Cara’s eyes flew sightlessly open as her body sailed. As the feelings between them rose, she could no longer tell which feelings, which compulsions, were hers. She couldn’t have imagined the fire welling within him. The blinding need to take, to claim. The basic, primal urge that drove him to assert his dominance—to imprint his very soul on her. In her. She had been blissfully unaware of the incredible strength he had shown in his restraint thus far. In his control.
As she accepted him, it shattered.
His teeth latched onto her neck as he slammed harder, farther into her. Spicy sweet blood teased her own taste buds as he drank. She could feel the strength and light that filled him as he lusted for her blood. As he let it fill him. As she filled him.
With a carnal growl, he twisted his hips and sent her careening somewhere she hadn’t been. Somewhere she couldn’t have imagined. She exploded into a million pieces without a coherent thought of protection, of staying attached to her world. There was only him. And he followed her with a hoarse shout.
Then, as she saw blackness, sleep claimed her with soft arms.
The comfort of a mindless sleep was hers only for a short while. Her mind, maybe her soul, wouldn’t let her off that easy. She had changed something. She had finally accepted a part of herself, and her conscience had a price to pay. Like a gambler paying his bookie, relief could only be found in the repayment.
The dream started hazy like a southern summer day. She walked in a pretty blue flowered dress, her small brown Bible clutched in her tiny hands as the faded screen door clanged shut behind her. Orange blossoms perfumed the air. “It’s okay, Mama. Don’t be upset,” she said softly to her mother as she bounded down the steps.
“I’m not upset.” Her mother looked back with bruised blue eyes, a concerned furrow between her brows.
“Yes, you are, I can feel it,” she had said. With certainty.
She hadn’t seen him standing to the side of the house. She wouldn’t have spoken otherwise. The backhand caught her by surprise, and she cried out as she hit the hard dirt ground. “The devil’s in you as much as your sister.” Daddy had shouted, his ruddy cheeks puffed in a round indignant face. “If I could beat Satan out of her, I can beat him out of you.” His large shadow fell across the sun as he walked closer.
Crying out with alarm, she awoke to find herself clasped against a firm chest. Heat and spiced pine coated her skin, providing warmth through muscle, bone, and heart to her soul.
“I’m sorry,” Talen murmured against her forehead, having walked in her dream with her. “Let it out, darlin’.”
She shook her head even as the tears started to fall. He held her, whispering comforting words in languages she’d never heard before. But felt to her bones. Finally, when she was finished, he brushed her hair off her forehead. “I’d kill him if he wasn’t already dead.” The softness of Talen’s voice failed to conceal the rage vibrating through his body.
She burrowed into his warmth. Into safety. “I didn’t mind when my father died. But I do wish Mama could have lived. Safe and happy instead of dying with him.”
“I know, baby.” He settled the covers more securely around them. “Go to sleep, Cara. I can protect you in your dreams now. Trust me.”
Amazingly enough, she did. Sleep was a comfort this time.
Chapter 16
Cara placed the popcorn bowl on the sturdy table next to the leather couch and yawned at the late hour. “That was the dumbest werewolf movie I have ever seen.” She fought the urge to whisper in Jordan’s silent ranch house, even though she and Katie were the only occupants.
Katie giggled as she snapped the disc back into its holder. “Yeah. I make Jordan watch it when I’m really irritated at him.”
Cara rolled her eyes. “I know—I thought we had them convinced this time to let us go on the raid.” She’d been on the ranch for five weeks now, and it was time to go home. Although she had enjoyed forming her friendship with Katie, her daughter needed her. She’d tell Talen the second he returned.
“I wish. I’m going freaking stir crazy here,” Katie groaned.
Cara smiled as curiosity got the better of her. “How long have you lived with Jordan?”
“I don’t live with him,” Katie sighed. “I have my own place. I’m just staying here until we figure out what the Kurjans are up to.”
