when I healed we’d hunt rogue vampires together, and that RemySimon had called to ask about me. Apparently Remy was in Virginia on the trailof one monster or the other.

The detective visited, but hesaid absolutely nothing. I could feel his sorrow, though, and his rage. And becausehe would have insisted upon it and no one could tell him otherwise, the mayorcame, as well.

I wasn’t sure how many days hadpassed before the doctor believed I was strong enough to take my shift. Benwanted Jared to bring my wolf there in the hospital room, but Jared refused.“She needs the woods and the moon,” he said, sliding his hands beneath my bodyand lifting me from the bed. I sagged against his warmth, safe and content.

I was still drugged fromwhatever potent cocktail of drugs Ben had been pushing through my IV, and myworld was fuzzy and indistinct. Whenever I opened my eyes, I saw only vagueshapes and black clouds, and I floated serenely, unconcerned about anything forprobably the first time in my life.

But it was time to come back.

Jared was right. I would dothat best with the moon watching over me, the ground beneath me, the cold,crisp air invigorating and fresh in my lungs, forcing away the cobwebs in mymind.

Yes, it was time to come back.Even if part of me didn’t want to. I was too comfortable, feeling good,floating and high. I wasn’t worried about broken or missing teeth or shatteredbones or the fact that maybe I would always carry damage from what had happenedto me.

Silver had been inside me whenI’d been injured so severely. I’d been unable to shift way past the point whereI should have shifted to heal. Possibly, I would not heal when Ididshift, at least not completely. I knew this, but I was unconcerned.

For a while.

Niggling feelings of worry andfear began to trickle in, though, and by the time Jared placed me on a blanketof dry leaves and debris deep in the woods, I was…afraid. I wanted to go backto the clinic and I wanted Ben to slide the needle back into my arm and returnme to a more comfortable state.

“I don’t want to,” I murmured,and Jared, kneeling beside me, leaned over so he could better hear me. “Take meback.”

But he closed his eyes for afew seconds, took a deep breath, and then stood. “I will always do what’s bestfor you, Kait. Going back is not the right thing to do.”

“I’m too weak.” I reached forhis hand. “My wolf will tear me to pieces, Jared. Please. Take me back.”

He crouched beside me, thenleaned over, putting a hand on each side of my battered face. “No,Kait.”

“But I’m—”

“You’re Kait Silver, and I’venever in my life known anyone stronger than you. You’re going to shift, andyou’re going to heal. And you will not be afraid of that motherfucker.” He puthis lips against mine, giving me just the barest whisper of a kiss. “You’regoing to shift and let your wolf take care of you. And when it’s time, we willhunt Adam Thorne down so you can end his life.” He drew back so he could lookinto my eyes. “Are you ready?”

There was steel in his starebut I knew he was hurting for me. Most of all, he was caught in the iron gripof his need—his need to kill the enemy alpha.

But we both knew I’d be doingthat.

He gave me his hand and pulledme to a sitting position, wincing as I moaned and gasped at the pain thatmovement caused me. But soon there would be no more pain. My wolf would wipe itaway, even if I had to stay a wolf for a few days to get that to happen.

The moon watched us, herviolent children, and when it began to softly rain, I imagined they were hertears.

I nodded. “I’m ready, Alpha.”

But I caught movement from thecorner of my eye and even as my body stiffened, Jared slid an arm around me.“My wolves have come.”

They circled us silently, andwhen we were completely surrounded, Eli, the beta, spoke. “You’re one of us,Kait. You’re ours. You’re Pack. And we will protect you as…” He glanced atJared, who never made a move. “As we do our alpha. Shift, Kait. Heal. And fromall of us, welcome to the Gray Shadow Pack.”

I didn’t want to cry. “Jared,”I whispered, and he understood.