“I’ve never associated my instincts with my heart,” Alyssa muttered. “I always assumed they were two different things.”
“Nah. Instincts are instincts. They all come from the same place,” Christine said. “You knew what you wanted to do before you even called me. You were just doubting yourself. So, I’m asking you again. Is the fact that Zane is a werewolf a deal killer?”
Alyssa took a deep breath. This was the real reason she’d called Christine. Her friend had the unique ability to simplify the most complex situation. In this case, now that everything was out in the open, the question seemed almost childish. Could Alyssa handle the fact that Zane was so different? Not that he hadn’t told her what he was, but if she could be with a man like him.
Zane was a werewolf. There was every reason in the world that should not only freak her out, but it should also scare her away. Yet, if she was being honest with herself, it didn’t. She’d slept with him, but more than that, she knew who he was beyond the claws and fangs. He was a man who intrigued and excited her. And yeah, he was also a man who seemed to feel something for her—likely the same thing she felt for him.
“Okay, it’s not a deal killer,” she finally admitted. “It might complicate the relationship a bit, but nothing we couldn’t work through.”
“Excellent,” Christine said. “That leaves the final and most important question: Is he any good in the sack? I’m assuming he must be amazing, because it was barely more than twenty-four hours ago that you were completely disinterested in having anything to do with the man. Now you’re calling me at a stupid time of the morning to tell me you’re falling in love with him. A turnaround that extreme usually involves multiple orgasms—plus oral.”
Alyssa laughed so hard she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her until whoever it was got right on her. She spun around, her right hand reaching for the weapon behind her back out of pure muscle memory.
But she never got a chance to pull her gun. Fingers as hard as stone captured her right hand while Dario Casteel’s other hand wrapped around her neck, jerking her off her feet. She got out a little squeak before her air supply was completely cut off. She dropped her phone, vaguely hearing it fall to the ground. She thought she heard Christine shouting her name, but her friend’s voice was getting hard to hear as everything started going fuzzy.
Alyssa jerked at the hand holding her weapon secure, punching at the thing’s face with her other hand even as she kicked like crazy. But nothing she did seemed to hurt Dario at all, not even when she caught him with a solid blow to the crotch. All the monster did was tilt his head sideways, stare at her with those lifeless, black eyes, and grin at her as if she were an interesting toy.
He was still smiling as she passed out.
Chapter 11
Zane wasn’t sure how long he sat on the couch in Davina’s office after Alyssa left. The twisting sensation in his gut had gotten worse as the minutes passed, and it was all he could do not to howl in pain. It felt like something inside him had torn when she’d walked out. He shouldn’t have let her leave. But he hadn’t had a choice. There was no way he could make her stay—or feel something she didn’t.
The reminder that Alyssa didn’t feel the bond between them like he did made him gasp for breath. He rested his forearms on his spread thighs and dropped his head into his hands. It felt like he was bloody drowning. He’d felt this same way after Sienna had left him. Only this time it was a hundred times more wretched.
Zane was so lost in his own misery he didn’t realize Rachel had come into the room until she stood directly in front of him. He lifted his head to find her gazing down at him.
“Diego and I talked to Gage,” she said. “He was as shocked as we were when we told him that vampires are real and that they’re the ones who hired the hunters. He’ll be on the next plane along with Brooks and some of the other guys. With the time change between LA and Dallas, they should get here before eight o’clock this morning.”
Zane nodded, but didn’t say anything. That meant they’d be able to move against the vampires in four hours.
“What happened?” Rachel asked. “I’m guessing from the look on your face that your conversation with Alyssa didn’t go as well as you’d hoped?”
Zane flopped back on the couch with a snort. “That’s one way to put it. Another way would be to say it was a complete disaster that ended with her walking out. She said she needed to get some air, but I think that was an excuse to get away from me.”
He didn’t blame her. He didn’t want to be around himself right now.
Rachel sat down beside him. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think, but then again, it’s possible you could have screwed up and said something stupid. In fact, given that you’re a guy, it’s almost a certainty. So, spill. What did you say to upset her?”
“I didn’t say anything,” he protested. “I told her how I became a werewolf, and she told me how she ended up hunting supernatural creatures for the FBI. Then I asked her if she regretted sleeping with a monster and she insisted she didn’t. When she said she felt a connection between us, I told her about the legend ofThe Oneand how she’s my soul mate. Then she walked out, taking a chunk of my soul with her.”
Rachel regarded him in silence for a moment, then shook her head. “Wow. You said all that and you’re surprised she bailed on you? Hell, I’m your pack mate and I want to walk out, too.”
Zane frowned. “What did I say that was so terrible?”
Rachel sighed. “How long did it take you to come to grips with being a werewolf? Weeks…months…years?”
He shrugged. “It’s probably not a stretch to say it’s still a work in progress.”
“Exactly,” Rachel said. “Now imagine what it’s like for Alyssa. She’s known you for a few days and just learned you’re a werewolf. Her head is probably spinning. And that was before you sprung the stuff about her beingThe Onefor you. I’m surprised she didn’t pass out—or shoot you. Regardless, you need to give her some time to process all of this. It’s a lot to take in.”
Zane didn’t say anything. He’d always considered himself a patient person, but the idea of waiting for Alyssa to wrap her head around everything made him nearly insane.
“Do you really think of yourself as a monster?” Rachel asked quietly.
He gave her a sidelong glance. “It’s what I am.”
“Then that must make Diego, me, and everyone else in the Pack monsters too, huh? That’s bullshit. I’m not a monster and neither is anyone else in our pack, including you.”
