Page 155 of Wolf Blood

I gave her a chance to tell me to stop, but she didn't.

"I couldn't think straight, so I went to find Bloom to ask for help. I ran into Steven in the elevator, and he had me go upstairs to do something work-related for him. I lost control in his office, and drained him. Killed him. I didn't know what else to do, so I ran back to my apartment to get my shit together. By the time I made myself look human again and got back to talk to Bloom, Steven's body had been discovered, and the werewolves were there. I'm sure you know the rest."

Neve didn't say anything, so I kept talking.

"Bloom knew what I was and tried to find a cure, but Maverick was trying to win her over, so he was constantly around. Velour was supposed to find answers, but he didn't." That was a lie. Mostly. "We thought I had a little more time when she brought me back to the gathering, so you could end the threat, but we wereobviouslywrong. The wolves didn't know what was going on, but when they found out, they helped. I'm mated to one of them, now. Rhone."

"The Beta, Rhone?"

"Yes."

"He killed Pepper Valenti, Harper."

"After she bit and killed a human without consent, Neve."

"Youbit and killed a human without consent, Harper." Her voice was sharp.

Rhone growled.

Her eyes widened. "He's with you? Right now?"

"Of course he is. He's my mate. And unlike Pepper, I didn'tchooseto bite Steven. Velour killed me, and abandoned me tofigure out what was happening right afterward. I wasn't in my right mind, and I still regret what I did every single day. Pepper was proud of herself for the murder. I'm not her."

Neve studied me, her eyes still wide.

"What did Velour say about it?"I asked.

"He said you asked him to turn you. That all you wanted was to be a vampire. He came to me and Holly immediately after you turned. We had people in the building when you killed Steven. They were too late, and decided to focus on wiping the footage instead of killing you, after you left. They made the tech guy do it."

I scoffed. "When did I everwantto be a vampire? I loved my humanity. I only tolerated the gatherings because you convinced me they were our culture. The only vampires I even liked were Bloom's family."

Never pressed her lips together. "We need to meet. I need evidence."

I turned my phone toward Rhone, so Neve could see him glaring at her. "Meeting him isn't a good idea."

"Of course it is."

"It's not. Rhone is really protective of me."

"Why?"

He growled again.

"Because I'm hismate, Neve." My voice was sharp.

"If Bloom's situation is anything to judge, the werewolves don't give a damn who they mate with. They'll pluck up the first vampire they find on the street, and?—"

Aaaand Rhone shifted forms.

I tried to stop him from ripping the phone out of my hand, and failed.

One moment, he was furry. The next, he had me sitting on his lap while he glared at the woman who had raised me.

She suddenly looked very, very scared.

"Shut the fuck up," Rhone growled. "You don't know a damn thing about werewolves. If you did, you wouldn't be helping the vampires murder humans under the guise of taking us down. We have evidence that you were aware they were turning people, by choice."

"I'm not helping them murder humans," Neve said sharply.