by Cynthia Eden
She was tense in his arms.
He didn’t want that. Aidan squeezed her tighter. “Okay, so I flipped out a bit. That happens when the woman I love is attacked. It happens when—”
“You bit me.”
His body tensed.
“When we were having sex, you bit me, Aidan.”
Handle with fucking care. “You…didn’t like that?”
Her hands curled over his shoulders and she pushed back so that she was staring up at his face. “I thought I was supposed to be the vamp in this relationship. Paris said—”
Shit, shit, shit! Paris needed to stop saying things.
“Paris said I was changing you. That can’t happen, Aidan. I can’t hurt you. Not you. You can’t become—”
He made himself speak carefully as he explained, “Werewolves mark their mates. They bite them.”
She stepped back. Her hands slid from him.
“They bite them…” Aidan continued, and he was the one to reach out and touch her. His fingers trailed over her collarbone then slid to the soft curve where her shoulder and neck met. “Right here.” The sweet spot. Not the sweetest spot, though. That area was lower on her lovely body. “I bit because you’re mine, Jane.”
Her lips parted. “You…you drank my blood.”
Tread carefully. “Did I?” He shook his head. “Paris doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The guy’s a worrier. Always has been. You aren’t hurting me. You aren’t doing anything to make me weaker.” That was the absolute truth. “Together, we will always be stronger.”
Her gaze searched his. He saw the exact moment when she decided to believe him. A relieved breath slipped from her and her eyes gleamed. “Always.”
He knew the storm had passed, for the moment. “Glad that’s settled,” Aidan muttered. His hand slid up the delicate column of her throat and he leaned toward her, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. Jane leaned into him, kissing him back so sweetly and then when he pulled back, she smiled at him.
His beautiful Jane.
Mine.
Hell, yes, he’d marked her. No other werewolf had better get close to her, and if Paris thought she’d drink from him…
Think again, buddy. Think the hell again.
“Are you going to tell me what you found in that alley?” Jane murmured. A furrow appeared between her brows. “I guess the clean-up is all handled now and—”
Right. Time to get back to business. Though the pleasure part of their relationship had certainly been fun. “Someone beat me to that particular job.”
The furrow deepened. “Come again?”
Oh, baby, I plan to. At the first available opportunity. He cleared his throat. “The bodies were gone. The alley reeked of bleach. No work for me there.”
She blinked. “But…who did it? Why?”
Might as well tell her all now. The better for her to be ready for the threat that would come again. “I found a video camera out there. Someone was watching you, baby. Those humans in the alley? They might have thought they were there to take you out, but I suspect they were really just bait. Someone wanted to watch you. Maybe see how strong you were.”
“What?” Then she gave a bitter laugh. “Well, if that’s the case, then that someone saw me nearly get taken out. If you hadn’t been there, I—”
“Even at death’s door, you killed your attacker,” he said flatly. “That’s what the watcher saw. He knows how you fight now. Knows that you don’t stop, even when you barely have a breath in your body.”
Sadness darkened her expression. “Two men died tonight.”
Yeah, he wouldn’t exactly be grieving over them. “Why’d you go into the alley?” His hand was still curved around her neck. He could feel her pulse jerking beneath his touch.
“Because I smelled the blood.” Her gaze turned distant. “Someone was hurt. The blond man was yelling, saying he needed help.” She shrugged. “I might be a vamp, but I’m still a cop, too. So I went to help him.”
“And got ambushed.”
“Yes.”
His voice roughened as he said, “The next time you hear someone calling out for help, you’re not even going to hesitate, are you?”
“Aidan…”
“You were warned before, Jane. Being a hero will just get you killed.” That particular warning had come from a very powerful voodoo queen, a queen who had foreseen Jane’s fate.
Sometimes, you couldn’t change fate, no matter how hard you tried.
Jane’s lashes lowered. “I already died once.”
His hand slid from her neck.
