Jane shivered. That one word had been infused with power, the deep, twisting, sinister power of an alpha werewolf. The power to control a human. Completely. “Aidan,” Jane began.
“Drew Hart tried to kill Jane. To me, that gives him a death sentence. Family or not.” Aidan’s gaze cut to Jane. “If he comes for me, I will fight back.”
I will kill him. She knew what he was saying and she also knew—Drew would be coming for Aidan. Her brother had so much hate and rage twisted up inside of him. He wasn’t going to stop.
And if Drew faced off against Aidan…her brother will die.
That’s why I have to find him first.
Before the blood started to flow.
“I’m coming with you,” Jane said to Mason, rushing toward him.
He nodded, but then his gaze dropped to her neck. “Detective Hart, I think you’re hurt.”
Aidan cursed.
Jane shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding. We should take you to a doctor—”
“Just give me the keys to your car.” Because there was nothing a doctor could do for her. He tossed the keys to her and Jane caught them. Before she jumped into the patrol vehicle, she looked back at Aidan. He was standing there, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes on her. Once upon a time, she’d asked him to promise not to kill Drew.
He’d refused to make that promise.
“Don’t let your heart make you weak, Jane.” Aidan’s voice easily reached her. Mason was already in the vehicle, so she hoped he didn’t hear the words. “Your brother doesn’t see you as human. You’re the enemy. He won’t hesitate to kill you.”
She knew he was right.
“So you shouldn’t hesitate, either,” Aidan said.
Jane slid into the car.
And she hated that Aidan was right.
Chapter Eight
Aidan watched as the cop car sped away from the scene, then he turned on his heel and headed back into the old BDSM club. The place reeked. It fucking reminded him of hell, and his best friend was chained up in that place?
This can’t go on.
He marched to the back of the building and found Annette still crouched beside Paris. The voodoo queen was whispering softly to him, and Aidan could have sworn he saw the spark of magic in the air.
At the sound of his approaching footsteps, Annette whirled around. Fear flashed on her face as she stared at him. “No!” Annette yelled. “You said you wouldn’t kill him! You said—”
“I’m not here to kill him.” Aidan strode toward her and he stepped over the line of dirt she’d carefully cast on the floor. “I’m here to help him.” Yeah, they could sit there all day, twiddling their thumbs and waiting on Vincent’s witch to arrive, and with every moment that passed, Paris would get worse or…
Or we can try to fix him. “When he had my blood before, Paris had a moment of clarity. I saw it.”
“You mean the moment when he asked you to kill him?” Annette cried.
Yeah, that fucking moment. “He wasn’t a blood-crazed monster then.”
“He was a suicidal fool!”
“He needs more clarity.” Clarity equaled strength, right? “He needs more blood. My blood.”
“Aidan…”
“I keep a supply of my blood on hand for any injured wolves. He’s injured.” In the worst possible way. “I’ll call Garrison and get him to bring it here. The blood can help him.” It had to help him. “And that blood…it isn’t tainted.”
“Tainted?”
Aidan swallowed. “The blood I have stored at the werewolf compound was taken before I gave Jane my blood.” He paused and had to starkly confess, “And before I took hers.”
He heard the sharp inhalation of her breath. “You’ve been drinking from Jane?”
He knew that Annette had seen more paranormal creatures and events than most people could imagine. And, well, if anyone could help him…
My money isn’t on Vincent’s witch. I’ll always bet on the voodoo queen. He smiled at her, baring what he knew were vampire fangs.
She backed up a step.
“Seems I’ve developed an appetite for blood.” No denying it. No pretending. “But I’m still an alpha werewolf.” The change at the ME’s lab had proved that. Only an alpha werewolf could shift into the form of the beast. Other werewolves got some nice bonuses—increased strength, claws—but they couldn’t fully shift. That gift was reserved for alphas alone.
Gift, curse…all in the way you look at it.
When he’d been younger, Aidan had thought it was a gift. When he’d met Jane…
Curse. Because being an alpha had just been another reason for them to stay apart.
“You’re definitely not a full-on vamp,” Annette mused as she cocked her head, studying him. “If you were, you could never cross the dirt of the dead.”