“Everyone will know my name after I kill you, then your king.” The Kurjan pulled a double-edged blade out of his back pocket and straightened to his full height of about seven feet.
“My king could make your brain ooze out of your head with the blink of one eye,” Talen answered as if they discussed the weather. Then the satisfied roar of a lion commingled with a Kurjan shriek of pain to his left and he grinned. “Sounds like the shifters have taken care of your buddies.”
The monster shrugged as the rain turned his hair to the color of dried blood. “No matter. You die, too.” He lunged forward, his knife aiming for Talen’s throat.
Talen shifted to the side, catching the Kurjan in the gut with a solid punch. He could end it quickly, freeze the soldier’s nervous system, but the need to spill blood pulsed through his veins. The Kurjan doubled over and Talen clasped his hands together, slamming them down on his enemy’s neck. The wounded soldier fell to his knees, head bowed, hissing in anger.
Talen yanked his own knife out of his vest, slicing first one then the other ear off his enemy. He shrieked in pain, rolled and bounded to his feet.
A wave of terror slammed into Talen, and he realized it came from his mate. Damn it, this would be frightening to her.
With almost a sigh of regret, he jerked his head and froze the oncoming Kurjan in place. “Sorry to end this so quickly, but my mate requires my assistance.” He plunged his knife into the enemy’s jugular, forcing the Kurjan back to his knees. Talen ripped the blade to the side, stopping only when the Kurjan’s head rolled of its body, which then fell to the ground.
Pleasure filled him—it was a good fight.
Cara ignored the sounds of battle around her as blood began pouring out of the woman’s wound. She ripped off her wet sweatshirt and pushed it against the woman’s ribs. “We need to get you to a doctor.” She shivered as the malicious rain drenched her plain white bra.
“Nope. We heal pretty fast, Talen’s mate.” The brown eyes filled with pain and a trembling smile curved her full lips. Even as a human, the woman had sharp feline features with dark lashes framing amber eyes over high cheekbones. Not even one freckle blemished her deep cream-colored skin.
“My name’s Cara.” She pushed the cloth firmer against the still bleeding wound, looking frantically around at the wild brush surrounding them.
“I’m Katie.” She grimaced at the surprise on Cara’s face before groaning in pain. “What? Were you expecting Sheena or Shayla or Lyonina?”
“Something like that.” Spotting a clump of tiny white flowers with yellow middles, Cara leaned forward and yanked.
“What are you doing?” Katie asked, her eyes fluttering closed.
“It’s Achillea millefolium,” Cara said, pulling the small flowers off the stem, filling the air with the scent of sage.
“What?” Katie groaned.
“Yarrow. It’s an herb used for wounds, cuts, and abrasions.” Cara kept twisting, wanting the smallest pieces possible. “Achilles carried it with him into battle to help treat his soldiers when necessary.”
“Oh, well that’s handy.” Katie blew out a deep breath, her muscles visibly relaxing. “The pain is receding, thank God.”
Sudden silence filled the air and Cara turned.
The battle was over and not a Kurjan remained standing. Talen and five lions all covered in various amounts of blood tossed pieces of the Kurjan soldiers into a large pile at the edge of the forest. Two black off-road trucks pulled into the small clearing. Talen turned and purposefully started making his way toward her, his eyes golden and serious.
Katie sighed. “Do you have any idea how much crap I’m going to get for being stabbed?”
Cara didn’t answer as Talen held her gaze. A cut above his left eye bled freely, and a dark purple bruise bloomed under his right eye. Deep scratches slashed down his strong neck. She froze in place while every instinct yelled for her to run. Toward or away from him, she wasn’t sure. His eyes roamed over her as she crouched next to Katie, and the rain finally stopped falling.
Two men jumped out of the SUVs, and one held a can of what looked like lighter fluid.
“You are unharmed?” Talen asked as he pushed wet hair off her face while kneeling down. He ripped off his T-shirt and yanked it over her head, scattering the smashed flowers across the ground.
