Chapter Ten
Jane’s eyes flew open. She stared up at the ceiling—a really tall, cathedral ceiling—and she tried to figure out just what the hell had happened to her.
Then her hand flew to her stomach. She—
“Don’t,” Aidan said, his voice a rough rumble. His fingers tangled with hers. “Don’t touch the bandage, not yet.”
Her gaze snapped toward him. He sat in a chair that had been pulled right next to the bed. Dark shadows lined his eyes and deep lines bracketed his mouth.
“You look like hell,” she told him.
But he smiled at her. A smile of such warmth and straight-up joy that Jane had to blink away tears.
“You look like heaven,” he said. “My own angel.”
She was as far from an angel as it was possible to get.
His fingers smoothed over the back of her hand. “I thought I told you to stop scaring me.”
She did vaguely remember him saying something like that. “How bad was it?”
“Bad enough that I had a doctor and a voodoo queen working on you at the same time.” He paused. “And I had to give you my blood.”
Jane shook her head. “I don’t…I don’t remember any of that.” But chill bumps rose on her arms. It had tasted good.
No. Jane gave another hard shake of her head. That was just some—some weird dream. Some craziness brought on by the trauma. She hadn’t taken his blood and thought that it was good…had she?
“Probably a good thing. Doubt you’d want to remember your good buddy Dr. Bob stitching you up.”
Yeah, she didn’t want to remember that. She glanced around the room. “We’re at the mansion.”
“I wanted you in the safest place possible. This was it.”
She pushed up, slowly, until she was sitting in the bed. She was wearing one of his shirts—a giant white button-up that swallowed her.
“Dr. Bob will want to come in soon and see you. He’s been checking on you every hour.” Aidan rose, as if he were about to head to the door and get the doctor.
But she tightened her grip on his hand. “What happened to Travis?”
A muscle flexed in Aidan’s jaw. “He…didn’t make it. I’m sorry, Jane.”
Dammit.
“You did make it. You survived.” He swallowed. “And I’ll take that miracle.”
“How close was it? How close did I come to waking as a vampire?”
“You don’t want to know.”
Oh, crap. She must have come very, very close.
He leaned over the bed, over her. Aidan’s gaze held hers. His eyes were so very blue. “I love you, Mary Jane.” The words were deep and strong and they made her feel warm inside. “Know this…I will fight anything, anyone in order to keep you alive and with me. I don’t want to lose you.”
She had to blink away tears and then she thought—why stop them. Jane realized just how close she’d come to losing everything. She jerked him closer, locking her arms around him, and Jane held Aidan as tightly as she could—so tightly that she never wanted to let him go. “I love you,” she whispered.
Her words were so true. This hard, stark, primitive connection between them—it was just the beginning. Physically, she was completely attuned to him. But emotionally, he got to her. Had, from the very first. He could frustrate her, amuse her, charm her…thrill her. Love. That’s what I feel for him. For a while, she’d thought that she’d never fall in love with anyone. Her job had consumed her. She’d only let a few friends close. Jane’s life had been about protecting herself from the pain of the past. From any future pain that would come.
But…that hadn’t really been living.
She eased her hold on Aidan. He pulled back, staring down at her.
Jane kissed him. She poured all of her emotions into that kiss. He’d given her his own blood so that she could live. He’d fought for them both when she was on the verge of passing—of becoming something else.
Aidan. Her Aidan. Always.
A knock sounded at the door. “Aidan?” That slightly pompous voice—ah, she would recognize it anywhere. “I need to check on Jane.” The door swung open and Dr. Bob stood there, glowering. “What the hell? She has been fighting death all night. Don’t jump the woman now!”
“I wanted him to jump me,” Jane said. She offered Aidan a weak smile. “That was all me.”
He didn’t smile back. If possible, his expression became even grimmer. “I would do anything for you. You know that, don’t you, Jane?”
She did.
He kissed her again. “I can’t lose you.”
“I need to check my patient,” Dr. Bob said, huffing indignantly. “I’d better make sure your jumping didn’t pop any of her stitches.”
Aidan growled, but he backed away from the bed. He shot a fast glare at Dr. Bob. “Watch the tone, asshole. Her friend or not, you don’t fuck with the alpha.”
