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.