Jane marched to the edge of the alley. Lena rushed behind her.
“The wolf took over when he left!” Lena’s voice was breathless. “The beast doesn’t reason. It just reacts. I know, I’ve seen more than my fair share of alpha werewolves during my time on this earth. But right now, Aidan Locke is like an alpha on serious steroids. Even his mate can’t calm the beast in him.”
Jane had Aidan’s scent, and she knew she could find him, no matter where he’d gone. She looked back at the witch. “Want to bet?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She turned to the left, locked on Aidan, and she ran after the man who mattered most to her.
When he’d had her against that wall, it had been as if she were staring into the eyes of a stranger. There had been no tenderness, no love in his blue gaze. Only rage. Bloodlust. He’d looked at her as if she were his prey…
And she’d been afraid. Of him. Of what was happening to them both.
There were so many people on the streets. How the hell had they missed a giant black wolf rushing past them? Were the people on Bourbon that drunk already?
Jane’s pace quickened as she tried to catch up to him, but even though his scent drifted in the air back to her, Jane couldn’t see Aidan.
Maybe no one could see him…maybe he’s moving too damn fast for human eyes to notice him. That would explain why the humans weren’t screaming in the streets.
An alpha on steroids. That was how the witch had described him.
Oh, shit, but this was going to be one hell of a night. Jane ran forward and she tried not to think about the brother that a vampire had taken away, the brother who wanted her dead.
***
“Why…are you with me?” Paris’s voice was a weak rasp.
Annette shrugged. “Someone has to keep you safe.”
He laughed. “I’m not…the one in danger.” His golden gaze dipped to the line of dirt around him, then back up to her face. “You are. Isn’t that why…you have me caged?”
He was making more sense when he talked now. Seeming a bit…saner. That was good. He’d drained more bags of blood and his bloodlust appeared sated, for the moment. She could talk to him again. Talk to Paris.
“I have you caged,” her voice was nearly as soft as his, “because if you come for my throat, I’ll have to stop you. Kill you. And I don’t want to do that.”
His lips twisted in a mocking smile, one that flashed his fangs. “Because my life matters to you?”
She wasn’t in the mood for mockery. “Yes.” A simple, true answer. “You do matter.”
He tensed. “Why didn’t you tell me that…” His words were growled. “When I was still alive?”
She held his gaze. She’d always thought he had such beautiful eyes. “Because I was waiting on you to make the first move.” Waiting on him, while she fell for him. Paris Cole. The true blue werewolf. The most loyal of the pack. The man of courage and honor.
The man who’d stolen a voodoo queen’s heart without even really trying.
“Too…late for a first move now.” His gaze fell from hers and his hands fisted in his lap. When they’d hauled him out of the ME’s lab and transported him to that old club, Aidan had made sure the guy was given fresh clothes—jeans and a t-shirt. He looked almost…normal. “The last thing you want is to be tied to whatever the fuck I am.”
“No, the last thing I want…” She waited for his gaze to rise and meet hers once more. “The last thing I want is to be in this world without you.”
Surprise flashed on his face.
“I’ve waited a long time for you, Paris. You’d better be worth the wait.”
And his eyes seemed to lighten. Some of the terrible tension left his face. He wasn’t a blood-crazed monster. He was…Paris. Her Paris. Coming back to her. Fighting his way back and she thought they’d have a chance together, she thought—
Footsteps raced behind her. She grabbed her gun and jumped to her feet. But when she turned around, she saw that the guy who’d been racing toward her was just Garrison. He ran toward her, but his gaze flew around the room, searching for threats.
“Garrison! What’s happened?”
Tension rolled off the guy. “Aidan sent me.” His eyes were still searching every corner of the room. “I’m here to protect you two.”
She laughed.
He glared at her.
“Garrison, trust me, I can protect Paris just fine.” She didn’t need the junior-wolf taking over the job.
“Alpha’s orders.” Garrison threw back his shoulders and suddenly didn’t look quite so young or reckless. “Paris is my friend, and I will protect him. No one is going to get to him on my watch.”
A chill slid over her. “Who’s coming to get him?”
But Garrison just locked his jaw. Did that mean he didn’t know? Or he wasn’t telling her?
“What did you find out about the blood?”
“His blood is the same as Jane’s. Doc said the cells had transformed the same way. He thinks…he thinks the blood Paris was given belonged to Jane.”