“Yes. But Katie was stabbed,” Cara said urgently, pressing her hands against Katie’s wound again, her gaze traveling along his tanned chest.
Talen shifted his gaze to Katie and gently placed his hand on her cheek. “Hi, Brat.”
“Hi, Jackass,” Katie retorted with a snort before leaning up and pulling Cara’s hands away from the sweatshirt. She removed the cloth and Cara stared in surprise at the already healing wound. It had stopped bleeding.
“How did you get here so quickly?” Talen peered closer to examine the wound.
“Pure luck.” Katie poked at her side. “Man, that hurt. My first battle injury.”
“Your first injury, period.” Talen sighed. “What are you doing here, Kate?”
Katie sighed. “We were hunting in the area and scented the Kurjan soldiers. Jordan sent me home and headed this way.”
“You didn’t go home,” Talen said with a shake of his head.
Just then a large form behind Talen swooped down and covered Katie with a blanket before lifting her in his arms. Feral tawny eyes met Cara’s as Talen helped her to stand. The large man was shirtless and had obviously donned a pair of faded jeans that he hadn’t bothered to zip before heading their way.
“You’re the male lion,” Cara uttered as she stared at the hard planes of his face and long dark blond hair. She ignored the wide expanse of muscled chest holding Katie.
“Thanks for not shooting me,” came the wry response as he easily shifted Katie so he could reach out a hand to shake. “I’m Jordan.”
“Cara.” They shook. Cara shivered in the cold and Talen instantly pulled her back against his bare chest to rub warmth into her arms, the brand on his hand rough along her skin. The heat from his body slowly seeped past the wet shirt.
“I saw you put yourself between Katie and the Kurjan. Thank you.” Jordan’s serious gaze focused on her face.
Cara shrugged. “I had the gun.”
“Um, Jordan,” Katie started to speak and then stopped as Jordan lowered his gaze and his jaw snapped shut with an angry click. Cara would have taken a step back from the violence in his eyes had Talen not stood right behind her.
“Not a word. We’ll deal with the fact you followed me against orders after I’ve made sure you’re all right.” Jordan turned his attention to Talen. “Come back to the ranch for the night and we’ll talk.”
Talen grinned and they followed Jordan to the first SUV. Behind them, a massive fire erupted on the pile and deep black smoke drifted into the sky.
Chapter 12
For the first time that day, the water cascading over her body soothed rather than beat into her bones. Several showerheads emerged from dark granite tiles and sprayed warm water along her skin. Cara groaned and closed her eyes in bliss. Jordan’s sprawling home set on fifty acres of West Virginia mountainous land provided a welcome relief from the drilling rain.
She’d wasted no time jumping into the shower attached to the comfortable guestroom. Shrugging her shoulders, she allowed the hot water to pound into sore muscles. Then two broad hands flipped her around and she gasped. She hadn’t heard him enter the spacious shower.
“You were very brave with the gun today, mate.” Talen’s deep voice echoed through the steam as he poured shampoo into his hands before lathering it into her hair.
“You don’t sound happy about that.” She closed her eyes again as his long fingers massaged her scalp. Tingles and a different sort of warmth cascaded down her spine.
He was quiet for a moment. “I’d prefer you safely ensconced somewhere not being threatened by predators or pneumonia.”
“Hmm,” she might have agreed as he pu
lled her so they almost touched. The heat off his body rivaled the spray behind her, and she lifted her head to open drowsy eyes on his.
His eyes were anything but sleepy. As his soapy hands moved from her hair to cup her breasts, a sharp tug made itself known in her lower belly. One callused thumb swept lightly across an already hardened nipple as his gaze held hers. A finger joined in and he rolled the peak. She gasped. Talen lowered his mouth to run his tongue along her bottom lip and a whole lot of heat rushed south. He pressed her back against the smooth tiles while his hand continued to play. The imprint on her hip began to burn like a fresh brand.
“Talen?” She breathed, not sure what she asked.
He answered by tracing a path south and cupping her pubic bone with his other hand. One finger moved and her eyes nearly crossed.
