Eternal Flame (Night Watch 3)

“I told you to put the gun down.” He took a step forward. “I’m done with warnings.”

The ground was bucking and rolling again. Lightning streaked across the sky, and Jana grabbed tight to Zane’s hand. “Hold on, Zane, just—” His blood was on the ground. Around her. Her back teeth locked. “We can—”

“Zane!” The cop’s voice. Tony barreled out of the building with his gun drawn. He took in the scene with a quick glance. Blood. Cuffs. Woman sprawled over the back of the squad car.

Kelly started laughing then. What the hell was up with the laughter?

But then Zane stumbled. His body shuddered and Jana’s heart seemed to stop.

Kelly had shot him, but with what? The agent’s gun lay on the ground, dropped, forgotten.

Zane lifted his right hand toward Kelly, and her laughter cut off. Her face drained of color, and she started gasping for breath. Desperate, she clawed at her throat.

“Let her go,” Tony said flatly. “I’m here, man. I’ve got her. She’s not going to hurt you or your lady again.”

But Zane didn’t let her go. Kelly’s body started bucking on the car. Long, thin, bloody scratches appeared on her arms.

“Zane, let her go,” Jana whispered, worried, really worried, for him. Because this wasn’t Zane. He didn’t attack this way. He took his opponent down, he didn’t … torture. She grabbed his chin, and jerked his face toward her. “Let her go!”

His eyes. They flickered wildly from green to black. Again. Again. “Zane?” Fear threaded through his name.

His eyes squeezed shut. Kelly sucked in a deep, hard breath. “Knew … i-it …” she gasped.

Screw her. Jana pressed a fast kiss to his cold lips. Zane. “We’ll get the bullet out, and you’ll be fine. You hear me? Everything’s—”

“Get away from me.”

She blinked at him.

“Get. Away. “ His hands came between them. He tried to shove her back.

But the cuffs weren’t letting her go anywhere.

“Where’s the key?” she whispered, but the only answer she got was the roar that burst from his lips. A roar that shook her and shattered the night.

Then the green bled totally from his eyes, leaving only the black, and Jana knew she was in trouble.

“What did you shoot him with?” The shouted words came from Tony. “What did you use?”

Jana couldn’t look away from Zane. Not from that darkness.

“M-my brother … he made something sp-special for the demons.” Kelly’s voice was ragged, so strained, but satisfied. “It’ll rip his mind apart.”

Drugs. Zane’s father had been lost to the drugs. He’d killed Zane’s mother because of his addiction. Zane hated the drugs. He’d hate this.

Her left hand-the uncuffed hand-lifted and feathered over his cheek. “I’m sorry. Just hold on.” They’d weathered a storm like this before. They could get through it again.

A trickle of blood slipped from his nose. He smiled at her. Not Zane’s smile. Too … cold. Too cruel.

Not like Zane.

“Where’s the key?” she whispered again. “Not… leaving …“

“He doesn’t h-have the k-key!” Kelly yelled. Jana forced her stare to find the bleeding agent. Tony had a death-grip on Kelly’s arm, and he was trying to cuff her. “I stole it from his car while you were in-inside. H-hid it-you’ll never find it!”

Okay, the agent was getting on her last nerve. Feeling sorry for a woman could only last so long.

Kelly smiled at her. No, more of a baring of her teeth. “He’s going to … k-kill … you.”

Zane’s breath blew over Jana’s neck. A shiver skated down her spine. Then his mouth pressed against her skin, and the edge of his teeth bit into her neck.

“Tear her f-fucking throat open!” Kelly screamed.

“Shut the f**k up!” Tony roared back at her.

The bite became painful. Not a lover’s nip. More. Her hands flattened on his chest. “You’re going to be okay—”

“Rip her-“ Kelly’s words ended in a gurgle. Jana was still staring at her, and she saw the agent’s eyes roll back into her head. Kelly slammed forward, breaking free of Tony’s grasp and ramming her head into the cement. She didn’t get up.

Zane.

He licked her neck. His head lifted, and he stared at her. Then he ripped her shirt open. With just a thought.

“Shit!” Tony’s feet pounded toward them. “Man, what are you doing? You can’t—”

Tony jolted to a stop, then he flew forward, his body slamming into the thick concrete wall. Like a puppet on a string.

Not Zane. Not her Zane. This wasn’t him. ”No!” Her scream echoed in that cold night. “Zane, stop!”

This time, he was the one to laugh, and that laughter chilled her to the bone. The good guy was totally gone. The demon was in charge, and he was staring at her with blood-lust in his eyes.

He’s going to k-kill you.

Oh, damn, it sure looked like he just might.

Jude Donovan caught the scent of blood in the air. It was a scent that called to him, that tempted him, and one that made the beast inside salivate. Catalina was in sight, and even though the witch was all but flying down the street, she wouldn’t be able to get away from him. He was faster.

But that blood … He turned his head a bit. The scent came from behind him. His nostrils flared. Back to the left.

Where he’d left Zane and his Ignitor.

Hell.

He cast one final glance at Catalina. She was running as if wolves were after her. Or maybe as if a tiger shifter were on her tail. Smart woman.

The blood.

The tiger inside roared, and so did the man. He spun away and thundered back down the road, running after that sweet smell, sucking it deep inside, and pounding across the pavement as he raced back to Zane and Jana.

Blood.

He cut through an alley. Jude came up in the back of the squat, cement building, and he saw Tony ram into the wall.

Jude’s fangs burned in his mouth and his claws burst out. Tony might be an ass sometimes, but nobody hurt his friend, not even—

Zane. Shit.

Jude snapped his teeth together. No, no, this wasn’t right.

“Fight it,” he heard Jana say, her hands tight on the demon. Were they handcuffed together? Again? “I know the drugs are strong, but you can do this, you can.”

Drugs. No, no, Zane and drugs did not mix. The guy never even touched a cigarette because he was too afraid of the addiction, and of the darkness that the addiction brought.