Alexis gasped and shot to a sitting position. “Bryce!” Her heart sprinted as she clutched a soft fabric in her hands and blinked her eyes into focus. “Where?”

“He’s here.” Macey sat next to the bed and gestured to the spot beside Alexis.

A knot formed in her throat as she shifted her gaze to Bryce. He lay on his back, his arms by his sides, a peaceful expression softening his handsome features. Too peaceful. “Is he…?”

“He’s alive.”

“Oh, thank God.” She reached for him, running her fingers down the side of his face, and a tingling sensation seeped into her skin. She cupped his cheek in her hand, and the faint prickling shimmied up her arm. “Why do I feel magic in him?”

“We were hoping you could answer that.” Luke stood beside Macey and rested a hand on her shoulder. “James found you both unconscious on the floor. He thought you were dead.”

She looked from Luke to Macey and finally took in her surroundings. Sheer drapes covered a bay window, and morning sunlight filtered through the glass, softly illuminating the bedroom. She sat in their bed, the alabaster duvet covering her legs. The white cotton T-shirt and flannel pajamas pants she wore didn’t belong to her, and as she ran her fingers through her hair, flakes of dried blood drifted onto her lap.

Blood. Her breath caught. Bryce’s shoulder.

She put her hand on his chest and gazed at his unmarred skin. No trace of the bite marks remained. Tugging on the neck of his shirt, she moved it aside to see what should have been a massive gash. He was uninjured. She hadn’t healed him, had she?

“Can you tell us what happened?” Macey put her hand on Alexis’s leg.

Alexis blinked, her mind reeling to understand. “I was healing him. Eric had torn him up, and I healed his stomach. I shouted for James, and I was about to heal his shoulder when…” She cupped her neck in her hands. “Trevor tried to rip my throat out. He broke my neck.” Her body trembled as the memory ran through her mind. “What happened to James?”

“I’m fine.” He stood in the doorway, leaning against the jamb. “Sorry, Trevor got away from me. I took care of him, but I really thought you were dead. There was blood all over you. All over him. I thought it was Bryce’s blood, but when I rolled you off him, he didn’t have a scratch. Your neck healed pretty quick after that, but neither of you would wake up.”

“How did we get here? What’s going to happen?” She took Bryce’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. The same faint tingle of magic seeped from his warm palm. “Is Bryce…did Eric turn him?”

“Rain is on her way over to read his aura.” Macey squeezed her leg and stood.

Luke put his arm around her. “I don’t think Eric turned him. The shot to the head killed him, but he didn’t lose much blood before that. Only werewolf blood—a lot of it—has the power to turn a human into a shifter.”

Blood. That was why Eric’s plan didn’t work. It never would have worked, no matter how violently he attacked his victims, but… “Then why does Bryce have a magical signature?” She rubbed her temple, trying to put the pieces together, but it didn’t make sense. Bryce had lost too much blood. Even with her healing powers, she couldn’t have saved him without a transfusion. He’d needed a hospital.

“We think you turned him.” Macey gave her a sympathetic look.

She gazed at Bryce. “But it’s not possible.”

“It’s possible,” Luke said. “If he lost enough blood, and then yours mixed with his…with your healing ability…he could have magic in his veins now.”

Magic in his veins? Her magic. What had she done?

Bryce drew in a deep breath and mumbled, “Alexis.”

“I’m here.” She put her hand on his cheek and hovered her face above his.

His lids fluttered open, and his brow pinched in confusion. “How? I watched you die.”

“I’m not that easy to kill.” She smiled and stroked the hair away from his face. She may have forced him into a supernatural life, but he was alive. That mattered most. “How do you feel?”

He rubbed his shoulder where the bite had been and glanced down at his body. “Not hurt.” He pushed to a sitting position and leaned his back against the headboard. “But not quite…right.”

He looked at Luke and Macey, and his eyes widened as if he’d just realized they were there. “Where?” His gaze danced around the room, and he clutched his shirt.

“You’re in our house,” Macey said.

“Whose clothes are these?”

“They’re mine.” Luke shuffled closer to him and bent down to look into his eyes. “You’re not in any pain?”

