Page 16

“No.” I stood.

We stared at each other until I sat back down. “I’m not done with the evidence yet,” I said quickly.

“Oh. But you gave me a report. Is there something more you think you can find?” Julian pressed, coming around to my side of the desk and perching on the edge, his long legs inches from mine.

Think fast, Char. “Well, I didn’t see any evidence of the viruses in the remains. I want to double check that.” It was information I didn’t want to give, but I needed something.

“Viruses?” Julian furrowed his brow.

“The ones that cause vampirism and Were shifting. They bind to DNA and alter it, so it should be detectable. It was…part of my father’s work.” My voice broke on the word father, and I stared at my lap until Julian knelt beside me and bent so he could make eye contact with me.

“Your father was a scientist who studied the cause of vampirism?” he asked far too gently.

I nodded.

“Is he…” he prompted.

“He left a long time ago,” I said. I’d never shared that with anyone outside my family. But I supposed it was important for the situation. “I took over his research.”

Julian sat back on his heels and watched me with the kind of sympathy that made me itch. How dare he be so kind? He was supposed to be an ass like all the rest of his ilk.

“So what you’re saying is that the victims were no longer vampires or werewolves?” Julian asked, standing again.

“I don’t know. It could mean anything, really. Maybe the virus ceases to exist when a vampire dies.”

“Or Were.”

“Or Were. It’s getting late. I should probably go home and deal with my mother,” I said, standing and turning to go, only to find no elevator waiting. Damn that thing!

“I’ll take you home,” Julian said, reminding me that I still had to endure an uncomfortable car ride with him.

“Thank you,” I said as the lift showed up.

“I appreciate you jumping right in like that,” Julian said as we rode down to the lobby.

This time, Gladys was reading a dog-eared paperback I recognized as one of my mother’s favorite books. It was a romance with a half-naked alpha werewolf on the cover, a moon behind him. She didn’t look up as we passed through.

“I feel better when I’m busy in the lab,” I said. “Which reminds me, I’m not really comfortable with the assistant you sent—”

“Assistant?” Julian spun, nearly making me smack into him again. “I sent no assistant.”

“Tittwell?” I asked, confused.

Julian’s eyes turned from indigo to scarlet as a growl rose in his chest. I took a giant step backward in response, and he immediately composed himself.

“My apologies once again,” he said smoothly. “The imp has a tendency to invite himself where he isn’t wanted. I will take care of it.”

“So…you know him?” I asked, still a bit taken aback after seeing Julian’s nature make an appearance.

“I’m afraid so.” Julian turned on his heels and strode to the car so quickly I had to practically run to keep up.

I wasn’t going to let it go, however, especially not when I was avoiding other topics.

“He said you hired him. And the elevator delivered him to my lab.”

Julian’s hands tightened on the wheel. I wondered if he’d had it built to take a beating. Either that or he had a whole garage of identical, disposable sports cars he used like tissues.

“He’s the general’s assistant,” Julian said, then backed out of the parking spot.