Rayce eyed the bastard who had the balls to actually saunter into the Lord of the Dark’s home. “Luke is going to kick your ass.”
Leo looked up—he finally stopped staring at a non-existent wound on his arm. “Only some of the stories say that is the way things end. Some of them actually say I win the battle.” His lips twisted. “So maybe you need to think carefully before you go choosing sides.”
“I already have chosen. I’m a werewolf. To you, that means I’m an animal who only knows bloodlust and death.”
Leo’s gaze swept over him. “How many people have you killed in your life?”
He wanted to kill someone right then, but he held himself back, barely. Marcos was back in his quarters, sleeping off the tranq, and the human woman—she was on the couch just a few feet away. Still lost to whatever magic Leo had used on her.
“I know what you are…rogue.” Leo’s eyes gleamed. “So perhaps you should have been put down long ago.”
“Perhaps you should have been.” And he’d be happy to do the job. He doubted that Leo was truly as all powerful as the guy wanted folks to think and—
“Don’t you wonder why that one tranq took you out so quickly?” Leo murmured. “I mean, it took three hits for Julian to go down.”
“What? Were you just fucking watching us get attacked?”
Leo pursed his lips. “I think you’re actually nearly as strong as Julian—”
Nearly? That was some insulting shit. “I am just as strong as him.”
“But there was some ingredient in the tranq that impacted you more.” His head tilted to the side. “Aren’t you curious about just what that ingredient is?”
Yeah, he was. Because anything that made him weak…he hated. He’d been weak before, back when he’d been a kid. Been weak and tortured and he would never stand for that pain again.
“Probably had silver laced in it,” Rayce said, rolling back his shoulders. “Those who don’t know shifters well tend to think that we all have the same weaknesses.”
“Yes…they do. But, of course, silver only works on someone like you.”
Wasn’t he the lucky one? Rayce crossed his arms over his chest. “When the Collector found out that Rose had a shifter guarding her, he probably assumed he was facing a werewolf.”
“Werewolves are more common.”
“It was the Collector’s mistake. He didn’t know he was screwing with a panther.” He knew Julian wouldn’t give the guy a chance to make many more mistakes. And since he was thinking about Julian and just how much his buddy loved a good turn at vengeance… “Just what did you do to the vamp?”
“I didn’t do anything. She’s the one who bit me.”
She bit—His eyes widened.
“She already had an…unorthodox creation. Now she has my blood in her.” His gaze slid toward the door. “Maybe she’ll survive.”
Had he just said maybe? Rayce bounded across the room. His hand—with claws now at the ready—flew toward Leo’s throat.
Leo didn’t even flinch.
And the claws stopped less than a centimeter from Leo’s jugular.
“Rose doesn’t die,” Rayce rasped. “Julian has already given too much to keep her in this world. So whatever shit your blood did to her, you fix it.”
“Sounds as if you care about her…”
“Only met her recently. He’s my friend.” Mostly. “So fix her.”
“Some broken things can’t be fixed. I’ve told that to Julian more than once.”
Rayce growled. “She’s not a ‘broken thing’ but you are, asshole. What is your blood doing to her?”
“It’s changing her…maybe it will make her stronger. Maybe it will make her weaker. Maybe it will kill her.” He shrugged and when he moved, his throat pressed to Rayce’s claws. “That’s why I told Julian to give her blood so that it could dilute what she’d taken from me. I am helping. Why is everyone so ungrateful when I do a good thing?”
He thought about cutting off Leo’s head. A fast slice of his claws and—
“It wouldn’t work,” Leo said, as if he’d read Rayce’s mind. “You’d be dead before you even tried.”
Some risks were worth taking…
“I think she’ll live.” Leo’s gaze gleamed. “This time.”
The guy was such a dick.
“But if she bites me again, no one can help her.”
“You threatening the vamp?” Julian would peel Leo’s skin from his body, and Rayce would help him.
“Unfortunately, no, I’m just making a promise.”
***
He should stop her. Julian’s head sagged forward. The water pounded on him, and he felt himself shiver.
Rose was still drinking from him. He wasn’t sure just how long they’d been in the shower. Minutes? Hours? He’d let her feed and feed, and her body wasn’t blazing hot any longer.
But he…he was cold.
He should stop her. Take her out of the shower. Run a towel over her delicate skin. He should…and he would…
In a minute. He’d just give her a little more blood first.