Marked (17 page)

She dug her nails into his chest, and fireworks detonated inside her. “That wasn’t kink.”

He nipped her nose. “No, it wasn’t. That was my making a point.” As if to make another one, he shoved all the way home.

Janie gasped, her body rioting. Slowly, she forced herself to relax and adjust to his girth. “Your point?” she breathed.

He studied her. “You need to stay safe. This is home. Finally.”

The words wound right around her heart and dug deep. Another tear rolled down her cheek.

He kissed this one away. “I love you, Janet Isabella Kayrs. Always have and always will.”

She gasped, so full of him she couldn’t breathe. “Why?”

He grinned. “You’re stubborn, sexy, brilliant, beautiful, kind, determined . . . and mine.”

She returned the smile as her body accepted his. “That’s a large list.”

“You have a big presence in a tiny body.” He kissed her, taking his time, making her head spin. “Your sense of duty and loyalty intrigue me as well.”

She ran her hands down his flanks. “You’re just as loyal as I am, but you don’t like to admit it.”

He frowned. “I’d do anything for my family.”

“What about your people?” She saw beneath his anger and hurt, and it was time he did as well. “You care about them and want the war to end.”

“Of course, but I’m not a demon.”

She lifted her head and kissed him again. “Then what are you?”

He frowned. “Yours.” His shaft pulsed inside her, a constant reminder of his strength and masculinity.

She inhaled through her nose, trying to concentrate. “You’re also theirs, and if Suri is as crazy as he seems, the demon people need you. There’s nobody else.”

“Don’t talk to me about fate, baby,” he whispered, sliding out and then back in.

Her eyes wanted to roll back in her head from the devastating friction, so she blinked to concentrate. In about two seconds, she was going to beg him to move. For now, she needed to get her point across. “Screw fate.” She gasped as he slid out and then back in. “I’m talking about loyalty to people and duty. That you have to choose.”

He leaned down and nipped her lips with his. “The demons aren’t my people.”

“You’re part demon, like it or not. And who else do they have?” She leaned up and kissed him hard.

“Enough talking.” He started to move. Slowly at first, with long desperate drags. Then faster.

Flash fire uncoiled inside her, and she tried to climb the cliff just to fall over. Definitely enough talking. He either understood her or he didn’t. For now, her body completely took over. “Harder,” she moaned.

He reached under her to clasp her chest against his and started thrusting deep. Hard and deep.

She shut her eyes, lost in the incredible sensations.

A tiny explosion rocked inside her, and then the world blew up. She arched into him, crying out his name, pleasure capturing her and throwing her back into Zane’s body. He growled her name, grinding against her as he came. Finally, the pummeling waves lulled, and she flopped back onto the bed, her body satiated.

Her hands shaking, she pushed his hair away from his damp face. The guy was a throwback who needed to learn how strong she was, who had to learn to trust her to take care of herself. She could teach him. For now, all she could do was feel and have faith. “I love you, Zane Kyllwood.”

Zane paced the large conference room, an itch of warning tingling down his back. Sam sat at the conference table with Dage, Talen, Moira and Simone, who represented the witch nation. Nick Veis leaned against the wall by the door, staring at Simone, who pointedly ignored him.

The damn place was overrun with witches and vampires.

Moira Dunne Kayrs sneezed. The witch was pale compared to her cousin.

Zane wondered again if witches sneezed when irritated. Shrugging off the question, his gaze focused on the map projected across the entire wall. Several demon landholdings and outposts were marked . . . but even more were absent. “What do you want, King?” he asked.

Talen answered for his brother. “We want it all. Finish the map for us.”

Zane’s mind whirled. While Suri was an asshole who deserved to die, the demons were still his people. His shoulders straightened and he stood taller as the mantle of responsibility nearly knocked him on his ass. “No.”

His brother lifted his head in a subtle acknowledgment of support. Sam always supported him.

Nick Veis smiled wide, lacking anything subtle. “Good to hear.”

Dage rested his elbows on the table. “I thought we decided to be allies.”

“We did.” Zane kept an eye on the witches in case one of them started throwing plasma balls. He’d been burned once, years ago, and he still had the scar.

Talen leaned back in his chair. “So give us the Intel, and we’ll take them out. That’s what allies do.”

Zane shook his head, and destiny filled him. His mate had been correct, and it was time he followed her lead and stepped up. Duty and loyalty mattered. “You became allies with the demon
nation
. Not just with me.”

“Hell no,” Talen said. “Suri has too many supporters, and we need to take them out now. We finally can get the Intel to take him down.”

Zane nodded, fully understanding Talen’s anger toward the demon nation. “You have to remember that
Suri
kidnapped your brother, and
Suri
tortured him. The majority of the demon nation still doesn’t even think it happened.”

