Eternal Flame (Night Watch #3)(63)
Author: Cynthia Eden

That deep breath burned in her lungs.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re clear, Ms. Carter.”

Zane had been telling the truth. He’d done it. He’d gotten her life back.

“But I need that shifter.”

Her life was back, but what about the wolf’s?

She strode forward and grabbed Zane’s hand. “I’m coming with you.”

He stared down at her and a frown pulled his brows together. “You don’t need to—”

“Maybe it’s time I started doing something for somebody other than myself.” The words came out too fast. She lifted her chin. “Marcus was hurting so much when I first found him. He didn’t ask for any of this.”

Zane’s gaze held hers. “We never do.”

No, they didn’t. But fate just came calling. When she called, you had to answer, even if you’d rather slam down the phone.

“Let’s get Jude and Erin out there,” he told the cop. “If a wolf killed at that scene, they’ll know.”

“Ahead of you, Zane. I already gave ‘em a call,” Tony said.

Zane brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Stay with me, every second. The PD has cleared you, but the FBI…”

No, she knew she’d still be high on their extermination list. They’d want their pound of flesh, and so would all the paranormals out there she’d pissed off before. Once they found out about her new weakness, hell, it’d be like sharks who’d sensed blood in the water. They’d come at her in a feeding frenzy.

“Pak’s working on them,” he continued. “But Special Agent Thomas has you in her sights, and she’s not going to back down easily. For her, it’s personal.”

Jana blinked. “Personal? I’ve never done anything to that woman.”

Zane and Tony shared a long look.

“What? What am I missing?” she demanded.

“It’s personal for her,” Zane said slowly. “Because one of the men who died in that fire in New Orleans was her stepbrother. Brent Martin. The scientist who—”

You’ll be awake when I do this and, trust me, it’ll hurt like a bitch.

“I remember him.” Another guy who’d gotten off on giving pain.

“She’s not gonna back down.” Zane’s gaze was steady. “You have to watch your ass with her.”

Now, more than ever. Because if-when-Agent Thomas came gunning for her, Jana wouldn’t have the flames to aid her. Not anymore.

Good thing she still had the gun she’d stolen from the Perseus agents. A girl could never be too careful.

Personal. Hell. But these days, weren’t all the hunts personal? Always personal and always deadly.

It was dark outside, the sky pitch black-no moon, no stars. The kind of night that Jana normally loved because it gave perfect cover.

Tonight that covering darkness had a tingle of shivery awareness skating down her spine.

They were outside a college dorm room, in the alley that ran just behind the building. The flickering, fluorescent lights trickled a pale glow onto the scene. Tony was ahead of them and already bending under the yellow line of police tape. She could just make out the bloodstains on the ground. Jana’s lips pressed together. Jeez, couldn’t someone have cleaned that up?

“So you think we’ve got a wolf hunting again?” The voice was feminine, soft, and tinged with a hint of the South. She hadn’t heard the woman approach. Careful now, Jana slipped deeper into the shadows and watched her. Tall, slim, elegant, the lady seemed perfectly poised in the alley.

The woman’s small nostrils flared as she drew in the scents. If she hadn’t been watching her so closely, Jana would have missed that telling movement. Shifter. Because no human would be making the effort to inhale in an alley.

Jude was behind her, and his hand pressed against the small of her back. His nostrils widened as his gaze swept the alley. She knew he-both of them-would be able to see a whole lot more than she could.

“I don’t know what we’ve got,” Tony said, running a hand through his hair. “You tell me, ADA.”

ADA? As in assistant district attorney. Crap. Jana hunched back into that darkness a bit more.

“I don’t smell a wolf, not anywhere around here.” The ADA’s head cocked. “But you know some shifters can disguise their scents.”

“Like that bastard who was after you,” Zane muttered.

Uh, someone had been after the ADA?

“Yeah.” The growl was Jude’s. There was still rage there. “Like him.”

“If you let me see the body,” the ADA offered, “I can tell if the marks were made from claws.” A faint smile lifted her lips. “You could say I’ve got a lot of experience with wolf marks.”

Tony edged away from the yellow tape. “Jones has the body at the morgue. I already told him you’d be coming.” He sighed. “He said she didn’t struggle. One swipe-one fast attack to the neck-and she was dead.”

Just like the victims back in New Orleans.

“A human killed those girls.” Jana’s voice sounded way too loud.

The ADA looked her way. Not with surprise. The woman had known she was lurking there the whole time.

“There was no record of a suspect being apprehended for those attacks,” Tony said.

“Because Marcus Malone killed him,” Jana said. “The shifter’s girlfriend was one of the vics. The only time he killed was when he was putting that murdering bastard out of his misery. Marcus might be a wolf, but he-wouldn’t do this.”

She felt the weight of the ADA’s stare. Hell. What was her name? What had Tony said? Erica? Erin.

“Haven’t you heard?” Erin asked. “Most folks know that wolves are psychotic.”

Jude inched closer to the ADA.

Jana walked out of those shadows. “Marcus had plenty of chances to hurt and kill.” If that had been what he wanted to do, I never would have made it out of that truck. “He tracked his prey, and he put a sick, sadistic man out of his misery. That’s all.”

“Seems like you know a lot about Marcus,” Zane noted blandly. “Talk a lot on that ride up, did you?”

“When you fled the scene of a crime?” Tony tagged on.

She ignored them both.

Erin’s gaze stayed on her. “I understand,” the ADA said slowly, “that this particular wolf was held captive and tortured for the last few months. Something like that could make any man break. And a wolf …” She shrugged.