Dr. Bob licked his lips. “I-I—”
“I’m grateful to you for saving Jane, so you get a pass this time. But don’t pull that shit again.” Then Aidan’s gaze swung back to Jane and softened. “I’ll see you again real soon, sweetheart. I just need to take care of one thing, and I’ll be back with you.”
She didn’t want him to leave. Crazy but…she was feeling vulnerable and scared. Claws to the stomach could do that to a woman. But she kept her weak smile in place and nodded.
A few moments later, the door closed with a soft click as Aidan left the room.
“Jane.” Dr. Bob didn’t sound so pompous any longer. His shoulders had sagged as he stared at her. “Jane, I thought you were dying in front of me.”
Her breath heaved out. “That bad?” Because she felt pretty darn good right then, all things considered.
“That bad.” He gave a brisk nod and hurried to the bed. “I saw the claw marks and I…I thought Aidan had attacked you.”
“That wouldn’t happen.” Her words came out instantly.
“I know how strong he is. The alpha, just like the cocky SOB just said. He’s stronger than every other wolf in this town, and I know the kind of damage he could do to you if he lost his control.”
“Aidan doesn’t lose his control. And he wouldn’t hurt me.”
Dr. Bob chewed on his lower lip. “You absolutely sure about that?”
As long as I’m not a vampire, yes. But if I change…all bets are off. Her chin lifted. “I’m sure.” If she changed, then she wouldn’t be the same person. And Aidan would need to protect the world from her.
Vampires became wild, bloodlust driven monsters. They attacked their families, their friends. The old. The young. Everyone.
Dr. Bob cleared his throat. “You look remarkably well.” A pause. “I was scared last night.”
Now he was surprising her.
“I…like you, Detective Hart. You don’t put up with my bullshit. You don’t pull your punches. And you do your job because you actually care about people.”
Her eyes widened. This was more emotional than Dr. Bob had ever been with her before.
“I would appreciate it,” he continued gruffly, “if you would not get yourself killed. I don’t have many friends as it is, and I would like to keep the few that I enjoy.”
“I’ll do my best,” she told him. “On the whole, not getting myself killed part.”
He nodded. His expression lightened a little.
“And I’m glad you’re my friend,” she added. His cheeks flushed a light pink. “Even though you can be a serious asshole most days.”
A ghost of a smile lifted his lips.
“I guess I like asshole medical examiners,” Jane mused.
“Damn straight.” He exhaled heavily. “Now, I’m going to need to take off that shirt and look at your wound. Just—you know, hold your shit together because this is all just medical. Purely professional. Don’t go freaking and calling in the big bad wolf on me just because I see you without your clothes.”
She rolled her eyes and started unbuttoning the shirt from the bottom. “Bob, I know you’re gay. I saw your boyfriend sneaking out after your lunch date one day. Rob the cradle much?”
He made one of his hmmmph sounds. His smile stretched a little more. And she knew all was well again.
She stopped unbuttoning the shirt just below her breasts and held the material there. Then she eased back down on the bed until she was lying flat. It was odd. She would have expected the wound to be pulling with her movements, at least aching, but it wasn’t.
Though it had started to itch in the last few moments.
Dr. Bob put on his gloves, then he began to carefully pull back her bandages. She kept her gaze on the ceiling as he worked. If she looked up there, if she let her thoughts focus elsewhere, she wouldn’t think about the damage that he had to be seeing.
Think about the victims. They weren’t lucky enough to survive. Think about them. Alan Thatcher. Travis Maller.
The two victims were connected. So, was their killer connected to them, too? Someone they both knew?
Why was this killer targeting humans? Why Alan and Travis? Had they learned his secret and threatened to reveal it to the world?
But…no. She narrowed her eyes on the ceiling. Aidan had used his power when he questioned Travis. Surely the whole, I-Know-About-Werewolves bit would have come up during that little talk, right?
It took her a moment to realize that the bandage was gone. She could feel air swirling over her skin and…Dr. Bob was just standing there. Her gaze slowly slid from the ceiling to his face. His horrified face.
“Guess I’m going to have quite the scar, right?” That was okay. She’d deal with it.
His mouth hung open.
“Dr. Bob?” Fear twisted inside of her. “Is everything okay?”
Then he gave a slow, negative shake of his head.
