Eternal Flame (Night Watch 3)

“But first…” And the guards spilled into the room. “First we’re taking that fire from you. We’re taking it, and we’re going to make sure you’re nothing but a corpse when we leave this room.”

Now, this was the Beth she knew and hated. “Bring it, bitch.” Jana let the charge shoot through her. “If you think you’re strong enough, come on.” A line of fire split the floor between them. Charge more. Charge. “Let’s see if you still like my fire.”

“Shoot her!” Beth screamed at the guards. “Not the head or the heart, but shoot her! Take her down!”

The bullets flew through the air just as the flames blazed higher.

Laura stumbled forward, careening dangerously close to the fire. Jana lunged toward her. Laura’s fingers brushed her arm.

Pain. It sliced through her. Agony that burned and burned and burned.

Jana screamed and fell to the floor.

Beth’s laughter echoed around her. “Give it to me! Give it to me!”

Something was ripping out of Jana. Clawing its way out of her body. Burning claws, hacking their way to the surface. Tears streamed down her face. “Z-Zane …”

“He can’t help you. He won’t.”

Her palms slapped against the floor. She forced her head up. Those flames …

Laura stared back at her with eyes too wide. Beth was holding the girl’s hand, squeezing tight. “Give it to me.”

Smoke began to drift from Laura’s nostrils. From her mouth. Her eyes. “Give it to me!”

Jana tried to speak, but blood trickled from her lips and splattered onto the floor.

Laura’s pale skin reddened. Beth laughed. Laughed and took the power.

Beth’s hand fell away from Laura just as the fire erupted. Laura screamed.

So did Jana. She screamed for Zane because she knew Beth was going after him, and she couldn’t do a damn thing to stop the bitch.

“Get out!” The snarl broke from her lips as Jana’s temples throbbed. He’d seen e-damn-nough. He hadn’t believed her.

Zane’s breath heaved out, and the bastard reached for her. Reached for her. Right, like she wanted him touching her then. “I’m not the one with the trust issues. I didn’t turn on you, haven’t ever. Hell, I came back to you. I could have run. You wouldn’t have ever seen me again, but I came to your house.”

“Why?” Seemed torn from him.

“Because I’m a damn idiot.” She grabbed for the door.

“Jana—”

Her fingers curled tight around the doorknob. “You got to me, demon.” She was ashamed to admit it. She’d fallen so easily. Started falling that first day, when he’d come through the fire for her on Francis Street. She’d thought she could count on him.

A good guy, her ass. Just another wolf inside. No, a demon inside.

She wrenched open the door and hurried outside. The cold night air bit into her face and arms and cut right through her clothes. Her teeth chattered before she was even halfway across the parking lot.

“I’m not letting you go, Jana!” His words carried easily on the wind. Loud, angry. Desperate? No, not desperate. Zane was never desperate for anything.

But those were just the words she needed to hear, the words that pissed her off. Jana spun back to face him. “You don’t let me do anything. I do what I want, always have, always will. And right now, I’m leaving you.”

He didn’t rush toward her. Didn’t run. Just … stalked her. Slowly. Like she was prey and he had her cornered. He doesn’t.

His eyes blazed with emotion that she couldn’t read. So much emotion swirling in those deep eyes. “Is leaving me really what you want?” he asked.

Not answering that. She couldn’t have what she wanted. That was obvious. He didn’t trust me. Had to look in my mind to see the truth. “There’s a killer in this town, apparently coming after me.” Talk about kicking a girl when she was down. “According to your witch girlfriend, I’m dead center on the target list and—”

His eyebrows shot up, but he kept coming at her. “Catalina isn’t my girlfriend.”

“Screw that. You’ve slept together.” Why was she bringing this up now? Like this mattered with all the other crap that was happening. I don’t care what he does with the witch. I’m leaving. Not my business anymore. The back lot was deserted. Frost had settled over the handful of cars parked there, and a small pool of light spilled from the building.

“We have slept together,” he confirmed and Jana wished, wished, she had her fire back then.

Zane stopped in front of her, bracing his legs, and throwing back his shoulders. “But we’ve been over a long time. Catalina knew she wasn’t the one for me.”

“What? Did she scry that, too?” she tossed out as her breath formed a cloud in front of her face.

“Yes, she did.”

He caught her arm and pulled her close. “Don’t leave me.” Not an order this time. Probably as close to a plea as the man had ever gotten. “Everything is so screwed up, but shit … I need you, Jana. More than I’ve ever needed anything.”

She needed him. She wanted to punch him right then, and dammit, she needed—

His mouth crashed onto hers. Hot. Hard. Desperate. Wild. Just what she wanted. His tongue pushed into her mouth, drove inside and claimed her, and her heart thundered against her chest. It would be so easy, so easy to give in. But …

But Jana pulled her mouth away from his lips. Hurt. The wound was too fresh for her to give in to the rush of lust. “Why?” she whispered, letting more emotion out than she should. “You want me for sex?” That wasn’t enough for her anymore.

“Fuck, yeah, for sex, but more. “ There was more glittering in his eyes. “Give me a chance, baby. I know I can be a dumb bastard, but give me a chance.”

“You don’t trust me.” Couldn’t he see? Without trust, they didn’t have anything.

“No, I don’t trust myself. Not with you.” Stark. “I want you so much, need you, that I don’t trust myself.” He huffed out a hard breath. “You’re in me, Jana. Beneath skin and bones, and even if you had traded your fire for me … shit, I’d still need you just as much.”

What? Oh, damn … the man was making her weaken.

“I don’t care what powers you have. I don’t care if the fire is gone.”