Sunglasses at Night (Claws Clause 3)

“My price is simple. Actually, it’s more of a choice. Forget your revenge, forget your old life, and be my betrothed. In exchange, I’ll return your humanity to you.”

Well, not anything.

What was it Rafe said? A life for a life.

Alexis would give him his humanity—in exchange for bonding his newly human life to hers. Plus he’d have to spare Rafe?

“Pass.”

“Think it over. Don’t be rash. I could make you very happy.” She waggled the vial. “This could, too. Isn’t this what you want, Adam? Just say yes.”

It was the familiar way she said his name that had him spitting out his answer.

“I don’t need your elixir,” he told her. “I didn’t have to come here, but I was curious. Not anymore. I’ve got another lead. If you could get some, I’m sure I can, too. It might take longer, but that’s fine. So, yeah, thanks for wasting my time. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Mm.” Alexis pursed her lips, tapping the vial against the hollow of her cheek. “You sure about that? About getting more elixir?”

Adam was… until about two seconds after she said that.

“I did my research. Most covens know the main ingredients in this… Mountain ash. Some rowan. Holy water.” Alexis ticked them off with her free hand. “But you can mix those all together and get mud. No, to make this elixir, you need the exact recipe. And of all the covens, the only one willing to confess they knew it was a tiny little witch who should’ve stayed in Coventry.”

Alexis gave the vial a little shake. The viscous gold elixir coated the side of the glass tube.

“Holly Meadows thought she could hide in Woodbridge. Poor thing. She just didn’t h

ide well enough.”

Adam felt his chilled skin go icy cold. “Are you saying you killed her?”

“I didn’t have to. She gave me the only vial of elixir she had prepared, then disappeared. You can try contacting her. I doubt you’ll have any luck.”

The Nightwalker wasn’t wrong. For a good chunk of the last week, Tabby had been tugging on any line she had, calling all of her contacts, trying desperately to get in touch with Holly. Part of Adam had been hoping that their hunch that this was a trap was wrong, that maybe things were finally going his way.

Yeah fucking right.

Well. He had his answer now, too, didn’t he? When he wondered why the trap was set in Woodbridge, he couldn’t understand it.

Now he knew.

She widened her eyes, the faux innocence almost insulting. Her silver gaze still managed to gleam under the dim lights as she kept her unblinking stare locked on Adam. “It was supposed to be for a fledgling. I wondered if it was for you. And look at that. You want it. I have it.” Alexis licked her ruby-red lips. “All you have to do is say yes.”

“And if I don’t?”

With a cruel smile at odds with her angelic features, Alexis tipped the vial over. Half of the elixir splashed onto the tile below the dais, evaporating on contact.

“What do you say? Choose the elixir and be my betrothed. Or, if your revenge is so important, take that and know that I’ll smash this as soon as you give your answer.”

Adam noticed she kept saying “revenge” like that. He was sure she knew exactly what he thought about doing the second he laid eyes on Rafe. Was that on purpose?

Was he set-up?

Or, he wondered with a sudden spark of understanding, was Rafe?

Either way, it didn’t matter. If Alexis forced him to decide between changing back to human or killing Rafe, he’d sacrifice his revenge in a heartbeat; once he was human again, he’d forget all about the Nightwalker.

But if being human meant agreeing to a blood-bonding with her? If it meant being trapped in the paranormal world for as long as she lived—because, even if he was human, once he was bonded to a Nightwalker, they’d share the same lifespan—forced to love her, be her mate, and never have a chance at a love of his own?

If it meant sacrificing Tabby?