Page 93 of Bad Moon Rising (Dark-Hunter 17)
"But what?"
"There's a but in your tone."
He tucked his hands in his pockets in a way that reminded her of a bashful kid. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling and I think Maman has it too. She's really been on edge these last few days."
"Maman is always on edge."
"True, but this is . . ." His voice trailed off as he looked past her shoulder.
Aimee turned to see Fang in the doorway.
There was an instant tension between the two of them. Like two enemies measuring each other up as if waiting for a chance to strike. She hated for the two men who meant the most to her to be this uncomfortable together.
She looked back at Dev to see his gaze drop down to her hand, which was still unmarked.
He cleared his throat. "I better get going."
"Dev, wait." She went to place a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."
"No problem." He left so fast, she was surprised there wasn't a vapor trail.
Fang came forward, his expression apologetic. "I'm so sorry, Aimee."
She placed her hand over his lips. "Don't ever apologize for loving me, Fang. That's the one thing in my life I would have no other way."
He pulled her against him. "Yeah, but I hate what it's costing you."
So did she, but she would never let him know that. Aimee laid her head against his shoulder. It always felt so good to be next to him. Even at night when he slept as a wolf. He always lay right next to her and half the time she used him as a pillow. He never complained.
Fang closed his eyes as he held her. He didn't understand it, but being with her was like coming home. He'd heard that expression his whole life but he'd never really understood it until now.
And as he held her, his hand began to burn like it was on fire. Cursing, he stepped back.
"Ow!" Aimee snapped, shaking her own hand before she blew cool air across her palm.
The two of them froze in place as reality hit them hard. They knew instantly what it was.
They were mates.
Aimee moved to put her arm under his and hold her hand beside his hand so that they could watch the marks appear together. The highly stylized symbol was similar to Vane's and Fury's, but different enough to mark it as their own.
After all this time . . .
They finally knew in reality what they'd known all along in their hearts.
Aimee placed her marked palm over his and tightened her grip on his hand. "They look like wolf heads."
Fang frowned. "No, they don't."
She turned her hand over again. "Yes, they do. It has ears and everything."
Fang cocked his head as he realized she was right. It did look like a wolf outline. "Are you all right about this?"
"Should I not be?"
Honestly, he half-expected her to wig out at any second. Not that he would blame her after everything she'd been through. "I don't know . . . I mean, it's cost you everything."
Aimee swallowed. It was true in a way, but in another . . . "It didn't cost me you. I always knew I wouldn't have a choice over who the Fates chose for me and truthfully, I'd have it no other way. I never once dreamed that I'd feel toward my mate the way I feel toward you, Fang. Do you think I'd go stalking through two hell realms for anyone else?"
He laughed. "I hope not."
Aimee held his hand in hers as she walked into his arms until her breasts were pressed against his chest. "How do you feel about it?"
Fang swallowed as he felt his body harden. Damn, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. And like her, he'd never once dreamed he'd feel this way toward another person, never mind his mate. "Relieved that I'm not a complete freak."
"Fang!" she said in a chiding tone.
He gave an innocent blink. "What?"
Aimee shook her head at him. "We have got to do something about your brutal honesty."
"Like you didn't have the same thought."
Okay, maybe a little, but she'd never admit that out loud.
"Are you two coming to eat?"
Hating the interruption, she looked past him to see Bride in the doorway. "We're coming." When she started to pull away, Fang held her close.
"I just want to feel you here for a minute longer," he projected to her.
Her vision swam at that. He held on to her as if she were the most precious thing he'd ever touched and it made the love inside her well up. Gods, how she loved the way he felt against her. The hardness of his body. The deep masculine smell of his skin. She could stay like this forever.
"Uncle Fang?"
Smiling, Aimee looked down to see Trace tugging at Fang's leg.
"What you need, sport?"
Trace wrapped his arms around Fang's leg, squeezed tight, then ran off toward the kitchen.
Aimee laughed. "I guess he needed the same thing I did."
"Guess so." Fang took her hand into his and pulled her toward the dining room.
Bride pegged them both with a stern frown. "What are you two up to?"
Fang looked at Aimee then back at Bride. "What?"
"You look like two wolves who found a bone." It was a Katagaria expression that meant the same thing as the cat who ate a canary.
Bride's gaze dipped to Fang's hand. She gasped and almost dropped the salad bowl she was holding. Setting it on the table, she snatched his palm up to look at it. "Oh, gods, you're mated!" Then her eyes really widened. "I really hope it's to Aimee."
Aimee laughed before she held her palm up to show her. "Thankfully so. Otherwise I'd have had to kill me some ho and then beat Fang senseless."
He held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, you know my future sessions are all under your control."
"Dog right, boy."
Vane entered the room and looked around with a puzzled frown. "What's going on?"
"Your brother's mated."
"Yeah, to Angelia."
"Not Fury, sweetie."
It took a second for the news to register. Vane gaped at them before he held his hand out to Fang. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Fang said, shaking it.
Lia came running forward from the kitchen. "Let me see!" she said to Aimee. She grinned as she compared their marks, which were basically the same except for the colors. Aimee's was blue while Lia's was red. "Welcome to the family. Not that you weren't here already, but now it's official."
In spite of her happiness, those words brought a stab of pain as Aimee realized her birth family would never be this happy for her.
It was so unfair.
But she wouldn't let it taint her joy. At least that was what she told herself. The truth, however, was that it did. No matter what happened, her family was her family and she wanted them with her.
Their absence ached deep inside her heart, but she refused to show that to the others. They were happy for her and she was so grateful for them that words couldn't convey even an inkling of what she felt. So she sat there, choking back her tears while Vane and Bride broke out champagne and they all celebrated.
Even Fury when he returned was thrilled. He kissed her on the cheek and shook Fang's hand.
Aimee excused herself from them and went to the bathroom. The moment she was alone, she shut the door and flashed herself to the alley outside of Sanctuary. It was completely dark. Eerily so. She glanced up at the light that had always been moody on its best night.
When would Griffe get around to fixing it?
Missing her family, she went to the door to open it, then stopped.
They won't be happy. Tears gathered in her eyes as those words cut through her. She wanted to run inside and tell her parents. To have them laugh and congratulate her the way they'd done for her mated brothers. She wanted Dev and Remi and all the others to congratulate her too.
It would never happen.
Go home.
A single tear fled down her cheek. This was her home. . . .
But not anymore. This would never be her home again.
Her home was with Fang as his mate. Forcing herself to let go of the doorknob, she stepped back. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of pink from the corner of her eye.
She went over to it. Her heart sank as she realized it was the body of their waitress, Tara. Just like the other murders that the police had tried to blame on Fang, she was completely drained of blood.
But she still had her soul. . . .
Stumbling back, she realized in an instant what this was.
A demon kill.
Her breathing ragged, she started for the door only to feel an evil presence in the alley with her.
Someone tsked. "You didn't really think you'd be able to interrupt us and then go your own way, did you?"
Out of the darkness stepped not one, but an army of demons.