“Surprisingly, no.” He tossed back the blanket and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I feel weird though. What happened?”

James pushed from the wall and sauntered toward him. “We got your girl.”

Bryce looked over his shoulder at Alexis and took her hand, pulling her toward him. “We sure did.”

She moved to sit next to him, holding his hand in both of hers. “Eric is dead.” Her chest tightened, and she looked at Luke. “I don’t want to cause any trouble with the pack. Should I…leave?”

Bryce’s grip on her hand tightened. She didn’t want to go anywhere without this man, but if killing Eric would bring war to the pack, she’d have no choice.

Luke shook his head. “You stopped a madman who was breaking the law. You don’t have to go anywhere.”

She let out a slow breath and leaned into Bryce’s side.

“We found a body in Trevor’s fridge,” James said. “Found his roommate casing Michael’s house, and he was in on it too. Confessed to the whole plan.”

“I’ve contacted the national congress and Biloxi.” Luke crossed his arms. “We’re in agreement that Eric was to blame and he was killed in self-defense.”

Alexis nodded. The ordeal had been messier than she’d planned, but it was over. Eric couldn’t hurt anyone else.

The doorbell rang, and she glanced at Bryce. “That’ll be Rain.”

“I’ll let her in.” James strode out of the bedroom.

“More company?” Bryce gestured to the sweatpants he wore. “I’m not dressed for guests.”

“We need her to read your aura,” Macey said. “If you’re both feeling okay, let’s move to the living room.”

Bryce stood. “My aura? That’s really a thing?” He shook his head. “Of course it’s a thing. I keep having to remind myself this is all real.”

Alexis held tight to his hand as Luke and Macey shuffled into the living room. The guilt of not revealing her secret to Bryce herself gnawed in her gut. She was done keeping things from this man. Moving to face him, she rested her hands on his shoulders. “I need you to know something.”

He grasped her hips and gazed into her eyes. “Tell me you didn’t mean what you said before about wanting to be with Eric.”

The lies ended now too. From this moment on, she planned to tell him everything. She swallowed the thickness from her throat. “I didn’t mean a word of it. I was trying to stop him.”

His lips tugged into a smile. “That’s all I need to know.” He flicked his gaze to the door and leaned in, taking her mouth with his. Vibrating energy danced across her lips, shooting straight to her heart.

She’d been an idiot to think she could handle Eric on her own, defaulting to her old ways when her future stood right in front of her. When she’d held her fate-bound in her arms. She didn’t have to be alone anymore. She had her sister, a pack who would accept her, and a man who loved her.

She brushed his lips once more and pulled away to look into his eyes. “There’s something else you need to know, and it’s something I should have told you a long time ago.” Brushing his hair from his forehead, she cupped his face in her hand. “I love you.”

He smiled. “I love you too.”

She threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight, the wolf and the woman rejoicing in her acceptance of what she’d known deep down all along. She belonged with him, and now, she could spend forever with him. “There’s one more thing I need to tell you before we go out there. It might come as a shock.”

“In the past twenty-four hours, I found out that werewolves are real and I’m in love with one. I don’t think anything you can say will shock me.”

She pulled from his embrace and furrowed her brow. “You might be a werewolf now.”

He blinked.

Macey popped her head in the doorway. “Rain’s ready.”

“How?” Bryce cocked his head and narrowed his gaze at Alexis before following Macey into the living room.

Alexis held her breath as she sank onto the couch by Bryce. Rain sat on a chair next to the sofa, and Chase stood behind her. Macey perched on the arm of the couch, and Luke stood in front of them.

“What do you see, cher?” Chase asked.

Rain’s eyebrows pinched as she studied Bryce, and she opened her mouth a few times as if to speak, but then she clamped her lips together.

Alexis’s stomach sank. Why did she get the feeling the witch didn’t have good news?

“He’s…” Rain tilted her head. “He has two auras. I see a pale-blue hovering around an orange one like a halo. It’s…I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Bryce swallowed. “What does that mean?”

Alexis took his hand. “It means you have werewolf magic in your blood now.”

