“Yes….” A broken hiss that came from Paris.
Vincent looked back at Aidan. “He wants a fighting chance, so that means none of us will take his head, agreed?”
Why did everyone keep fucking looking at him when they said that?
Vincent turned back to Paris. “It’s not going to be easy. It’s—”
Paris lunged toward his throat. His teeth scraped over Vincent’s neck and he—
Drank. Guzzled.
Vincent just let him. Didn’t even fight and then…
Paris vomited blood. All over Vincent. Vincent slowly rose. He turned to Jane. Glared. “Now where have I seen that shit before?”
“Hun…gry…” Paris gasped out the words.
“Yes, well, we all get that,” Vincent muttered as he swiped at the mess on him. “I guess we shouldn’t have started at the top of the food chain.”
“Bagged blood?” Annette whispered. She was standing near the wall, watching Paris with wide, haunted eyes. “Will he be able to take that?”
“We’re about to find out.” Vincent whirled away and marched from the room.
And Aidan found himself stepping closer to his friend.
Jane caught his arm. “Aidan, don’t.”
“I’m not killing him,” Aidan said. His control was back and holding for the moment. He needed to talk with Paris. To try and understand just how this had happened. His claws were out, but the fury of the shift didn’t fire Aidan’s blood. He paced closer to Paris, but stopped about five feet away. “Paris.”
Paris didn’t look at him. He let out another low, desperate moan.
“Who did this to you?” Aidan demanded. “Who changed you?” How? Aidan hadn’t even thought it was possible for a werewolf to change into a vamp. He’d never heard of a transformation like that one.
Mostly because…vamps weren’t given the chance to bite werewolves. When a werewolf encountered a vamp…our normal MO is to end them.
His gaze slid to Jane and Aidan swallowed. Normal doesn’t count with her. Right then, Aidan couldn’t think of the changes that were occurring within his own body. He had to put Paris first. He’d deal with his own shit later.
I just changed into a wolf, so that means…no matter what else is happening, I’m still an alpha. My beast still has power. And he’d use that power to help his friend.
Paris’s lashes lifted. He stared at Aidan, and there was zero recognition in his gaze. Just…hunger.
“Who. Did. This?” Rage fisted around Aidan’s heart.
Paris lunged toward him, snapping his teeth, but the chains held him back, stopping Paris before he could get anywhere near Aidan’s throat.
Jane’s hand curled around Aidan’s.
Paris’s stare turned toward her, and the bloodlust—it seemed to burn even brighter in his eyes. He began to salivate as he stared at her. “Need…”
The one word was far from human. More like the beast that Paris couldn’t be any longer.
“Step back, Jane,” Aidan said softly.
“I want to help.” Guilt and grief were heavy in her voice and obvious on her face. “I did this, Aidan. I didn’t bite him, but I’m the one who didn’t take more care with Paris. I was stuck on us all being these super monsters…like we could take on anything and survive. I thought even if he got hurt, your blood would heal him.”
My fucking blood.
“I’m so sorry,” Jane whispered.
Aidan glanced at her. She was staring at Paris, and tears glinted in her eyes. “I wish I could go back. I know you didn’t want this. I am sorry!”
“Save the sorries,” Annette ordered, voice flat. “We have to fix him. We get him stable, then we figure out how the hell this happened.”
Jane swallowed.
Vincent hurried back into the room. He had a blood bag in his hand. Aidan stared at the bag and—
Are my canines lengthening? Shit, they were. Not normal, not at all damn normal.
Vincent ripped open the top of the bag. He caught the back of Paris’s head with one hand and pushed the blood bag toward Paris’s mouth. “Let’s see how you like this one…”
Paris started to guzzle the blood. A faint smile curved Vincent’s lips and—
Paris yanked his head away, retching up the blood.
“Fuck,” Vincent snapped.
Annette’s footsteps shuffled closer.
Paris let out a loud, desperate scream, one that made Aidan’s muscles clench. There was so much pain and fury in that sound. And Paris…
His eyes were on Jane. Devouring her.
“Maybe…maybe he needs werewolf blood,” Jane whispered. “The same way I did. I mean, he was a werewolf before, so maybe he has to have the same type of blood that I do.”
Aidan turned his head and stared down at Jane. There were tear tracks drying on her cheeks.