***
“I want a protection spell for Jane,” Aidan said as he paced just outside of the bedroom. His steps were quick and angry. “The most powerful one you’ve got.”
Annette Benoit rolled back her shoulders. “She survived the night. That’s what you wanted. That’s what happened.”
He stopped pacing. “A protection spell. We both know you can do one.”
She laughed, but it was a sad sound. “You think you can save her from every danger out there? That you can keep her safe from every single threat? Not even my magic can do that. Jane has a life to live, and every life has dangers. Every second—it’s a gamble. There are no guarantees in this world, and you know it.”
His hands were fisted. “I know that I need her.”
“Poor wolf. You fell hard and now—”
He stared down at his fisted hands. “Now I’m terrified because I don’t want a life without her.”
She walked toward him. Put her hand on his shoulder. “You think you’re the only one? Anyone—everyone—who loves feels this way. When you give so much of yourself to another, you open yourself up to incredible joy.”
He lifted his gaze to her face.
“And incredible pain.” Pain was reflected in her eyes. “But that’s the risk. And it’s a risk we all take.” Her gaze never left his as she said, “There is no protection spell strong enough. Even you, big, bad alpha, can’t protect Jane from everything in this world. If you tried, if you locked her away, would that really be living for her?”
“I’m not talking about locking her away,” he said. “I just—” Aidan broke off. I just feel powerless. No one else had ever mattered to him this much.
“I know,” Annette murmured and she truly did seem to understand. “But magic can’t fix everything. You love your Jane? Then just—just enjoy her. Enjoy every moment. Don’t look back and don’t look forward. No one on this earth—human, vamp, or werewolf—is guaranteed anything. We take our joy where we find it.”
His joy…it was all tied up in Jane.
“Thank you for your help tonight, Annette Benoit,” he said formally. “I know coming back to this place wasn’t easy.”
“Just like walking into my favorite nightmare,” she said, her lips hitching into a half smile. “So you owe me, wolf.”
He already knew that. “Paris will see you back home. He’ll also pay you for tonight’s work.” Aidan turned away.
“The cash is great, but I’ll be collecting a favor, too. Just so we’re clear.”
He’d figured as much. Aidan turned away from her. He wanted to go back to Jane and hear what Dr. Heider had to say about her wounds—
“Is it wise, do you think? Giving her your blood?”
Her voice was so hesitant. Very unlike Annette.
Glancing over his shoulder, he frowned at her. “I’ve given my pack blood plenty of times.” It had helped to speed up their recovery process when their injuries were particularly severe.
“But Jane isn’t a werewolf.” Her head tilted to the right as she studied him. “Have you given your blood to a human before?”
“No. It’s not like I’m overly tight with humans.”
“Right. Not you.” She rubbed her neck. “And Jane isn’t exactly an ordinary human. Aren’t you worried—at all—that there could be repercussions from what you’re doing?”
“I’d given her my blood before this attack. She was fine after taking it.”
Her eyes widened. “Just how many times have you given Jane your blood?”
“I gave her my blood twice last night.” Because she had been so severely injured. “And once before that. And she seems fine.”
“It’s werewolf blood, though. Alpha blood. That you’re giving to a vamp-in-waiting.” Annette’s face showed her worry. “What will that do to her?”
“It will keep her alive.”
“Aidan…you know better. Frankenstein isn’t the only one who can make monsters.”
“Jane isn’t a monster.”
“Not yet. But—”
The bedroom door flew open. Dr. Bob stood there, his eyes wild. “You need to see this—see her!”
“What’s wrong with Jane?” Aidan shoved him out of the way.
“Nothing…nothing at all!” Dr. Bob’s voice broke with excitement. “The stitches were barely hanging on and when I removed them—
Jane wasn’t in bed. She stood, studying herself in his mirror, his shirt hiked just beneath her waist. She wore only his shirt and the pair of blue panties he’d put on her the night before. Jane wouldn’t have liked waking naked and so he’d wanted to make sure she was comfortable and—
Jane touched her stomach and twisted her body a bit as she stared harder at her reflection. He saw the slightly raised skin on her right side—that long ago burn that would forever mark her but…
Jane turned toward him. “What happened to me?”
But there were no other marks on her. The deep claws that had ripped into her stomach hours before—there was no sign of the damage from those claws at all.
“Aidan?” Jane’s voice was confused, a little scared. “What happened?”
