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I narrow my eyes. “Yes, I do.” The need to punch my partner in the jaw is pulsing through my hand. All of this is past tense.
Zayn sighs. “Look, I’m not trying to be anyone’s enemy here. But you’ve seen this yourself, Chase. How this sort of thing plays out. Hell, you saw it yesterday.” He levels his gaze on me. “I’m just trying to protect you from making a mistake.”
I lean forward, wanting to make sure he hears every word I’m about to say. “I can take care of myself, Zayn. It’s not Aria's fault she was forced into this situation, and I’ll make damn sure she never has to do anything like that again. Saving her brother, that’s the first step.”
Zayn arches a brow, but I continue before he can speak.
“So, if you are really sincere about helping me, then help Aria.” My eyes flash. “And stop being so hard on her because of what you think she did.”
Zayn presses his lips together. “I’m just trying to protect you, Chase. I don’t want to see you hurt…or worse.
The sincerity in his eyes stops anything else I was going to say. Zayn is just trying to be a good partner. In a roundabout way, it’s what I need right now. Yet all he’s doing is bad mouthing the woman I love.
Aria returns, glancing between us as she takes her seat beside me. I pull her in close, in part because I need to feel her warmth to assure me she’s fine, in part to make a statement to Zayn. Aria belongs beside me, no matter what the circumstance.
“So, what’s the plan?’ Zayn asks, crossing his arms.
“We divide our efforts,” I say. “I’ll hunt down the thugs, you and Gail comb through the precinct discreetly, seeing what you can find. Don’t let the mole suspect anything, but more importantly don’t let Gail suspect anything either.”
Zayn nods. The plan certainly has a lot of holes in it, but it’s far better than just nothing, and more importantly, it should stop Aria from having to go back to the club until I’m done.
“If that’s all…” Zayn stands up, his gaze flicking to Aria then quickly away. “I’ll see you in the field, Chase.”
He leaves, not waiting for a response, and Aria visibly relaxes once he’s gone. I turn my head to press a kiss to her temple, wanting to reassure her this was the right thing to do, only to freeze as I glance out the window.
The red-eyed man is standing on the other side.
He stares at me, his eyes as bloody as the day he attacked. A machete dangles from one hand, different from the one he attacked me with. Which proves he has more than one. A collection. Which also means that I was right, he was the one responsible for the homicide.
Aria says something, but all my senses are concentrated on the threat only feet away. And the longer I stare, the sharper his image seems to become. The more I want to rush over there and rip it to shreds.
My heart palpitates. Oh, god, I’m transforming.
Hold it together, Chase, I repeat to myself over and over. Aria can’t see me like that. She can’t know about the red-eyed man.
But the effort costs me. My temperature spikes, sweat dampens my skin. My head swims with the effort of containing my beast. With the effort of not turning into the Big Bad Wolf and shredding any threat to my mate.
I groan, now panting.
“Chase?” Aria asks, worry lacing her voice.
“I’m…fine,” I grit out, curling my fingers into my palms as my nails threaten to shift into claws.
“You don’t look it,” she says. A cool hand presses to my cheek. “You’re hot!”
“I…” The bar swims. My stomach rolls. “I…”
I shake my head, looking back out the window. I must protect Aria. Without revealing the truth about my dark nature…
Except the red-eyed man is gone. The street is empty.
“Let’s get you home, Chase,” Aria says softly, standing up and holding out her hand.
I nod, taking it. I didn’t think holding back a transformation would take such a toll on my body.
We leave the bar, and despite needing Aria’s shoulder to lean on, I still keep my senses alert. We avoid using the alleyways under my request, so it takes even longer to get to the car on the other side, but when we do, I sit in the passenger seat. I’m obviously not in the right state to drive safely.
Thankfully, Aria doesn’t object, taking the wheel and driving. To my horror, I blackout time after time throughout the drive. My heart surges, still needing the bestial release. To feel that man’s viscera in my hand. The more I see him in my mind, the wilder the beast inside me rages.