“Oh, it happened,” Talen growled.

It’d be a miracle if Zane survived the day without Janie’s dad punching him again. “The majority of demons are good people and shouldn’t be attacked by you—or betrayed by me.”

Dage studied him, silver eyes thoughtful. “You’re stepping up to rule?”

“I am.” God, he didn’t want to. Not in the slightest. But Suri had to be stopped, and to prevent further bloodshed for both of his species, Zane would do what had to be done. Janie had shown him that.

Talen pushed away from the table. “The only way you step up is if you kill Suri.”

“I know,” Zane said.

“That will leave my daughter as good as a widow.” Talen stood tall and formidable across the table.

Zane exhaled slowly. “So you know how much power Suri will release upon death?”

“I’m the fucking strategic leader for the fucking Realm.” Talen nearly vibrated with irritation. “The second you talked about Suri’s power, I began researching everything I could find. Of course I understand the power.”

But he didn’t, not really. Zane could barely comprehend the power, and he lived with his own. “For years, Suri hasn’t been able to pierce my mind. I’ve practiced and I’ve trained mentally. If anybody can contain him upon death, it’s me.” Yeah, it was a damn long shot, but it was all Zane had. “Janie understands.” But did she? Really?

Simone smoothed back dark hair. “This is the closest I’ve sat to three demons in over a century, and I’m not even twitchy. While Nick has had eons to perfect his ability to refrain from harming the brains around him, you and Sam aren’t even a century old. Do you not have the power?”

“We have the power,” Zane answered. “I think our vampire lineage gives us more ability to control our impact on others.”

Simone leaned forward. “I do not think you have the power. Prove it.”

“
Zaychik moy
,” Nick muttered, shoving off from the wall. “He’ll hurt you.”

“Little Bunny?” Zane lifted an eyebrow at his friend. The dangerous, rather bitchy witch was nowhere near a bunny.

“Shut up, Zane,” Nick said.

Simone’s black eyes flashed. “I doubt the fledgling demon can harm me. Let’s see what you’ve got, boy.”

Zane couldn’t help smiling. The woman might be over a century old, but she appeared twenty-five, and he looked every single one of his thirty-one years. And he felt ancient sometimes. “I won’t hurt your lady, Nick.”

“I’m not his,” Simone hissed.

The lady definitely protested too much. Zane smirked. “Of course you’re not.” Taking a deep breath, he centered himself and allowed an energy to flow from him toward Simone. Contained and nearly gentle, he probed into her brain and gave her a slight electrical shock.

She jumped.

Nick growled.

Besides the physical pain, demons could conjure nightmarish scenes to plague their prey. Zane eschewed images of death and destruction to create a very sexy make-believe scenario of Nick kissing the hell out of Simone. Then he put Simone in a bunny outfit and Nick nude as could be.

Her mouth dropped open. “That’s enough,” she said, her voice going hoarse.

“Of course.” Zane calmly closed his mind and shut off his power.

Nick focused on the witch. “Are you all right, Simone?”

“Fine,” she said, not looking at him.

Nick turned his rigid attention on Zane, who nodded and winked. He’d never hurt his buddy’s woman. Any woman, really. Nick gave him a look that clearly said he’d be expecting an explanation later.

Moira stood, her gaze on the table. “Um, we could practice shielding by twisting quantum physics. Kane and I have been working on something similar in the lab for years, and perhaps our research could help Zane when the moment comes.” She sneezed. Her eyes widened, and she swayed. All color slid from her face, and even her lips lost their pretty pink. Her eyelids fluttered shut.

Talen reached her just as she started to go down. “What the hell?” he asked, lifting her high.

Dage jumped to his feet, quickly reaching the door to swing it wide open. “Somebody call Conn and tell him to meet us at the infirmary.”

Zane stepped out of the way and turned toward Nick. “Do witches just faint?”

“No.” Nick watched the vampires disappear with their sister-in-law. “Witches rarely become ill, as far as I know. This can’t be good.”

Zane shared a look with Sam. He might not understand what was going on, but every battle instinct he owned all but screamed to get ready for hell to descend.

It always did.

 

Janie finished examining the little girl’s ears and handed her a lollipop. “Your ear infection is all gone, Sasha,” she said, winking at the girl’s mother. “But no swimming for another week.”

Sad brown eyes twinkled up from a pretty heart-shaped face. “A whole week?” Sasha asked, her bottom lip pouting.

Janie pretended to consider the question. Feline shifters sure knew how to pout, now didn’t they? “Well, how about two days?”

“Yay!” Sasha jumped up and hugged Janie. “You’re the best.” She turned and ran from the room, her pink tennis shoes squeaking.

