My eyes skimmed over their ruined outfits. Their style of dress and trendy shoes told me they’d taken pride in their appearance. Now, their sunken faces would haunt me forever.
It’s not fair.
“Are you all right?” Aric asked quietly.
I nodded, more so he wouldn’t sniff my lie.
The soft hammering of feet awakened my tigress. Weres of all species rushed the alley. They skidded to a stop upon seeing me. “She’s with me,” Aric warned when they attempted to circle me.
I didn’t know what position Aric held, but everyone there did. They moved away, careful to give me space. Two escorted Tommy out while the others gathered around the bodies.
Time to go.
I limped backward, jumping when I accidently stepped on a sharp piece of cracked mortar. Aric retrieved Taran’s shoe and handed it to me. It would have been an awesome Cinderella moment if my back claws hadn’t shredded through the leather and the heel didn’t have the wolf’s eye still attached.
My stomach rolled. “Um. You keep it.”
Aric glanced at the pierced eyeball. “Ah. Right.” He sighed. “My students will pay for your things—”
“Don’t worry about it.” I removed Taran’s other shoe and tossed it into the Dumpster. It hit the lid with a loud clang. I then padded toward the exit, stopping only to grab my battered phone and purse.
“Where are you going, miss?”
Aric’s question surprised me. It also sounded odd being addressed as “miss,” especially by him. “My name is Celia.” I pushed my hair out of my eyes to get one last look at him. “I’m going home.”
Aric approached slowly. I guess he worried about frightening me. But I wasn’t scared, just freaked out by his presence and all the remaining adrenaline from the fight.
He stopped when he stood two arm lengths away, the same distance most men ever dared to approach. But then he surprised me by taking another step closer, followed by another. Oh, yeah. I don’t scare this wolf one bit.
“Let me take you home, Celia. There could be more infected vampires. You’re covered in blood; you’ll be easy prey.”
I liked the way he said my name, like he’d known me forever. My legs moved without permission and my words formed without thought. “Okay. Thank you.”
I trudged alongside Aric, careful to avoid any debris that would slice my feet. The strength of my beast toughened my skin, but it had its limits. My soles waved figurative white flags and begged for a good soak. I sighed the moment my toes touched the walkway, relishing the small amount of relief the cool concrete provided.
Aric scratched his head. “Do you, uh, want me to carry you?”
He’s offering to carry me….I blushed like an idiot. “Um, no. Thanks. I’ll manage.”
“I’m parked three blocks away. You can wait here while I get my car.”
The last thing I wanted was to remain in the company of weres. Aric had kept them from attacking, but his absence might make them reconsider. “I’m fine to walk.”
We hiked up the small hill, past a local bakery with a wide door. The lingering scent of fresh-baked croissants was a welcome aroma compared to the sour stench of blood and death. “How many humans died tonight?”
I hadn’t noticed Aric watching me until I glanced in his direction. He paused for a few beats, likely debating whether to tell me. “Nine,” he finally said. “All women. All inside the city limits.”
I nibbled on my lip, but didn’t like the taste. Something had splattered on me. I just hoped it wasn’t Tommy’s insides. “All from bloodlust?”
Aric nodded slowly. “You seem to know a lot about what’s going on.”
“A friend—” I stopped. Misha was hardly a friend. “Someone I know mentioned what was happening.” I skipped away from Misha territory, careful to avoid Aric’s questioning glance. “How many infected vamps were involved?”
“Three. All in varying degrees. The one who attacked the women in the alley drained seven of the victims.”
Good Lord. “Are you sure?”
Darkness shadowed Aric’s face. “Yes. Their throats had been devoured in the exact same way. The other two weren’t as sick, but they sure as hell were on their way.”
I froze suddenly. My tigress eyes replaced my own, searching the street for signs of movement.
“He’s not out there, Celia.” Aric’s gaze locked with deep fascination onto my face. “I killed him.”
I blinked my beast side away. Aric cocked his head. He didn’t comment on my unique ability to manage my inner animal. He also didn’t appear disturbed by it. I focused on his chest. The blood from his other shirt had soaked through to his tee. I wasn’t sure what changes a bloodlust vamp underwent during the different stages of the infection. But the women in the alley had been ravaged. Whatever Aric fought must have been chilling as all hell. “Did you kill him on your own?”