Zane refused to examine why she made him feel that way and focused on dealing with the present situation, pushing everything else to the background.
“I guess we’re just going to have to work through those issues, because whether you like it or not, we’re joined together at the hip for the time being,” he said. “At least until we both find what we’re looking for.”
Alyssa considered that, then finally nodded. “Okay, we can work together. But there’s one condition.”
He let out a snort. “Only one?”
“Yes. And it’s important. I’ll work with you, watch your back, and trust you to watch mine. But I need your word that you’ll be honest with me. If you lie to me, it’s over.”
“What would I lie about?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Like you said, we both have things we can’t talk about. I can live with that. But I’m trusting you to tell me if there’s something I need to know to do my job. Anything that has to do with getting those missing people back safely. Anything that involves my safety. Anything you know I wouldn’t be able to overlook. As a federal agent and as a human being.”
Zane knew he was going to lie before he even opened his mouth. He felt badly about it, but it wasn’t like he could tell her that he was a werewolf. She was a fed, which meant she was the last person in the world he could trust with information like that. Even if she already knew what he was, he couldn’t admit to it. Despite the possibility of her being terrified when she learned he was a monster, like his former fiancée had been, he still had an almost overwhelming urge to tell her everything. But this wasn’t only about him. This was about his pack, too. And he’d do anything to protect them. Even lie.
“I’m not keeping anything from you, and I won’t,” he said.
Alyssa regarded him thoughtfully for a few uncomfortable seconds, like she was going to call him out, but then she nodded. “Okay. Let me check with Christine and see if she’s still at the hospital or has already moved the twins to the hotel, then we can get out of here.”
Chapter 4
“What do we know about the girls so far?” Zane asked as he and Alyssa walked along the hallway on the second floor of the Fairfield Inn and Suites.
Alyssa shrugged. Before they’d left her hotel, she’d changed out of her T-shirt and shorts into jeans, a simple top, and a jacket. Even though she’d covered up all that perfect skin, she looked just as delectable.
“Not a whole hell of a lot,” she answered. “They’ve told Christine that their names are Zoe and Chloe—they wouldn’t give up their surnames—that they’re eighteen years old, and that they’re from Utah. Other than that, they’re not very forthcoming with information. And they didn’t have ID on them, either. They’re extremely eager to talk to you, though.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “You must have made one hell of an impression in those three or four seconds that one girl was conscious.”
Zane chuckled. “Don’t take it too hard. I have the same effect with puppies and kittens, too.”
Alyssa laughed, and he got goose bumps from the sound. Crap, he was such a wanker.
Zane could pick up the extremely slight werewolf scent before they even reached the door. Christine opened it as soon as Alyssa knocked. Not quite as tall as Alyssa, she had straight, dark hair and a no-nonsense way about her.
The twins were sitting on one of the two queen beds, eyeing him and Alyssa curiously as they stepped inside.
“Since we didn’t have the time for formal introductions last night, I guess I should do it now,” Alyssa said. “Christine Howard, Zane Kendrick…and vice versa.”
“Nice to meet you,” Zane said, shaking the woman’s outstretched hand. “Thanks for all the help last night. I know it was late when we called.”
She laughed. “Hell yes, it was late, but for Aly and her adventures, I don’t mind losing a little sleep. I was happy to hang out with Zoe and Chloe. Come on. I’ll introduce you.”
The twins stood, both of them regarding him intently with their big, blue eyes as he shook their hands. While they might have been eager to meet him, Zoe and Chloe also seemed to be a little nervous. Up close, they looked even more fragile and…lost…than they had in the club last night. How the hell had they gotten into that place? That probably wasn’t the question to lead with today, of course, but he planned to get to it at some point.
After the introductions were out of the way, the twins moved over to sit on the couch, while he and Alyssa leaned back against the counter of the small kitchenette and Christine took the chair by the desk.
Zane waited for the girls to say something, but they only continued to gaze at him before exchanging looks with each other. One of the twins—Chloe, he thought—tilted her face up a little like she was testing the air with her nose, then looked at her sister again.
“So, Christine said you wanted to talk to me?” he finally said, figuring if he didn’t break the ice, they never would. “I was hoping you could tell us your full names and where you’re from in Utah so we can help you get back home to your family.”
“We can’t go home,” Zoe said firmly. Even though they were twins, Zane considered her the older of the two girls. Maybe because she tended to place herself in front of her sister, like she was the protector. “We don’t have anyone to go home to.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Our parents were killed a week ago this past Friday,” Zoe said softly, her eyes haunted. “We don’t have any other family to go back to in Provo. Mom and Dad were all we had.”
Zane cursed silently. When he’d seen the twins in the club last night, he’d thought they were two local girls out for a night on the town hoping to slip into a Hollywood party so they could meet someone famous. Then, over dinner with Alyssa, he’d agreed with her that maybe they were runaways. He definitely hadn’t seen this coming.
Alyssa and Christine looked just as surprised as he did.