Her mother sighed and pushed away unruly blond hair from her face. “That girl.” She hugged Janie as well. “Thanks for taking such good care of her. She’ll only come and see you, and she usually listens to you. Bye.” Moments later, she’d hurried after her daughter.

Janie smiled. “I love that kid,” she said to her aunt across the empty examination tables in the lab.

Emma kept her eyes nearly attached to a microscope at the far end. “Uh huh.”

Janie tossed the rags in the garbage and inhaled the scent of lemon bleach. “And, as I was saying, there’s a new vampire law being discussed that will prohibit the queen of the Realm from working in a lab coat.”

“Definitely,” Emma said, leaning over to scribble on a note chart.

“But your mate, the king extraordinaire, has decreed that the queen can work nude. You like being naked, right?” Janie turned and leaned back against the counter, arms crossed.

“Sure.” Emma jotted something else down and then stiffened, standing to turn. “What?”

Janie chuckled. “Nothing. Just making sure you were paying attention.”

Emma rolled deep blue eyes. “Very funny.” She glanced around as if surprised to find the lab empty. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

Janie had wondered how long it would take the woman who’d known her since birth to make sure all was well. “I figured.”

Emma nodded. “How are you doing with finally having met and mated Zane?”

Talk about a loaded question. Janie shrugged, more than willing to share with her aunt. “I’m overwhelmed and happy and kind of worried.”

Emma smiled. “Sounds like you just mated a vampire.”

“A demon vampire blend, actually.” Janie studied her aunt with new eyes. The adults in her life had always seemed so sure of themselves and so happy, but now that she was an adult, she wondered. “I bet mating Uncle Dage wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.”

“More like a stroll through a hurricane.” Emma rolled her neck. “Vampires are overbearing, overprotective, and waaaay over possessive, and it takes a while to mellow them out.”

Janie snorted. “You’re saying you’ve mellowed Uncle Dage?”

Emma coughed. “Not exactly, but once he figured out I can take care of myself, he backed off a little.” She rubbed her eye. “Is Zane giving you the caveman act?”

“Oh yeah.” But the sex was a nice side effect of his intensity, now wasn’t it?

Emma nodded. “He’ll come around. Do you love him? It’s so much easier if you love the dimwits.”

Janie swallowed. “Yes. I’ve loved him for so long, but the reality is more intense, you know?”

“I do know, and if you ever need to talk, I’m still your favorite aunt.” Emma sighed and rubbed her shoulder, glancing back at her notes.

“Always,” Janie said softly. “How often do you call the king a dimwit?”

Emma chuckled. “He needs to be kept humble, you know. So every time I want to get tossed into the pool, I make sure to call him a name. My favorites are dimwit, dipshit, and asshat.”

Janie laughed. Her aunt was a brave woman, to be sure. She nodded to the papers. “What are you so preoccupied with?”

“I was just examining your latest blood tests and can’t believe how quickly your chromosomal pairs are multiplying. This speed is unheard of.”

“So I’m immortal?” Pleasure caught on Janie’s breath.

“Not yet, but soon.” Emma blinked and wiped off her forehead. “I have had the worst headache all day.”

Janie peered closer. “Your brow is damp.” Her aunt never perspired, and the lab was kept cool. She hustled across the room to feel Emma’s forehead. “You’re all clammy.”

Emma blinked. “Now that’s odd.”

Immortals so rarely became ill that Janie felt for her aunt’s pulse. “Your heartbeat is sluggish. What is going on?”

Heavy footsteps echoed outside the doorway, and Janie’s dad rushed inside with Moira in his arms. “She passed out,” Talen said, laying her down on an examination table.

Moira? Janie ran toward the table. Moira was one of the most powerful people Janie had ever met. She didn’t just pass out. “Was there any warning?” Janie asked, feeling for a pulse.

“No,” Talen said.

The door banged open again and Conn Kayrs ran inside, his gaze immediately landing on his mate. “What the hell happened?” His green eyes flashed a deadly threat, but when he reached out to hold Moira’s hand, his movements remained gentle.

Janie frowned at the slow pulse. “How long has she been out?”

“Not even a minute,” Talen said, staying close to the table.

“Excuse me?” said a quiet voice from the doorway.

Janie turned to see her aunt, Amber Kayrs, leaning heavily against the door frame. “Amber?” she asked, just as the woman started falling.

Talen pivoted and caught her before she could hit the floor. “What in holy hell?” he muttered, turning and carefully placing her on another examination table. “Somebody call Kane.”

Janie nodded. Kane was not only Amber’s mate but the smartest vampire on the planet. If something was going on, they needed him in the lab. Now. “Emma is near the phone.” Janie turned and gasped.

Emma sagged against the counter as if the granite could hold her up. All color had deserted her face, leaving even her lips nearly white. Her eyes fluttered closed.

“Emma!” Janie cried out, just as her aunt pitched forward.