He looked at Luke. “You said it wasn’t possible. You said no one would survive the kind of attack it would take…”

“You shouldn’t have survived.” She drew in a shaky breath. “Your stomach was…” A shudder ran up her spine at the memory. “You’d lost so much blood.” She bit her lip to hold back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

His eyes widened. “It was your blood…from where the wolf bit you. It burned.”

“Burned?” James gave Luke a wary look. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Can you describe the burn?” Luke asked.

“It felt like my whole body was on fire. I thought I was dying.” He rubbed his forehead. “What does this mean? Am I going to be like you?”

“You might.” Alexis put her hand on his leg and gave him a squeeze. “Or the magic might not hold, and the moon will draw it out of you. Either way, we’ll find out soon. The next full moon is tonight.”

“I wouldn’t mind having super strength like you guys. That’s not so bad.” He laughed, but it sounded forced. “And the night vision would come in handy at work.”

Luke’s expression turned grim. “The magic could also be too much for your body to handle. You might not make it.”

Macey gasped and covered her mouth. Rain lowered her gaze to her lap as Alexis tightened her grip on Bryce’s hand. He had to make it. Her blood coursed through his veins. Her power. Her healing ability. The magic—the wolf—in her blood was bound to Bryce as much as her heart was. Her wolf would never hurt the man she loved.

“Super strength,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Sorry.” She relaxed her grip and swallowed the bile from the back of her throat. “You’re going to make it. If the magic is too much, I’ll heal you. Whatever it does to your body, I’ll fix it.”

Bryce nodded absently and looked at Luke. “So, I might not make it through the night?”

Luke pursed his lips, his brow raising apologetically. “It’s a possibility.”

He pulled from her grasp and cracked his knuckles. “Hey, Mace? Can you take me home?”

“Bryce.” Alexis reached for his hand, but he shot to his feet.

“I need to go home.”

“I can, but, Alexis, we brought your car back,” Macey said. “It’s parked down the street.”

Alexis stood. “I’ll take you home.” She couldn’t begin to imagine what he must’ve been feeling, but she planned to be there for him through the full moon and every second that led up to it. All of this was her fault. She’d run to Eric to ensure Bryce’s safety, and now he might die because of her.

Clenching her fists, she strode toward the door. She wouldn’t let it happen. She couldn’t live without him.

Macey padded into the hallway and returned with Alexis’s backpack. “The guys found it in the bedroom.” She handed it to her. “I washed your clothes, and Bryce, your keys and wallet and both your guns are in there too.”

He looked at the backpack and nodded before shuffling toward Alexis. “Thank you, everyone, for your help. Really, I can’t thank you enough, but I need some time alone to…” He inhaled deeply. “This is a lot to take in.”

“We’ll need to take you to the swamp tonight for the full moon.” Luke shook his hand. “Whatever happens, you won’t be alone.”

“Thanks.” He glanced at Alexis and walked out the door.

Bryce’s mind reeled as he stepped onto Macey’s front porch and jogged down the steps. He’d learned werewolves existed less than twenty-four hours ago, and now he might be one?

Or he might be dead before dawn.

The brisk morning air raised goose bumps on his skin, and he rubbed his arms to chase away the chill. Alexis followed behind, but he didn’t dare turn around. With the amount of pressure building in the back of his eyes, looking at her would probably make the tears fall, and he refused to look weak in front of her.

Spotting her car on the curb, he slid into the passenger seat, closing the door before she caught up. He managed two deep breaths before she got in the driver’s side. She shoved the key into the ignition and started the car, but she didn’t drive.

Dropping her hands into her lap, she looked at him with sadness in her eyes. “Please talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

What was he thinking? Between the strange electrical sensation tingling through his body and the news that he might have less than twelve hours to live, not a single coherent thought had formed in his mind in the last twenty minutes. “Take me home. Please.”

Her breath caught, and she nodded before pulling away from the curb. They meandered through the French Quarter, and Bryce stared out the window at the architecture. The festive displays in the windows of the historic buildings reminded him of the upcoming holidays.

He glanced at Alexis, who clutched the steering wheel in a death grip and stared straight ahead. He might not see Christmas this year—or tomorrow for that matter—but if he did survive, and she stuck around, he wouldn’t have to spend another holiday alone.

