Bitter Blood (Blood and Moonlight Book 3)(12)

Tears gleamed in her beautiful eyes. “Drew hid to protect himself. When it was safe, he came back for me. He got me out of there. He—”

Time for hard truths. “He wants supernaturals dead. You’re a supernatural now. What do you think that means?”

She looked down at her hand, then back up at him. “It means I have to see him. Drew is my responsibility.”

Fuck. There she went. Being all noble again. He had to break that habit before it killed her—a second time.

“I’ll do some digging and see what I can possibly uncover about those jerks in the alley.” She pulled her hand free. “I’ll check some mug shots. Guys like that—maybe they’ve got a criminal record. I get a name to match a face, and it will be the perfect lead to take me to whoever was pulling the strings in that alley.”

That wasn’t exactly a face-off that he wanted. “Don’t charge into battle without me.” He had leads that he’d be following up on as well.

She stared at him, and her face softened. “You won’t change, will you?”

He made himself smile. “Baby, I can already shift into the form of a wolf. What more change do you want from me?”

She smiled back at him. Such a beautiful sight. Then Jane was walking away. His gaze dropped to her ass and the sweet sway of her hips.

Another beautiful sight.

Jane unlocked the office door and left him. He turned back to his desk. He touched those claw marks once more.

And he swore that he could still taste Jane’s blood on his tongue. He could taste it—and he wanted more.

His hand fisted over those marks. What am I becoming?

***

Paris paused outside of the Voodoo Shop. He was going behind his alpha’s back, and that didn’t sit right with him. As a rule, he never kept secrets from Aidan. Aidan was his best freaking friend. Aidan was family but…

Aidan is also in danger. And the guy can’t see the danger because it’s wrapped up in a sexy Mary Jane bow. His hand lifted and he started to pound on the shop’s door, but the door swung inward before he could make contact and Paris found himself standing face to face with the infamous voodoo queen.

Annette Benoit.

Drop-dead gorgeous and far too deadly Annette Benoit. The woman he’d secretly been fantasizing about for far too long.

“Well, well,” Annette gave him a slow smile, one that didn’t quite reach her dark eyes. “If it isn’t the handsome Paris. Coming to pay me another visit?” She moved back, motioning with her hand for him to enter. “If you’re not careful, I’ll start to think you like me.”

He crossed the threshold and his body brushed against hers. “I do.”

Annette’s face—absolute damn poetry to him—softened with surprise.

“But I’m here on business.” Because he wasn’t sure either of them were ready to cross that particular line yet. He’d known Annette’s last lover, known the guy well—and had come to hate the bastard. Would Annette really be open to trusting another werewolf? The last thing he wanted was to get shot down by her.

Better to have his fantasies.

She hurried past him, all smooth, chocolate cream skin and sweet-smelling woman. She wore a long, flowing dress, one that did little to hide her perfect curves, and hoop ear-rings adorned her delicate ears. No other jewelry, not for Annette. She didn’t exactly need other adornment.

The woman is perfect as she is.

She led him into the back room and pointed toward her table. Shards of broken, black glass were carefully positioned on that table. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

He kept standing. “How can you even see anything, with your scrying mirror shattered that way?”

She eased into her chair and stared down at the chunks of glass. “All of the power in that mirror…it came from me.” She looked up at him, her light brown gaze glinting with determination. “I’m still strong, Paris. So if you are looking for weakness—”

He had to laugh. “Annette, you’re as far from weak as a woman can get.”

She smiled at him. A real, breath-taking smile.

I am in such trouble with her.

Paris cleared his throat. “I came about Aidan.”

Her fingers tapped on the table. “Of course, you did. It’s not as if you came by to ask me out on a date.”

Ah…hell, no, he wasn’t going to touch that one. Not yet. But…what kind of date would impress a voodoo queen?

“What’s happening to the fearless alpha?” Annette asked.

His fingers curled over the back of the nearby chair, but he still didn’t sit. “He’s changing.”

Her smile vanished.

“He keeps giving Jane his blood. She was attacked earlier tonight and he let her drink from him again. The bond between them just gets stronger.”

“Jane isn’t evil.” She looked down at her broken chunks of glass. “You and I both know that.”

“It’s not Jane I’m worried about.” And it pained him to say this. “Alpha werewolves aren’t like the rest of the pack. They’re stronger, deadlier, and…more vicious.” Because sometimes, you had to be vicious when you were the boss of all the paranormals in town. “So what will happen to him if he keeps changing? What will happen to his beast? It’s sure as all hell not going to be some peaceful change. His blood is mutating, we both know that.” Because they’d taken some of Aidan’s blood and some of Jane’s blood…and they’d given it to the doctor on the pack’s payroll, Dr. Bob Heider, so he could run some tests. “He’s already starting to show vamp traits, and that shouldn’t be possible.”