“And I can’t just watch while an innocent suffers.” Her hand was at her side, pressing against the scar that marked her. No, not a scar. A burn.
A burn left by a sadistic vampire long ago.
“That’s not who I am,” Jane said.
No, it wasn’t.
She gave him a tight smile. “I have to go now. I need to…to check in at the station.” Her chin notched up. “I’m supposed to see my brother today.”
Aidan’s body iced. “That’s a bad idea. Very, very bad.” He’d prefer for her to never get anywhere near Drew Hart again. The guy was a ticking time bomb—one who had already exploded once and Aidan knew for certain, Drew would again.
“After he got out of intensive care at the hospital, Drew was transferred to a maximum security psych ward. I can’t just leave him there.”
Why not? As far as Aidan was concerned, the dick was getting off too lightly. Jane’s brother Drew had shot her—he’d been the one to set in motion the horrible chain of events that resulted in Jane’s transformation into a vampire.
No, I’m the one who did that. I’m the one who brought her brother to this town. Because Aidan had mistakenly thought he was doing something to make Jane happy. He hadn’t realized her precious Drew was a nutjob.
He tried to kill me, but Jane got caught in the cross-fire. He took her out.
And I will destroy him.
“Drew hasn’t spoken to anyone, not since he woke up in the hospital. I need to see him.”
“The guy opened fire at a college campus. He needs to stay locked away.”
Jane swallowed. “Once upon a time, he saved me.” She turned away from Aidan and took two steps. “He—”
“Bullshit.” Aidan grabbed her wrist. “Once upon a time, a sadistic vampire bastard broke into your house. He killed your mother and step-father. The vamp tied you up and tortured you and your brother left you to that hell.”
Tears gleamed in her beautiful eyes. “Drew hid to protect himself. When it was safe, he came back for me. He got me out of there. He—”
Time for hard truths. “He wants supernaturals dead. You’re a supernatural now. What do you think that means?”
She looked down at her hand, then back up at him. “It means I have to see him. Drew is my responsibility.”
Fuck. There she went. Being all noble again. He had to break that habit before it killed her—a second time.
“I’ll do some digging and see what I can possibly uncover about those jerks in the alley.” She pulled her hand free. “I’ll check some mug shots. Guys like that—maybe they’ve got a criminal record. I get a name to match a face, and it will be the perfect lead to take me to whoever was pulling the strings in that alley.”
That wasn’t exactly a face-off that he wanted. “Don’t charge into battle without me.” He had leads that he’d be following up on as well.
She stared at him, and her face softened. “You won’t change, will you?”
He made himself smile. “Baby, I can already shift into the form of a wolf. What more change do you want from me?”
She smiled back at him. Such a beautiful sight. Then Jane was walking away. His gaze dropped to her ass and the sweet sway of her hips.
Another beautiful sight.
Jane unlocked the office door and left him. He turned back to his desk. He touched those claw marks once more.
And he swore that he could still ta
ste Jane’s blood on his tongue. He could taste it—and he wanted more.
His hand fisted over those marks. What am I becoming?
***
Paris paused outside of the Voodoo Shop. He was going behind his alpha’s back, and that didn’t sit right with him. As a rule, he never kept secrets from Aidan. Aidan was his best freaking friend. Aidan was family but…
Aidan is also in danger. And the guy can’t see the danger because it’s wrapped up in a sexy Mary Jane bow. His hand lifted and he started to pound on the shop’s door, but the door swung inward before he could make contact and Paris found himself standing face to face with the infamous voodoo queen.
Annette Benoit.
Drop-dead gorgeous and far too deadly Annette Benoit. The woman he’d secretly been fantasizing about for far too long.
“Well, well,” Annette gave him a slow smile, one that didn’t quite reach her dark eyes. “If it isn’t the handsome Paris. Coming to pay me another visit?” She moved back, motioning with her hand for him to enter. “If you’re not careful, I’ll start to think you like me.”
He crossed the threshold and his body brushed against hers. “I do.”