He needed to say something. To let her know he planned to spend the rest of his life with her, whether that meant the rest of today or the next fifty years. But he couldn’t make his mouth form the words. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the scenery.

They reached Canal Street and stopped at a light, waiting for a streetcar to pass before heading onto St. Charles and leaving the French Quarter behind. Highrise hotels and more modern architecture replaced the nineteenth-century buildings, and the roads widened as the traffic increased.

They entered the Central Business District, and he glanced up at the twelve-story building where Michael’s life had almost come to an end. A heaviness settled on his shoulders. Would the kid and his mom be safe living below him now that he was part of this supernatural world? At least they were moving in two weeks, but what would happen with the new neighbors?

As they left the CBD and approached the Garden District, he admired the Colonial and Greek Revival houses. How many times had he driven by these homes, not even noticing the grand columns and pristine gardens surrounding the structures? Today, he took it all in. The ornate fences, the detailed trim, the elaborate wreaths hanging from the doors, and the Christmas trees illuminating the windows. He’d overlooked the beauty of this city for far too long.

The beauty of life.

Alexis turned onto his street and stopped on the curb in front of his house. “Here we are.”

“Home sweet home.” He reached for the handle.

She put her hand on his thigh. “Can I come inside?”

He glanced at her, and the pressure in his eyes built again so he looked away. “I expected you to.”

As he climbed out of the car, Karen’s front door opened, and she struggled to drag a giant suitcase down the porch steps. He jogged toward her and lifted it from the ground. “Where you headed?”

She hit a button on her key fob, and her car chirped, unlocking the doors. “To my mom’s.”

“I thought you were staying another two weeks.” He followed her to the driveway, lugging the suitcase.

“After what happened yesterday, I…” She opened the trunk, and Bryce put the bag inside. “I want to get Michael away. It’s time.”

“I understand.” They’d be safer there, and if he didn’t make it tonight, at least they’d be far away. “Take care of yourself.” He gave her a hug.

“Oh, I have something for you.” She rummaged in her purse and pulled out a white envelope. Handing it to him, she glanced toward Alexis’s car and gave him a half-smile. “It’s a gift certificate for couple’s cooking classes. I thought it might be something you’d have fun doing together.”

She turned to Alexis as she approached. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I judged you when I should have gotten to know you.”

Alexis smiled. “Thank you.”

“Take care of him. He likes to pretend he can handle himself, but he needs a good woman around.”

“I will.”

Michael brought out another suitcase and paused, his gaze cutting from Bryce to Alexis. The corners of his mouth twitched like he wasn’t sure if he should smile or not. “Is…everything okay?”

Bryce forced a smile. “Never better. I’ll see you around, kid.”

“Bye, Sergeant Samuels.”

Alexis slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed him up the stairs. As they reached the landing, she handed him his keys, and he unlocked the door. Silence greeted him as he stepped into the living room, and a sense of calm settled in his core.

“Where’s Sam?” Alexis asked.

“He’s at the emergency vet. Someone beat him up when they kidnapped Michael. Do you have my phone?”

She dug in her backpack and handed it to him. He had several missed calls and a voicemail from the vet. As he listened to the message, he let out a slow breath. “He’s okay. I’m going to take a shower and go pick him up.”

“I can get him. He’ll be good as new by the time I get him home.” She smiled weakly. “It’s my fault he got hurt to begin with.”

“It’s not your fault.” None of this was her fault. He’d gotten involved of his own free will, and he’d tell her so if he could compose himself enough to speak. If she’d give him five minutes to breathe, he might be able to pull all the broken pieces of his thoughts together and talk to the woman. He took a credit card from his wallet. “But if you could get him, I’d appreciate it. I’m not sure I should be driving with the way I feel.”

She put a hand on his arm. “How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve got electricity running through my veins, battling with my blood.”

“What do you feel when I touch you?”

He put his hand over hers. “Soft skin. Warmth. Concern, though I think that’s because I see it in your eyes.”

“Nothing else?”

“No. Should I feel something else?”

She dropped her arm to her side and lowered her gaze as her voice softened. “I guess not. I’ll go get Sam.”