“Oh.” Cara nodded. “So, if you don’t mind my asking, exactly how old are you?”
Katie grinned. “Exactly twenty-four.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m the only member of our clan less than a hundred years old. Sometimes it really sucks.”
“Wow. Will you keep aging?”
Katie shook her head. “No. I’m probably about done.”
“Why aren’t there more of you?”
“Most of the Realm creatures have a difficult time reproducing. Babies are rather rare, even with mates bound for centuries.” Katie wrinkled her nose. “Probably fate’s way of ensuring we don’t mass produce and take over the world.”
“Lucky humans,” Cara said wryly.
Katie nodded seriously. “Yeah. Your sheer numbers balance the scales a bit.”
Cara opened her mouth with another question just as the phone rang.
“Hello?” Katie froze in place. “Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Calm down, Dr. Bigsby, I can’t understand you. Where? When? No, he’s not here.” She lifted concerned brown eyes to Cara as she listened. “No, I don’t know when he’ll be back.” She listened more. “Are you sure? How many?” Her eyes turned desperate. “Samples? Where are you now? Yes. Stay inside with other people. We’ll get there as soon as we can.” She hung up the phone.
“Bigsby has been on the run and is at a truck stop outside of Martzaville.” Katie ran a frustrated hand through her blond hair.
“Is there any way to get in contact with Jordan?”
Katie blew out air. “They could be gone all night. And Bigsby said he thinks a couple of Kurjans are waiting outside the diner for him.”
“Did you say samples?” Cara’s mind sharpened.
“Yes. He took samples and much of his data.”
“Can you tell if he’s lying?”
“He’s not. He’s worked with us too long. And besides, I can tell if someone is lying. The timber of their voice changes just a bit. He’s terrified. And telling the truth.”
“We need to go get him.” Cara jumped to her feet.
“Geez, Cara. You know it’s a trap, right?”
“You said he’s telling the truth.”
“He is. But the scientist isn’t quite the covert operator you’d think,” Katie said wryly. “If he was allowed to make it to the diner and call us, the Kurjans allowed him to do so. It’s a trap.”
“Oh.” Cara thought for a moment. “But they’ll be expecting Jordan, right?”
Katie pursed her lips. “Yeah, I see where you’re going.”
“And they won’t wait forever to make their move, will they?”
Katie ran two hands through her thick hair, biting her bottom lip. They were silent in the late hour as they looked at each other across the comfortable family room. Finally, Katie nodded. “All right, come on.” She moved toward the home office to push a button and reveal a hidden room filled with a myriad of weapons. She dodged inside, grabbed guns and several knives before handing two guns to Cara, who shrugged and put one in the back of her waistband while keeping the other in her hand. Just as cold, green, and heavy as she remembered.
“Why are the guns green?” she asked.
Katie reached low and grabbed an ordinary looking cell phone out of a box. “They emit special hard-energy bullets that impact the Kurjans. And vamps and shifters.” She turned and pushed the button again so the panel closed. “So don’t accidentally shoot me.”
“I’ll do my best,” Cara replied, forcing her mind to accept she was going out to rescue a scientist with two guns in her possession. It was a good thing they were point and shoot, because her one exper
ience with a weapon was when she’d protected Katie from the Kurjan soldier. Man, if Emma could see her now. “What’s up with the phone?”
“It’s a disposable. In case we need to call back here or Bigsby.”
She and Katie headed out in Jordan’s beefed-up Dodge Ram SRT-10 with Viper power and sped along at a rate that couldn’t be safe. Even she had heard of the faster than fast truck. Cara buckled her seat belt and then gulped as Katie followed suit.
“What do you think they’ll do when they get our note?” Cara asked nervously.
“Come after us,” came her tense reply.
“How mad do you think they’ll be?”
“I don’t think we should think about that.”
Cara nodded. “I like that plan. No thinking.”
