Erin stared into Harper’s eyes and knew.
Theresa’s voice drifted through her mind. “Such dark, dark eyes that saw into me so well…”
Hell.
Her mother’s lover.
Erin jerked against him, hard, horror giving her strength as she stumbled back from his hold.
His lip curled with disgust as he grated, “When she went with that human, I couldn’t pretend about her any more. She wasn’t mine.”
Erin sucked in oxygen as hard and as fast as she could. Not. Happening.
“I left the pack.” His teeth snapped together. “I went on my own, and then you came to me.”
No, no, she hadn’t come to him. She’d just been in court, doing her job!
“The instant I saw you, I finally understood what fate had planned for me. I knew you were my reward, the mate I’d always wanted.” A laugh then, rough and wild. “You look so much like her,” he said, “but you’re better, stronger, mine. ”
“No, I’m not yours. ” Never would be.
“You know what it’s like to be different from the others. Not human. Not wolf. More powerful than both.” He lifted his hand toward her, long and deadly claws out. “We were made for each other. Perfect halves.”
She stared at that hand and remembered the sight of Bobby Burrows’s bloody body. “We are nothing alike.” She held her body perfectly still. Now wasn’t the time for an attack. Not yet.
He closed the space between them. His right hand lifted and his fingers trailed down her cheek. “I had to bide my time and make sure there were no obstacles between us.”
Yeah, he’d tried to kill all the obstacles. Erin barely breathed as she stood before him.
One sharp claw pressed against the side of her face. “Purebloods always thought they were so f**king superior. I had to show the animals how wrong they were. Every day, I had to fight and claw my way through the pack.”
Alpha. Her mother had said her lover was the alpha of the pack. Alphas were the most bloodthirsty of the wolves. The most dangerous.
Shit.
“They never understood what we are!” he snarled. “Fucking idiots!”
She swallowed. “And what are we?”
The claw dug into her skin, broke the flesh. “The next evolution. We can be strong in our human flesh. We don’t have to wait for the wolf. We can kill and we can conquer as we are. Hell, we can rule the world. We don’t have to wait for the shift. We have the power every minute of every day.”
Her chin lifted and she knew the liquid sliding down her face wasn’t tears, it was blood. “I can’t shift.”
His gaze burned her. “I know—that’s why you’re so perfect. ”
Great, of all the people in the world, he thought she was perfect.
Harper licked his thin lips. “Our children won’t need to shift. They’ll be born with power. Always have it.”
Their children? “Got news for you,” she managed. There’d been no sound from Dee—or from her mother—for several moments. Be alive. “I’m not planning on having any kids with you.” That would be the last thing she’d ever do.
Whack job for a father? Hell, no. She and her mother had very different taste in men.
His breath rushed out. More mint. “It’s that f**king tiger. I’ve been watching you. Always watching.”
She knew that. She’d felt his eyes too many times.
“I’m good at hiding. I was close enough to touch you so many times and you never knew.”
Goosebumps rose on her flesh.
“I changed my hair, used contacts, held the shift so that my face was different—” He broke off, giving a muffled laugh.
“You never even knew!”
He’d held the shift? How was that even possible? The next evolution.
“I love to watch you,” he whispered. “Love to see your face.” His jaw clenched as his eyes turned arctic. “And I’ve seen your face when you look at that bastard!” Spittle flew at her. “You’ve been screwing him. Fucking around on me just like your whore of a mother!”
Her claws were out. Ready. His wounds were close. Keep talking. Hold his attention. Stir his fury.
Fury could make him weak.
Erin smiled. A slow, wide grin. “Yeah, I have.”
“You, bit—”
She shoved her hands up between them. Don’t forget how strong I can be, ass**le.
His mistake—he’d stayed in human form. She could take the jerk in human form. Because she was as strong as he was that way, maybe even stronger. Maybe.
Time to find out.
She drove her claws into his bloody wounds and wrenched up as hard as she could.
His head slammed into hers and black spots danced before her eyes.
She stumbled back. He raised his claws above her—
Erin caught his right wrist, then the left, and she held him as tight as she could. Bones snapped beneath her grip.
“Perfect,” he whispered and he crushed his mouth against hers.
She bit him, savaging his lips with her teeth and his blood flowed.
But the bastard just laughed.
Furious, scared as hell, she threw him back.
Harper didn’t stumble or stagger. He landed on his feet. The bastard balanced perfectly and then swiped the back of his hand over his bleeding mouth. “I like the way you taste.” His stare dropped to her body. “When you’re with him…do you think of me?”
What? “No! ”
More laughter. “I bet I’m in your head. Late at night, when you close your eyes, you think of me, don’t you?”
She had, for so long. But not because she wanted him. Because…“You attacked me! Almost murdered Ben! You’ve terrorized me, so, hell, yes, I’ve thought about you!” Her teeth ached as they extended even more. Longer, sharper than they’d ever been. “I thought about how I’d like to kill you.”
“You’ve got the blood thirst, just like me.”
A broken groan broke the air.
Erin’s gaze flew to the left. Not her mother this time, Dee. The hunter was trying to push herself up.
“Why do you care about them?” His stare followed hers. “They aren’t even worth your notice.”
No, he wasn’t worth her notice.
He held out his hand to her once more, claws stained red. “Come with me, Erin, and I’ll let your human live, for now.”
For now. Code for later, he’d be back to slice her to ribbons.
“Why do you do it?” she whispered. “Why all the killings? Bobby Burrows—”