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“Look at the way he walks though,” I point out. “Purposeful, like he knows exactly where he’s going.”
Zane grunts in agreement. “Not his first time here then.”
My phone buzzes again, and I open Cayenne’s reply. She managed to zoom in and sharpen the image somewhat. The figure’s face is still hidden, but I notice a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve of the hoodie. It looks like some kind of tribal design.
I show Zane. “Mean anything to you?”
He studies it for a moment, then shakes his head. “Nothing I recognize, but it’s a start.”
“I’m going to forward it to Quinn and see if he can figure it out.” I send it in the pack group chat and pocket my phone, frustration gnawing at me.
Zane drums his fingers on his knee as it bounces.
I reach over and place my hand on his leg. “You good?”
“Yeah.” He holds his leg absolutely still.
“You don’t look good.” I drag my gaze over him. There are dark circles under his eyes, and the blue is more pronounced than I’ve ever seen it. Wait. “I’ve seen that haunted look on your face before.”
“No you haven’t.” He looks away, staring at the building.
“Jane,” I blurt out and watch as Zane goes utterly still. His jaw clenches, a muscle twitching beneath the skin. “What the hell, man?”
“You don’t see the similarities?” he retorts, staring at me, his voice low and strained. His eyes, usually sharp and focused, now hold a haunted look. “The way she looks at us, Malachi. It’s the same damn look Jane had.”
“You need to check yourself. This situation is nothing like Jane.” That girl was a lying, cheating bitch. Aria is anything but.
“This is exactly like Jane. Damsel in distress. A beta.” He sneers the word as though it’s a curse. “One who only wanted us to keep her safe.” Again, he sneers the word. “In the end, she wanted more and more and more.”
I wince, because he’s right. Jane was one of our first assignments. She got stars in her eyes because Zane saved her life by literally almost taking a bullet for her. It grazed him, but even so.
They fell in love, or rather lust. Jane was one of those alpha chasers, a beta who’s convinced if she finds the right alpha, she will suddenly morph into an omega.
It’s a real thing, but Jane wasn’t a latent omega. She was a manipulative bitch.
The last assignment we took from her father, Zane had to guard her as she fucked a whole alpha pack. To say there’s trauma there is an understatement.
“Do you feel that Aria is like Jane?” I nearly sit on my hands to keep from resting my hand against his heart.
He wouldn’t appreciate the contact anyway.
He frowns and licks his lips. “It doesn’t matter.” He looks away.
Watching Zane and Aria dance around each other is getting old.
If she were ours, we'd know by now. Wouldn't we? But then why does Zane look at her like she's simultaneously the answer to all his prayers and his worst nightmare? It's the same look he had after... No. We all agreed never to speak of that again. Still, I can't shake the feeling we're missing something obvious.
“It does matter.” I shake my head. A sudden movement catches my eye, and I snap my attention back to the street. A figure emerges from the shadows, moving with a purposeful stride toward Aria’s building.
“Zane,” I hiss, already reaching for the door handle.
Zane’s out of the car before I can even finish saying his name, moving with the stealth and speed that comes from years of training. I’m right behind him, my heart pounding in my chest as we approach the figure.
As we draw closer, I can make out more details. It’s a man, tall and broad shouldered, with a confident gait. He’s wearing a dark hoodie, the hood pulled up to obscure his face, just like in the footage.
Zane and I exchange a glance, a silent communication passing between us. We’ve done this dance a thousand times before. He takes the lead, and I flank him, ready to provide backup if needed.
“Hey!” Zane calls out, his voice sharp and authoritative. “Stop right there.”