“Plus,” Katie put her foot harder to the floor and dark trees illuminated by a half moon blended together outside, “we only have about an hour to think of a good plan.”
Cara nodded. “We should get there about midnight, so unfortunately the truck stop won’t be busy. Are you going to turn into a lion?”
“Only as a last resort. The Kurjans don’t know about me, and I’m under pretty strict orders to keep it that way. But”—Katie turned serious eyes on Cara—”if I do start to shift, stay out of the way. The energy released could break every bone you have.”
Cara hoped it wouldn’t come to that. “You know, it seems like the more people at the truck stop, the better off we’ll be.”
Katie nodded in agreement.
“I take it the disposable phone is true to its name? I mean we’ll ditch it if we use it?”
“Yes.”
“So let’s use it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, let’s call in a bomb threat. Or an anthrax threat. Or some type of big threat that will get either the police or military or both to the truck stop.”
Katie thought for a moment. “That’s a good idea. But we’ll need to remove the battery and damage the phone the second we’re done so it can’t be traced. And then we won’t have a phone.”
Cara shrugged, not seeing an alternative. “How fast will the authorities in that area respond to a threat?”
“Ten, fifteen minutes.”
“Okay. Let me know when we’re ten minutes away.”
Before Cara knew it, it was time to make the call. Katie pulled the truck over and they stood outside with crickets chirping in the now dry night as Cara dialed 911 with the report of having seen a bomb in the back of one of the trucks at the stop. They had decided an anthrax or biological threat created more of a diversion than they wanted. After giving the information, Cara slammed the phone shut and handed it to Katie, who ripped off the battery and tore the remainder apart before tossing the pieces into the woods. They jumped back into the truck and sped off toward the truck stop.
The only spot of life along dark Highway 35, the truck stop illuminated the night for miles. As Katie maneuvered into the bright parking lot, a strong male voice sounded with a resounding “Stop—Get back to the ranch!” in Cara’s head. She blanched and grabbed her head with both hands. “Ow.”
“What?” Katie turned in concern.
“I could swear Talen just yelled at me in my head.” She turned incredulous eyes on her friend as her heart sped up even more.
“Oh,” Katie wrinkled her nose. “Crap. I guess they know where we are.”
“What?”
“Man. He really didn’t explain this whole mating stuff to you, did he?” Katie pulled closer to the long diner that threw light out of rectangular windows along its red and yellow side.
“No.” Cara lowered her hands. “Are you telling me he can read my mind?”
“Oh, no way. He can just track you and apparently send you a strong message or two.” Katie peered outside before turning toward Cara. “I think you can do the same thing. Close your eyes and find out if they’re at the ranch or still at the facility.”
Cara shook her head in disbelief before closing her eyes and concentrating on Talen. Nothing came to mind. She cleared her thoughts and tried again. A blurry image of a big white building came into focus, and she opened surprised eyes on her friend. “They’re not at the ranch.”
Katie tapped the steering wheel. “That’s what I figured. We don’t have time to wait for them. Did the voice in your head sound mad?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Crap. Oh well, we’ve come this far. I’ll pull right next to the door, when I stop, we run.”
Cara yanked her shirt out to cover both guns and nodded. Katie pulled the truck to a stop, and they both jumped out and ran for the door.
Cara breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind them. The interior was bright and warm with orange Formica tables and thick blue booths along the window. Greasy cooked bacon scented the air. Several male gazes turned in surprise to watch the women make their way past the booths to sit at one across from an older man in a beige cardigan. He trembled as he clutched a notebook in his hands.
“Katie? Where’s Jordan?” Concerned brown eyes peered through thick glasses under wiry grey hair standing on end.
Katie shrugged. “At the facility. Dr. Bigsby, this is Cara.”
Cara nodded. “Do you have the samples?”
Bigsby patted a large leather briefcase sitting on the bench next to him. “Yes, and all of my data. But I saw at least one Kurjan out earlier tonight.” He shrugged bony shoulders in defeat. “I don’t know how they found me.”