Annette’s face—absolute damn poetry to him—softened with surprise.
“But I’m here on business.” Because he wasn’t sure either of them were ready to cross that particular line yet. He’d known Annette’s last lover, known the guy well—and had come to hate the bastard. Would Annette really be open to trusting another werewolf? The last thing he wanted was to get shot down by her.
Better to have his fantasies.
She hurried past him, all smooth, chocolate cream skin and sweet-smelling woman. She wore a long, flowing dress, one that did little to hide her perfect curves, and hoop ear-rings adorned her delicate ears. No other jewelry, not for Annette. She didn’t exactly need other adornment.
The woman is perfect as she is.
She led him into the back room and pointed toward her table. Shards of broken, black glass were carefully positioned on that table. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
He kept standing. “How can you even see anything, with your scrying mirror shattered that way?”
She eased into her chair and stared down at the chunks of glass. “All of the power in that mirror…it came from me.” She looked up at him, her light brown gaze glinting with determination. “I’m still strong, Paris. So if you are looking for weakness—”
He had to laugh. “Annette, you’re as far from weak as a woman can get.”
She smiled at him. A real, breath-taking smile.
I am in such trouble with her.
Paris cleared his throat. “I came about Aidan.”
Her fingers tapped on the table. “Of course, you did. It’s not as if you came by to ask me out on a date.”
Ah…hell, no, he wasn’t going to touch that one. Not yet. But…what kind of date would impress a voodoo queen?
“What’s happening to the fearless alpha?” Annette asked.
His fingers curled over the back of the nearby chair, but he still didn’t sit. “He’s changing.”
Her smile vanished.
“He keeps giving Jane his blood. She was attacked earlier tonight and he let her drink from him again. The bond between them just gets stronger.”
“Jane isn’t evil.” She looked down at her broken chunks of glass. “You and I both know that.”
“It’s not Jane I’m worried about.” And it pained him to say this. “Alpha werewolves aren’t like the rest of the pack. They’re stronger, deadlier, and…more vicious.” Because sometimes, you had to be vicious when you were the boss of all the paranormals in town. “So what will happen to him if he keeps changing? What will happen to his beast? It’s sure as all hell not going to be some peaceful change. His blood is mutating, we both know that.” Because they’d taken some of Aidan’s blood and some of Jane’s blood…and they’d given it to the doctor on the pack’s payroll, Dr. Bob Heider, so he could run some tests. “He’s already starting to show vamp traits, and that shouldn’t be possible.”
She picked up a chunk of glass and shivered. “You think Aidan is the one we need to fear.”
“I think Aidan is already powerful enough. I think vampires—Jane being the damn exception—live to kill and destroy. What the fuck happens to an alpha werewolf when he suddenly has all of those dark desires?” I don’t want Aidan losing the humanity he has. “I tried to get Jane to drink from me instead. I thought maybe that would be safer.”
Her hand fisted around the glass. “Let me guess, Aidan didn’t like that plan.”
He raked his hand over his face. “Serious understatement.”
Her gaze met his.
“So what am I supposed to do now? How do I help him?”
She put down the chunk of glass and slowly rose to her feet. Her steps were silent as she rounded the table and came to his side. Then her hand lifted and touched his arm. Paris swore that touch singed him. “You be his friend. You stay close to him. And if you see him crossing a line…” Her breath whispered out. “Stop him.”
“That’s easier said than done.” Like stopping an alpha was child’s play.
“I’ll see what else I can learn. I’ll scry. I’ll check my books. We will fix this. Aidan is a good man. And Jane isn’t going to let him go into the darkness.” For an instant, he could actually feel the swirl of magic around them. He stared into Annette’s eyes and saw her gaze go distant, as if she were watching something he couldn’t see. “She’d follow him into the darkness,” Annette murmured. “Long before she ever surrendered him.”
That didn’t make him feel better. It made him worry even more.
