Endlessly.

Sometimes, he wasn’t sure if those memories belonged to the vampires he’d killed—or to me.

His fingers tightened on Heath’s throat. “You were supposed to be working with me. That was why I paid you so much.”

Tears filled the man’s eyes. He was muttering frantically behind his gag. Liam narrowed his eyes. “If you try to scream, I’ll rip out your throat.”

A desperate nod.

Liam jerked out the gag.

“Pl…please…” Heath wheezed. “I can still help you.”

And he would. “Where are they?”

“They went…after Lorcan.”

A foolish move. “Alerac actually took Jane to him?” After all he’d done to keep her out of the vamp’s reach?

“Her brother is d-dying. Lorcan has a cure.”

Her brother. The prick Ryan. How many times did I say he needed to lose his head? But Alerac hadn’t listened to him. Alerac never listened to him.

“Where is Lorcan?”

“Southside of the mountain. In the blue house, the one with the windows boarded up.”

How like a vamp to hide behind boarded windows, cowering from the sun.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Liam murmured.

“I-I can help—”

Liam snapped Heath’s neck. “No, you can die.” Because the human had failed him too many times already.

The he glanced around the cabin. He knew what this place was. Alerac’s home for her. Alerac thought to offer the princess a perfect sanctuary.

They wouldn’t have that.

He’d destroy them—he’d destroy everything.

Chapter Ten

The sun blazed down on them as Alerac and Jane crept toward the blue house. Heavy boards covered the windows. There were no cars outside the structure, no vehicles of any sort.

The pack had left their motorcycles a few miles away. They hadn’t wanted to alert Lorcan to their approach. Now they closed in on the house, surrounding it from all sides.

“Where’s Ryan?” Jane whispered as she edged closer to Alerac. She hadn’t caught sight of Ryan or Zoe.

Alerac’s nostrils flared, as if he were pulling in her brother’s scent. “Heading to the right. Dammit, he’s getting too close to the house. He needs to wait!”

Ryan wasn’t going to wait for anyone.

“How many are in the house?” Jane asked. “Can you hear them?”

“I count five.” His gaze locked on the front door. But then he frowned. “Five, but I smell…” His eyes widened. “Back!” Alerac roared.

He grabbed Jane and began running with her.

Just as the blue house exploded.

The blast lifted Jane and Alerac both into the air. It tossed them, and then they slammed down into the hard earth.

She glanced back at the house—only there was no house. Just flames.

“Ryan?” Jane whispered her brother’s name.

Zoe ran from the flames. Her clothes were smoking. Blood dripped from a gash on her forehead.

“Ryan?” Jane jumped to her feet. Alerac tried to stop her, but she wasn’t in the mood to be stopped. “Ryan!”

Zoe grabbed her hands. “I’m sorry. I tried to pull him back—”

No, no, this couldn’t happen. They’d gone there to save Ryan.

She tried desperately to use the mental link that was supposed to be between them.

But Jane’s mind touched nothing.

Then she heard laughter. Sick, twisted laughter that seemed to come from the very flames.

The red and orange flames stretched into the sky. They burned white-hot. She could feel the lance of that heat against her skin.

She yanked free of Zoe’s hold and followed that laughter. It wasn’t coming from the flames, but from the woods that were behind the house.

Lorcan stood there. Arms crossed over his chest. A dead werewolf at his feet. And a pale, scared blond woman at his side.

Though the sun was out, Lorcan certainly didn’t look weak, not in any way.

“Lorcan.” Alerac snarled his name with fury and hate.

Jane could only stare at him. This man—with his perfect looks, his too pale skin, and his icy eyes—he was the one who’d wreaked havoc on her life for so very long.

Alerac charged toward him.

“Make the wolf hurt,” Lorcan ordered.

The blond woman lifted her hand. Then she clenched her fingers into a fist. Alerac fell down, howling as he clawed at his chest.

Alerac’s men—those still alive—were gathering around them. She could hear bones snapping, and Jane knew they were shifting in preparation for an attack.

The blonde’s gaze found Jane’s. I’m sorry. The woman mouthed the words.

“Don’t be,” Jane shouted right back. “Because Lorcan is going to die!”

She wasn’t going to let Alerac be in pain. She wasn’t just going to stand there. Jane leapt forward, feeling her own claws break from her fingertips even as her fangs burned in her mouth.

For his crimes, Lorcan would die. And as for the blonde—you’re his witch, aren’t you?—she’d be joining the vampire in hell.

Lorcan smiled at her. “Want me? Then come get me.”

She was.

She raced toward him, going faster, faster, faster—

And he was waiting. Not even trying to back away. Grinning and waiting for her attack.

The witch still had her hand clenched into a fist. Jane didn’t know what kind of spell the woman was working, but—it ends.

At the last second, right before Jane would have collided with Lorcan, she whirled and took that witch down.

Because I won’t let Alerac suffer.

Jane drove her claws into the woman’s chest. The blond screamed, and her hands opened as she tried to fight Jane.

“You don’t hurt him,” Jane said as she shoved the woman back into the woods. “No one does.”

Then she turned on Lorcan.

That smile was still in place on his face. Wrong expression, jerk. Didn’t he realize this was when he was supposed to be afraid?

There was no more snapping of bones behind her. No more howls. A fast and frantic glance showed her that the wolves had shifted, and they stalked forward quickly, surrounding Lorcan.

No escape.

Alerac rose from the ground. His breath heaved out as he lunged forward and put himself right next to Jane.