Katie’s eyes met Cara’s. The doctor had probably been herded to the remote area. “Dr. Bigsby, we think this is probably a trap. You need to be ready to run, all right?”
“Trap? Run to where?” The doctor’s voice rose in pitch.
“To the black truck parked outside,” Cara answered, reaching out to pat his gnarled hand.
Just then, police vehicles came to a screeching stop outside. Blue and red lights flashed eerily around the diner as several officers jumped from their vehicles and headed over to the trucks parked across the lot. Two fire trucks, an ambulance, and a large vehicle marked BOMB SQUAD rolled to quick stops.
A heavyset woman in a brown sheriff’s uniform strode into the diner and raised a hand. “Folks, I need you to make your way to the nearest exit as soon as possible, please.” Her short cap of black hair bounced as she nodded. Utensils clacked against the plates as people stood up from their meals.
Cara stood and whispered for Bigsby to follow them. They walked behind several truckers in flannels into the damp night and to their truck. Bigsby climbed in the back with his briefcase clutched next to him on the seat. Cara and Katie climbed in front, and Katie slowly pulled out of the lot.
“Can you sense any Kurjans around us?” Bigsby hissed.
Katie shook her head. “They must’ve taken off when the cops arrived.” She turned a relieved grin at Cara as they sped into the darkness. “Nice plan.”
Cara swallowed as the soft moonlight played across their faces. They weren’t home yet, and the biggest threat most likely would be meeting her there. “Yeah,” she agreed somberly.
Katie shrugged. “I had hoped we’d make it home before they did, but I forgot Talen could track you. How mad can they be? We got Bigsby and didn’t fire a shot.”
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Cara asked wryly.
“Both of us,” Katie answered quietly.
They rode for several miles in silence, all lost in their own thoughts. As they turned from the highway onto the smaller country road, Katie tensed.
“What?” Cara asked, peering outside.
Katie was quiet for a moment; her head lifted as she thought. “Nothing, I guess.” She shrugged. “Wild imagination.”
Cara relaxed back in her seat as the blur of trees flashed by outside. “It has been a crazy night.”
Katie nodded and then cried out as an explosion ripped through the air. The truck veered to the left with a high-pitched squeal. She struggled and righted the large vehi
cle only to have three more explosions impact the tires in rapid succession. The truck careened wildly until slamming headfirst into an ancient pine tree.
Cara screamed as she was thrown into her seat belt before the airbag slammed her back against the seat, knocking the breath out of her lungs. The bag deflated with a dusty cough. An odd tingeing of branches dropping onto metal filled the air.
She turned wide eyes on Katie, whose mouth formed a perfect O. “The trap wasn’t at the diner.”
Chapter 17
Quiet pressed in on the truck with a dangerous beat. Her breath panting out, Cara peered into the barely illuminated light for any sign of movement. All was still on the deserted roadway.
“I can sense them.” Katie ripped off her seat belt. “There are at least five.”
“Damn it.” Cara removed her belt and grabbed both of her guns before turning to check on Bigsby.
“I’m fine,” the doctor said wearily as he too undid his seat belt. After a thoughtful moment, Cara handed him one of her guns. He nodded in response and turned toward the night. Terror and determination flowed from him in strong waves, and she concentrated on blocking both.
“So, we weren’t so clever, huh?” Cara asked softly.
“Nope.” Katie’s eyes swirled to a lighter brown. “I’m stronger if I change.”
“But they’ll know about you.” Thoughts zinged through Cara’s brain. “Let’s use the guns, then if you need, you can shift and—”
A figure appeared outside the vehicle and ripped her door off the hinges. She cried out and reached for Katie, but rough hands ripped her from the car. Her scream turned silent as she looked into evil purple eyes. Raw, dark rage emanated from him, and she struggled to yank shields into place.
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