***
Annette watched Paris as he drove away. His shoulders had slumped as he left the Voodoo Shop, as if he carried a terrible burden.
He did.
Paris was right to be afraid. All of the wolves should be afraid. A change was coming, she could practically feel it in the air. She went back inside, making sure to shut and lock the door behind her. She wasn’t in the mood for tourists that day. Didn’t feel like making love potions or telling of what fates might come.
She almost wanted to hide because the danger she felt…it was that consuming.
Annette headed into the back of the shop—into the room that was her haven. Her steps quickened and—
“I was starting to think the wolf would never leave.”
She stilled.
The man who’d been waiting for her—the vampire who’d arrived to visit her just moments before Paris appeared on her doorstep—lifted one brow. “What? You knew I was waiting.” Vincent Connor smiled at her.
Yes, she’d known he was hiding out of sight, but Paris hadn’t so much as scented the vamp, a bad thing. Werewolves were supposed to have the best noses in the world. “You really do have some powerful magic.” Or rather, she suspected he had one very powerful witch working for him.
Vincent laughed. “It’s just a little trick to disguise my scent. And if I didn’t move, I knew the wolf wouldn’t hear me. It’s not like Paris is an alpha.”
No, but Paris was still plenty strong and dangerous. There was a reason he was the alpha’s assassin.
Vincent lifted both of his hands and put them in front of his body. A gesture that she knew was supposed to show he was no threat.
Too bad she always believed vamps were threats.
“Despite what the alpha believes, I am really not here to hurt anyone. I don’t know how many times I have to say it but…not all vamps are monsters. We aren’t all driven mad by bloodlust. Born vampires—vamps like me, vamps like Jane—we stay in control. We were meant to be this way. It’s only the ones who are transformed that go mad. And really, how can you blame them? They are becoming something that nature never intended. Humans weren’t meant to be vampires. They can’t handle that kind of power.”
She scooped up a few chunks of broken glass. “What about werewolves?”
His hands fell. �
��I heard what Paris said.”
I know you did.
“And I’ve maintained, all along, that Jane and Aidan never should have been involved. Vamps and werewolves aren’t meant to be together. I’m afraid that when Jane tries to leave him, Aidan won’t be quite…sane about it.”
Now she was the one to laugh, a shocked laugh of disbelief. “You actually think Jane will leave Aidan? She loves him.”
“Love isn’t always enough. Especially where monsters are concerned.” He paced closer to her and his index finger tapped against her fist, the fist that she’d made over the chunks of glass. “So that’s what became of your magic mirror.”
Her eyes turned to slits. The guy was mocking her?
“Too bad. I think we could have all used your foresight about now.” He exhaled. “How are we supposed to stop the threats, if we never see them coming?”
Such a very good question.
His hand slipped away from hers. “The alpha wants me to stay away from Jane.”
She dropped the glass onto the table. “Do you blame him?”
“I’m not Jane’s enemy, no matter what he thinks. Everything I’ve done, it’s been because I wanted to help her achieve her destiny.”
Now he was getting all sanctimonious on her.
“Soon enough, Jane will see reason. And when she does…” He handed her a slip of paper. “Make sure she gives me a call. I will always be there to help Jane.”
Right. Fabulous. “I think you’d better focus more on getting out of the city. Aidan isn’t a man you want as an enemy, but you sure have pissed him off.”
His lips thinned. “I don’t run from wolves.”
Maybe you should.
“Goodbye…for now, voodoo queen.” He gave her a little bow and then sauntered away.
She put his card on her table, right next to her broken chunks of glass. She stared into the glass and, for just an instant, she saw fire.
Fire…
And a vamp rising.
***
“You sure you can handle this?”
Jane glanced over at her police captain. Vivian Harris stood with her in the too bright hallway of the Hathway Psychiatric Facility. Vivian’s badge was pinned to her belt, but the captain didn’t have her weapon with her—both Jane and Vivian had been ordered to surrender their weapons at check-in.