27

Someone wanted to scare Vanessa badly enough to send her running, something he doubted she did often, and he’d succeeded. The woman looked like her legs would give out on her at any moment. The urge to take her into his arms hit him hard. He wanted to hold her. More than that, he wanted to protect her. That sudden need went beyond his job, but he resisted. Something told him that she would most likely react like a wild animal cornered if he did pull her into an embrace.

“Come on,” he said quietly. Taking her arm in a gentle grasp, he led her into the living room so she could sit.

His partner's brows nearly reached his hair as he watched Alaric guide a quiet Vanessa to the edge of the couch. She tucked her hands between her knees, but he could still see them trembling.

A feeling of helplessness assaulted him, a sensation he wasn’t used to at all. Alaric knew how to protect people. He made a living doing it, but so far, he’d done a piss-poor job of doing so.

Turning to Paul, he curled h