“What?” His eyes heated on her.
She stood in the steamy shower with golden eyes on her, with one of his warm hands covering her heart and the other cupping her core. She forgot how to think. He was big and dark and most definitely dangerous. Defined strength showed in the tight muscles and light smattering of dark hair across his chest, as well as in the set of his jaw and focus of his gaze. The hard planes of his face flushed over deepened hollows, stamping him with a predatory look that lived naturally on him.
And he wanted her.
She was a woman who lived in her head but now her body spoke louder. Hell, it screamed. She took the smallest step forward and reached up with both hands to tangle her fingers in his thick hair. She tugged his head down and took his mouth with feminine demand.
He may have growled as she plunged in deep, this time demanding everything from him. He was the most amazing male she could imagine.
And he wanted her.
He couldn’t take that back. Broad hands curved around her body and lifted her by the buttocks. She didn’t break the kiss as her thighs clasped his hips and pressed even closer to his hardness. Then, with a sharp nip to his bottom lip, she leaned until her head rested against the wall and demanded, “Now. Now. Talen.”
He obliged. One powerful shift and he thrust into her. She cried out against his corded neck. They both stopped moving for a second to regain their breath. He moved one hand up to tangle in her wet locks and pull her head to the side, while the other held her tight.
Green sparks shot from his amazing eyes as he captured her widened ones with a fierce gaze. Ah, the green overtook the gold again. A wicked smile flashed across his face, and he started to move. He started to move faster. Then he started to pound, and Cara saw stars.
“I had thought slow and gentle this time, mate.” He finished rinsing the soap out of her hair a second time.
She giggled. “Maybe next time, Talen.”
“Maybe.” But he sounded doubtful. He turned her to face him and placed a gentle kiss on her mouth. “I love your body.”
She smiled against his mouth and was startled as he leaned back to stare at her.
“But I will demand your heart, Cara.”
She didn’t have an answer as he grabbed a thick white towel and dried her hair. They stepped out of the bathroom to find clothing laid out on the massive king-size bed. Cara shrugged into jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt while Talen followed suit in the spacious guest suite. The room was comfortable with maple dressers, wildlife oils, and a wide screened door leading to an inviting deck. Henry the plant had taken up residence on one side of the large dresser. The rain had started to fall again with dusk.
“So, how long have you known Jordan?” She did her best to finger-comb her hair into obedience.
Talen shrugged a large shoulder. “A few hundred years.”
Cara stopped in shock. “Really?”
“Yes. Their clan has been an ally of ours for as long as I can remember.”
“And they change into mountain lions—cougars?” It was almost too much to take in.
“Yes. Shape-shifters are predestined in their animal form, Jordan’s is a mountain lion. Same thing as a western coug.”
“Predestined form?” How cool would it be to change into a wild animal—to be that free, if only for a short time? She squeezed extra water out of her hair.
“Yes. Shifters are either feline, canine, or multi.” Talen brushed his own thick hair back from his face with two broad hands.
“What does multi mean?”
He stretched his neck one way and then the other. “Multis can usually take whatever form they wish, except for feline or canine.”
Fascinating. The genetics involved with a multi would keep her sister Emma intrigued for decades. “Jordan is the leader of the cougars?”
“Definitely.” Talen rubbed his chin. “Jordan became leader of the Pride around the same time Dage became king.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Talen’s eyes darkened, and a thick green swirled through the gold. “We’d been at war with the Kurjus and its allies for nearly two centuries and a summit was called. Leaders from all over made efforts to attend, but it was a trick.”
“The Kurjans have allies?” Cara asked, her heart speeding up in relation to the clenching of Talen’s jaw.
“Yes. The Kurjans, leopard shifters, dark shamans, to name a few. We thought a treaty was likely as we’d all suffered many losses.” He took a deep breath. “The Kurjus struck as leaders traveled and killed my parents. As well as Jordan’s.”
Cara’s gut clenched as if someone had punched her. “I’m sorry, Talen. How old were you?”
