Page 87 of Marked By Moonlight

At this Gideon could only stare. Every lycan had a pack.

“No pack. I had hoped Claire could be my pack,” he said in a soft voice. “She’s all I need.”

Gideon aimed the gun again, beyond tempted to blow this lycan away. “Sorry, she’s not yours.”

“So I learned.” Once again, Darius appeared unperturbed. “Appears she’s not so easily persuaded. Someone got to her before me.” His gaze cut to Gideon meaningfully, making it clear to whom he referred.

Darius sidestepped Gideon and entered the house. “Despite my best efforts to convince her otherwise, she thinks you can save her.” He smiled that cold smile again. “But we both know differently. Don’t we?”

Gideon was still grappling with the news that this lycan had freed Claire. Where was she? Why hadn’t she come to him?

“You let her go?” Gideon demanded, rotating where he stood, his gun following the lycan strolling through his living room.

“You sound suspicious. Bad experience with others of my kind, I presume.” Darius stopped, hands clasped behind his back, and rocked on his heels, saying, “Is that why you became an agent?”

Gideon stiffened. He wasn’t about to share his personal history with this bastard. It made no difference that he was steadily breaking every preconceived notion he had about lycans—Gideon still didn’t trust him.

“Ah, sore subject, I see. Would it do any good to tell you that I too share your dislike for my kind? My intentions toward Claire are honorable.”

Gideon snorted. “Right. That’s why you flung her screaming over your shoulder and abducted her.”

Darius’s silver eyes narrowed. “Ioffer her life. What do you offer her? A one-night stand and a silver bullet?” The criticism in his voice cut like a whip.

“Shut the hell up.” The bitter taste of rage flooded his mouth. His finger curled around the trigger, so tempted. “I’m trying to help her.”

“I’m sure you are.” Darius nodded his dark head, but his voice sounded less than convinced. “All you agents have the same solution for the world’s lycan problem. Destroy. Kill. It never crossed your mind that there may be a better way to help Claire?”

Gideon pounded his fist on his chest. “I’m trying to help her find—”

“Yes, but you’re going to kill her if you don’t. Correct?”

Gideon opened his mouth several times, finding himself at a complete loss. In all honesty, he couldn’t answer that question any longer. He had vowed no one would end her life save him, but when it came down to it, could he even do it?

Then it hit him that he didn’t owe an explanation to this lycan. “This is between me and Claire.”

“I don’t think you want her to die,” Darius announced, his lookthoughtful. “What if I told you there’s a way to protect her soul and let her live as a lycan?”

Gideon stepped closer, Darius’s words fanning the flame of hope sheltered deep in his heart. Then common sense prevailed and he muttered, “That’s impossible.”

“Such a pessimist.” Darius clicked his tongue, looking disappointed as he headed for the door. “It seems Claire misplaced her faith in you, otherwise you’d at least hear me out. No matter. I’ll find her without you. I promised her my protection, told her I’d come for her today.”

Anger unfurled low in Gideon’s belly. What exactly went on between Claire and this lycan to make her trust him? “Why would she trust you?” he demanded, refusing to believe that she would turn to a lycan for help over him.

“We have an understanding.”

Gideon had no reason to feel betrayed. He and Claire had exchanged no words of love, made no promises. He shouldn’t feel betrayed that she accepted the help of another, of a lycan—but he did.

“What kind of understanding?” he growled.

“Whether you believe it or not, I’m not your typical lycan.”

Gideon had no trouble believing that. So far this lycan had displayed behavior far from customary. The fact that Gideon was talking to him and Darius had not tried to rip out his throat said a lot.

Darius went on, “I lock myself up during every full moon so that I won’t feed.”

“Right,” Gideon snorted. He didn’t know what was more unbelievable. That Darius claimed to lock himself in a room or that he didn’twantto feed. Once a lycan fed and tasted human blood he lost all conscience. The beast ruled him. “No room can hold a lycan in the throes of blood hunger.”

“I’ve built one that can. A tank couldn’t crash through these walls. It’s impenetrable.”

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