“She’s afraid her blood has infected you.” Taggert entered the room, but she refused to turn and face him and the truth that she’d already infected him.
“I’m a shifter, I can’t get anything.” Still half naked, Durant stepped closer, and she skittered away from him. If he touched her now, she’d lose the last string on her temper. Anger burned along her skin, ready to ignite. As long has he kept his distance, there would be no spark.
“It’s not a disease.” Taggert wrapped his arms around her waist, fingers biting into her skin, holding her in place when she would’ve bolted. She didn’t want to have this painful conversation. Not tonight. Not ever.
“You didn’t harm him.” Taggert forced her chin up to face Durant. It pissed her off to be overpowered and weak.
“You can’t know that.” A tremor shook her, and she jerked away from them both. God, how she wanted to believe him, but there was no refuting the truth.
“Don’t we? Your blood hasn’t harmed me, and I’ve been exposed more than once.”
“You’re affected by my touch. Every time you’re near, you absorb something from me that—”
“Allows me to help you.” A very contented smile curled his lips.
Her throat felt thick at his confession. “You can’t know what damage it’ll do in the long run. A body is only capable of withstanding so much abuse.”
“I heal fast.”
She wanted to smack him for being so obstinate. “You have no idea what prolonged exposure could do.”
He reached out to pull her back to him then winced, curling his arm around his ribs. “And maybe it’s making me strong enough to be with you.”
Horror thickened the back of her throat. The labs had managed to alter her in ways to ensure her survival. Every time she came into contact with someone, she exposed them to her brand of poison.
“Why don’t we talk in the morning?” Taggert swayed. She and Durant rushed forward. Durant grabbed Taggert’s elbow, but she hesitated.
“Don’t pull away.” Taggert cupped her jaw, his gaze so direct and so unlike himself that she stiffened. “I like the changes. If you hadn’t picked me up at the club, I’d still be there, waiting for my death.”
A lopsided smile lit up his face, and her heart thumped hard against her ribs to see him so relaxed and happy despite everything they’d been through.
“I think it’s time for you to get some rest before you fall on your face.” With everything that’d changed in his life the last few days, not to mention her bringing his wolf to the surface for long periods of time, she was actually surprised he was still conscious.
Durant helped him settle in her bed, double-checking his wounds. She grabbed a change of clothes, stripped what remained of her clothing and cursed the time it took to dress with her injuries. When she would’ve snuck away, Taggert’s chocolate eyes follow her movements. Unable to resist, she drew near and brushed her fingers over his sun-streaked hair. With a smile, his eyes closed, his breathing deepened, and he dropped off to sleep.
“I think we should discuss this more.” Durant watched her from the bathroom doorway.
“Discuss what? The Pack? The fact you want us to be lovers? Or that if we touch, I could kill you?” Eager to get away from him and the conflicting feelings he invoked, she focused on finishing this case and put it to rest. “I need to review my case file and see if I can fill in some answers. I want to get this settled tonight in time to pick up Jackson.” She waited for him to protest or go back on his promise not to interfere in her work. Muscles bunched in his jaw, but he remained quiet when she thought he’d explode.
“As you wish.” He unbuckled the first closure of his pants with a lazy smile that made her uncomfortable and nearly stopped her heart, the traitor. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
Raven swallowed thickly and quickly left before she did something stupid.
Like stayed.
Chapter Thirty-four
DAY 9: PRE-DAWN
Shadowy hallways greeted her, the cold air almost frosting along her skin as she went downstairs. Her mind worried the details of the case. Everything made sense except who killed Jason and what happened to his body.
A light in the study illuminated her desk, and she kept her gaze locked on it. Part of her was afraid to look at the chair where she’d last seen Ross, half-expecting to find his body waiting for her. When she’d gathered enough courage to turn, he was gone. Hell, the whole chair had vanished for that matter.
Finding his body didn’t frighten her; it was the fear of accidentally bringing him back to life that scared the dickens out of her. The unease plaguing her since she stepped in the house, strangely, didn’t lesson one iota.