Page 63 of Bold Mercy

But at her core, Lennon wasn’t the bad guy. She was deluded by visions that had burrowed into her brain and twisted her up into a woman who had made awful choices. And even now, those choices, to her, had been the only ones she could have made.

“I did it for you,” she told Jared.

“You let the demon-possessed humans into Shadowfield,” he said, almost gently. “They nearly killed me.”

“Shedid it,” she snarled, jerking her chin at me. “She is responsible for it all.” Then she softened. “Put the blame on me if you must, but I wasn’t going to let you die, Jared. You just…you were so wrapped up in her that you were unprepared. I needed you to see before it was too late.”

I swallowed hard, trying to control my anger. I hadn’t even thought about the possibility that Lennon had allowed the attackers into Shadowfield—and just to teach Jared a lesson. And I understood one thing more. Lennon was in love with her alpha.

“I wanted to make everything right again,” she murmured. “I could have.”

Then she took her wand, knelt before the detective, and forced out the bad magic that lurked inside him. She healed him.

When she finally stood, I realized I’d been affected by the magic of that wand and that seer, as well. Maybe she’d done it on purpose, or maybe it was just because I was somehow connected with its magic. Whatever the reasons, I was healed a little, too.

Lennon looked at me. “This will always be my wand, Kait. But if you want it badly enough, you find me. You come and try to claim it. I’ll be ready for you.”

Then she walked up to Jared, and there was no fear in her eyes. But there was anger. “Do it,” she said flatly. “Do it and know in your heart that all I ever wanted was to protect my pack.”

Jared struck like lightning, destroying her beyond beautiful face with an alpha magic and a half-shifted claw.

Then she walked away, and no one made a single move to stop her. And she took her fucking wand with her when she went.

Maybe she deserved it.