Bound in Death (Bound #5)(56)

Before Ryan could make his choice, Jane appeared, bursting from the woods. She was covered in blood, sporting some rather vicious claws, and her fangs were most definitely out.

This didn’t look at all like the scared, lost woman that had first arrived at the werewolf compound with Alerac.

Jane looked like she could kick serious ass—and she just had.

A dark wolf walked at her side. His body was massive, and his shining green gaze promised hell.

Jane put her hand on his head, stroking him.

Then Jane saw Ryan. She stopped. Shook her head. “R-Ryan?” In the next instant, she was running toward the vampire. Jane through her body against his and held on, tight.

The witch didn’t move.

Lucky girl, she’d just been spared a drinking. For the moment, anyway.

But Zoe knew that reprieve wouldn’t last forever. In her experience, nothing lasted forever.

Not even vampires.

***

Alerac knew something was wrong the instant that he stepped back onto his land.

The scent of blood was too heavy. Too fresh.

He rushed toward the main house. “Finn!” He threw open the door. Ran into the great-room.

Finn’s body was on the floor. The human—with his neck twisted—hung in his binds. The human’s chest had been clawed open.

“No!” Zoe shoved past them and ran to Finn. She fell to her knees beside him. “No, Finn!”

Fuck. Finn and Zoe had come to Alerac’s pack together. Not linked by blood, but by friendship. A deep and abiding friendship formed as abandoned children tossed from home to home in a foster care system that sure as hell hadn’t been made for their kind.

No one had understood their rage. Their bloodlust. And when puberty hit and the beast surged for power—the humans had tossed both Finn and Zoe into a psych ward, convinced they were going mad.

Alerac had found them. He’d gotten them out.

“Finn, don’t leave me,” Zoe begged.

He was already gone.

Jane crossed toward Zoe. She hesitated, then put her hand on Zoe’s shoulder.

Ryan dragged the witch over the threshold. His gaze immediately found Zoe. Tears tracked endlessly down her cheeks. He swore and hauled the witch to Zoe’s side. “He…matters to you?”

Zoe glanced up, staring at him as if he were crazy.

“Hell, of course, he matters.” Ryan expelled a rough breath. Then he shook the witch. “Bring him back.”

Ryan was insane. Not surprising, really. Alerac had long suspected that he was.

“Ryan,” Jane began, voice uncertain, “this can’t—”

“He’s not human, right?”

“His heart is gone,” Jane snapped to her brother. “He can’t come back!”

Ryan frowned, and shook his head. “But she wants him back.” He touched his temple. “Bring him back.”

Yes, definitely insane.

“I can’t,” the witch whispered. “He’s not here anymore.”

A choked sob came from Zoe.

The witch glanced at Alerac. “Please, let me go.”

Not likely. He still remembered what had happened when the witch used her magic on him. He’d felt as if someone were cutting out his heart.

But Zoe couldn’t keep holding Finn. Alerac motioned through the open doorway, at the two werewolves who were watching in shocked silence. “Take care of Finn. Bury the human.”

They nodded.

Zoe tightened her hold on him. “You can’t do this! You can’t—” But then she stopped. She inhaled. Stared down at Finn with watery eyes. “I thought it was Lorcan. That he’d done this.”

So had Alerac. At first.

“Liam?” Zoe whispered as she inhaled. Then she screamed, “Liam!”

Yes, Alerac had caught his scent, too. Liam had come back, and he’d hunted right in Alerac’s home.

Was the bastard still close?

Alerac glanced back through the open door. You are, aren’t you? “Keep the witch here,” Alerac told Ryan. “I’m hunting.” He couldn’t kill Lorcan, not yet, but Liam was another matter. Liam had earned the death he had coming his way.

He’d betrayed the pack, turned on his own kind.

He would die.

Alerac pointed to the witch. “Find a way to break the spell that links Jane and Lorcan.”

“I can’t—”

“Find it, or you die. Because you’re no f*ckin’ use to me otherwise.” Then his stare cut to Jane.

Jane.

It almost hurt to look at her. Because—I nearly killed her. He hadn’t realized it. Had never suspected that Lorcan had somehow linked their life forces.

If he’d severed Lorcan’s head from his body, Jane would have died, too. In an instant.

When he’d whirled and seen the blood flowing down her neck, horror had filled him. He hadn’t been able to get to her fast enough. Hadn’t been able to heal her soon enough.

He wanted to cross the room and take her into his arms.

But his job was to protect. To protect Jane. To protect the pack. So far, he’d failed at that job.

No longer.

No other wolves would die by Liam’s hand. Liam had been his best friend. His closest confidant for two hundred years. It was only fitting that Alerac be the one to end him.