He shrugged. “Twenty. Dage was twenty-five; Kane eighteen, Conn sixteen, and Jase only fifteen.”
“Dage became king at twenty-five? And brokered a treaty?” Wow, unthinkable.
Giving a sharp shake of his head, Talen focused his gaze somewhere in the past. “He became king, and we went to war, creating a bloody battlefield the earth had never seen.” A muscle ticked in Talen’s jaw and his spine straightened. “Until blood and death overshadowed life and air.”
Palpable pain emanated from the immortal man holding her hand, and Cara sought a way to soothe. She snuggled closer. “What then?”
“Then Dage brokered the treaty.” Finality coated Talen’s words. “It was either that, or end life for everybody on this planet.”
Cara ran a gentle finger down his strong face. “What were your parents like?”
Talen’s lips tipped up, and a light twinkle lit his eyes. “My mother was Irish, temper and all. Black hair, blue eyes, and she ruled the world.”
“Your father?” Was the former king a good man? Had Talen been lucky enough to know love from a father, rather than pain?
“A soldier and a diplomat. He was a large man with a bigger laugh.” A full smile illuminated Talen’s face for a moment. “He worshipped the very air my mother breathed.”
Ah. Lucky woman. “So, you’ve known Jordan through war and peaceful times?”
Talen gave a short nod.
“And Katie is his mate?”
Talen flashed white teeth against tanned skin in an amused grin. “Oh yeah. But neither of them has a clue yet.”
Cara smiled in response. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
His gaze warmed on hers. “Always.” He held out a hand for her and tugged her to sit on the big bed. “Close your eyes.”
“Why?” she asked as she complied, the marking on his palm pulsing with heat against her own.
“I want you to tell me where Jordan and Katie are in the house right now.”
Cara’s eyes flew open in alarm as she tried to tug her hand from his and stand up. “I can’t do that.”
“Yes, you can,” he countered, his hand tightening on hers.
“No, really, that’s ridiculous.” She breathed out as anxiety started to pool like glue in her stomach. She tried to yank her hand from Talen’s while he kept her on the bed.
“It’s easy.” His voice was low, soothing. “Just pinpoint them by their emotions. I can tell you can feel them.”
“You can tell?” she asked, confu
sed.
“Yes. We’re mated, Cara. I can feel what you feel. Now your abilities should strengthen.”
“No.” Her jaw set as she shifted away from him. One firm hand on her chin turned her to face him, his golden eyes soft and thoughtful.
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t.” The last was said with frustration. Sometimes she couldn’t help feeling along with other people, but she certainly couldn’t make herself do so.
“Why not?”
“It’s not natural,” she whispered, her eyes almost tearing up.
Talen’s gaze hardened. “Who hurt you, Cara?”
“Nobody,” she closed her eyes against his questions. “Please, Talen …”
Chapter 13
Something shifted inside him. His courageous, stubborn, sweet wife was afraid. He liked her temper, and he liked her firm chin when she challenged him. He didn’t like her uncertainty or her fear. He glanced around the spacious bedroom of Jordan’s ranch. “Open your eyes.”
Wariness filled them. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her soft mouth. “I won’t let anyone hurt you Cara, ever.” He stroked one finger down the smoothness of her face. “You are exactly who you are supposed to be and your gifts are a part of you, mate. It doesn’t get more natural than that.”
Damn, something in his chest ached for her. It couldn’t be his heart, he’d lost that during those bloody years after his parents had been murdered. But he liked his little mate; he’d like her even more if she allowed herself to love him. She was a female, she was a mate. Love was her calling.
He may not be able to feel love in return, but he sure as hell could give her safety and peace. Making sure she smiled and laughed, well, that was his calling now.
He rolled to his feet and pulled her along with him. “Come on, I have a surprise for you.”
Her hand clasped his warmer one, and she let him pull her from the room. Talen glanced in appreciation at the antiques and genuine western oils on the dark walls as he led his mate across the spacious main room of the ranch house to a home office with an impressive view of white-covered mountains in the distance.
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