Bitter Blood (Blood and Moonlight Book 3)(64)

“You have my mark on you.” His claws slid down and rested in the spot where her neck curved into her shoulder, the spot he’d marked before. “I can feel it. That’s how I know you’re mine.”

She searched his eyes, wanting more than an animal instinct of recognition. “And this place? You came back to Hell—”

“My scent was all over this building, so I know it’s mine, too.” Once more, he gave that rough laugh. “This whole town will be mine. I’ll take everything. I’ll destroy the humans in my path. I’ll make the cities f*cking red with blood. I’ll show them all the power I possess.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “This isn’t you.”

“It’s very, very much me.”

“I did this,” Jane whispered. “My blood. Mixing with yours…the wolf and the vamp were battling inside you, but in that fight, something happened to the man you were.”

Aidan nodded and he gave her that cold smile. “He died.”

“No—”

But his fangs were coming at her again.

***

Annette stared down at the biggest chunk of black glass. The image of hell had faded and now she saw Aidan. He stood alone in a cemetery, with his hands clenched at his sides. Grief ravaged his face. Torment. She could feel his pain. It was ripping him apart because…

Jane was gone.

A massive mausoleum waited in front of Aidan. The doors were chained. Aidan took a step toward that desolate place—

“Ms. Benoit?” Garrison poked her shoulder. “You okay? You’ve been staring at that glass for a while.”

She blinked and rose to her feet. Dizziness rolled through her, but Garrison steadied her with his strong grip. “Aidan.”

“He’s not here yet,” Garrison spoke softly. “Shouldn’t he be here? What’s taking him so long?”

Annette tried to pull in a deep breath. Her lungs felt empty. “You need to get to him.”

Alarm flashed on Garrison’s face. “Why?” His gaze dipped down to the mirror. “What did you see?”

Aidan is going to hurt Jane. “Go to him. He’s in Hell’s Gate.” That was why she’d seen hell. Sometimes, her visions weren’t literal. “Stop him.”

Garrison nodded and surged away from her, but then…

He stopped.

Garrison turned back to face her, his hands clenched. “I…I can’t.”

She cast a quick look at Paris. He stared at her with a ravenous gaze. She licked her lips then dragged her gaze back to Garrison. “Why not?”

“My alpha gave me an order.” Garrison marched toward her. “He told me to protect Paris, and that’s what I’m going to do. I won’t break my alpha’s command.”

Are you freaking kidding me? “Even if your alpha suffers for it?”

Garrison bit his lip, but…nodded. “I swore to protect Paris, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Oh, hell. Now he was going to be a rule follower. “You damn well better protect him.” She jabbed her finger into Garrison’s chest. “And do not cross that dirt line until I get back.” She was actually starting to worry about just how much longer that dirt of the dead would work. It hadn’t stopped Aidan and the more time that she spent with Paris…

He doesn’t seem like just a vamp to me. He had werewolf claws a bit ago. Aidan’s blood and Jane’s blood…they’re mixing in him now, changing him. And it just might be enough of a change to fool the magic she’d put in place.

They were running out of time, she knew it. Annette had to act. She wasn’t going to leave that building, but she would go get Vincent. If anyone was strong enough to stop the alpha, it would be him.

Garrison would never stand a chance against Aidan anyway.

Annette left her bag and rushed out of that back room. It was eerily silent in the long hallway. Where was Vincent? He’d taken Drew away earlier, but she had no idea where they’d gone. She ran by several empty rooms and then, through an open doorway, she saw them.

Drew was on his knees. Vincent’s hands were locked around Drew’s throat. “I snapped your sister’s neck,” Vincent said, his face twisted and angry. “Just like I’m—”

“What are you doing?” Annette yelled at him.

Vincent stiffened. Then he shoved Drew away from him.

Lena just stood there, a few feet to Vincent’s right. She was watchful, silent.

“Were you about to kill him?” Annette marched closer to him, her gaze sweeping the room. Drew’s lips were still pressed tightly together. “Why the hell haven’t you called Captain Harris? She should be handling him.”

“I didn’t hear you coming.” Vincent slanted a quick glance at Lena. “Why didn’t I hear her coming?”

Lena just shrugged.

Annette glanced between the two of them.

Drew threw his body forward and tried to crawl toward her, but Vincent caught him and jerked him back.

This is wrong. “Captain Harris should be here,” Annette said as she edged back a bit. “She handles the paranormals.”

“I can handle him.” Vincent smiled at her. “I’m trying to understand why he hates vampires so much. I mean, his father was a vamp. Shouldn’t he be grateful to our kind? This hatred…this determination to kill paranormals is unnatural.”