The floor creaked behind him. He knew that Annette had followed him into the bedroom, he’d caught her light, distinctive feminine scent. “This is what I was talking about,” she whispered. “You give a vamp-in-waiting your blood…and you don’t know what will happen.”
“She’s healed,” Dr. Bob said, his expression still dazed. “I thought she was dying, but you can’t even tell Jane was injured! Even as I cut the stitches away, her skin was getting stronger. It’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Jane still clutched his shirt in one hand and her other smoothed over her stomach. Then that hand slid to her side and pressed to the old burn mark. “Aidan?”
Jane’s scared. “Dr. Heider, Annette—thanks for your help.” He moved toward Jane, positioning his body protectively in front of her. “But it’s time for you both to go.”
Dr. Heider was still gaping.
And Annette—she just looked worried.
“Go,” Aidan said again, pushing some power in that word. This time, they left. He waited until the door closed behind them, then he turned toward Jane.
Her eyes were so big. Dark and deep and confused. “I shouldn’t look like this. Not after the attack.”
Aidan reached out his hand and touched the smooth skin of her stomach.
Jane flinched. Then she was grabbing his hand, holding tightly. “Aidan, what is happening to me? Is something wrong with me?”
“Hell, no,” Aidan gritted as he touched her soft skin. “You are absolutely perfect.”
***
Paris led Annette out of the mansion. Dr. Heider had already fled, as fast as he could possibly go. But Annette found herself lingering. She paused at Paris’s car, then glanced back at the mansion.
Paris opened the passenger door for her. How sweet and all gentleman-like. She still didn’t get in the vehicle. “You need to watch Aidan’s back.”
“That’s what I’ve always done.”
“No, I mean from the threat he won’t see coming.” She hated to say this, but fear was blossoming inside of her. “He loves Jane so much. He’s bent nature to keep her safe.”
“Yes, um, I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”
“He’s made a new monster.” And his actions were going to change everything. “He gave her his blood—three timesÂ. The lucky three…” There was a reason the old tale about three blood exchanges had been pushed in popular culture so much. But three blood exchanges didn’t make a vampire. Just one would do that.
Three…three links you. Three gifts of blood given—given so freely—from a werewolf to a vamp-in-waiting. That could not be good. “She’s even stronger now. Jane’s healing at an incredible rate.” And Annette didn’t think enhanced healing would be the only side effect to show itself.
“But that’s good, right?” Paris asked as his perfect brow wrinkled. “If she heals fast, then she’s less likely to die in that whole violent way that would kick in the vamp genes.”
Her gaze lowered. “I don’t think it’s good.” She’d need to scry as soon as she got back to her shop. “I think it could be very dangerous.” Very, very bad.
In order to save the woman he loved, Aidan may have crossed a line—a line that would bring them all pain.
And hell.
She reached into her purse and handed Paris a small pouch.
His brow wrinkled even more. “What’s this?”
“It’s a precaution.” One that they might not have to use but… “The liquid inside can knock out a werewolf in his prime—an alpha werewolf.”
His fingers clenched around the bag. “You were planning to attack Aidan?”
“No, I was planning to save my own ass. When I came here, I didn’t know what I’d find.” But I feared it would be Jane’s dead body. “I like to protect myself.”
He opened the bag and pulled out the vial. “I can see that.”
“Put it in a syringe. Keep it close. If something happens and you need Aidan to…to calm down…use it.” Because as powerful as Paris was, he would be no match for an alpha who’d lost his sanity. “It won’t kill him, I promise. It will just knock him out long enough for you to secure him.”
He was still staring at the vial. “By secure him, you mean lock him down with silver.”
That was exactly what she meant.
“How were you going to use this on him tonight? I don’t see a syringe here.”
“I would have found a way.” She didn’t mention that she had a syringe hidden in her purse.
He put the vial back into the little bag and pulled the draw string closed once more. “Why give this to me?”
“Because there is a reason you’re Aidan’s right hand. You can be trusted.” He was an honorable man. A rare thing in this world. “And maybe I don’t want to see you get ripped apart by your friend.”
Paris took a step back. “You think Aidan would turn on me?”
“If you turned on Jane, yes, I do.” Without hesitation. “Some bonds are stronger than pack. Time for everyone to start realizing that.”