Rebel's Karma

by Rebecca Zanetti

  “I do understand,” he said, tearing his shirt over his head. It was bloody and damaged, so he tossed it across the room into the small garbage can. “It sounds like I have three days to find them.” He could work with that.

  She looked at his chest and licked her lips. “Yes. I told Terre it would take me that long to get there, but I was guessing. I’ve never driven a car, and I was thinking of borrowing one from you.”

  “Stealing,” he said, shucking his pants. After one night with the Kurjans, he respected her even more. She’d survived for years with them, and she’d kept her ability to love. She must love those kids deeply. He’d never met anybody like her, and he had the feeling she could see right through him to the darkness at his center. But he couldn’t help wanting her anyway. Badly. “I need a shower. Do you want to join me? If not, we’ll talk over dinner.” God, he hoped she wanted to join him, but he understood if she needed some space. He had yelled at her, and at the moment, they weren’t exactly agreeing on anything.

  “I could use a shower.” She reached for the top button on her shirt.

  He covered her hand. “I’ve got this.” Her hand dropped, and he gently slid each button free, brushing his knuckles along her smooth skin each time.

  Tension spiraled between them. He was done holding back with her. From the first time he’d touched her, years ago, he’d known they would end up here. She’d survived his temper and his bite, and now she could have the real him. He ripped the shirt off, making her gasp. Then he grasped the nape of her neck, taking control, giving himself what he wanted.

  Her second gasp was one of need. Yeah, he thought so. His holding back on who he was and what he wanted wasn’t good for either of them. “This is going to be my way, sweetheart.”

  Her smile was full of feminine challenge. “Is it?”

  * * * *

  Karma knew better than to poke the beast, but the freedom she felt with Benjamin was better than any aphrodisiac. She hesitated only a second before reaching for his muscled chest and scraping her nails over it. He was amazing.

  His smile held warning as he grasped her skirt and smoothed it down her legs, partially bending over to do so.

  Her breath caught. “Benjamin.” Grabbing his rib cage, she tugged. “Turn around.”

  He paused and then did so, revealing his back. A tattoo of an intricate shield covered the wide span of muscle from his neck to his behind with his ribs lightly outlined and bonded together.

  “The Seven marking,” she murmured, her hands wandering over the incredible sight. Oh, it wasn’t a tattoo. Instead, a shield had formed when he’d survived the ritual of the Seven. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Forged in blood and bone,” he said, turning. “I’m done holding back, sweetheart. I’m not nice or easy or casual. I’m just me. You in or out?”

  “In,” she breathed.

  He smiled, and the masculine promise in his eyes set wings to fluttering through her body. Then he cupped her chin, his big hand warm against her skin. With a small movement, he tilted her entire face up. He paused, studying her. Claiming her with just his look. Then he took her mouth.

  The second his lips touched hers, that electricity he always seemed to generate burned through her. Hot. Wild. Free. This time, he wasn’t holding anything back. He gave her everything, hard and deep, consuming her until it was only the two of them and right now. Right here.

  He shoved her bra and panties away, flipped on the shower, and then dragged her in before the warm water had turned to hot. His mouth took hers again, and all she could do was feel. He was rough and aggressive in a way she’d only imagined before, his dominance as natural as breathing to him. The control he always exhibited came out in another way, demanding something from her.

  Surrender.

  She felt freedom in that demand and leaned into him, letting the heated water cleanse them both. He pulled her up on her toes, his mouth moving from her lips to her jaw to nip and attack, holding her exactly where he wanted her. For the first time, she forgot all about pleasing him.

  There was only the pleasure he demanded she feel. Blood thundered between her ears, making her head ring. Her clit fired hot and needy, and the hard wall of his body was unyielding against her softness. He held her in strong arms, so powerful and just what she needed.

  He roughly caressed her body, down and back up, filling his hands with her breasts and lightly pinching.

  She gasped and leaned closer, wanting that small bite of pain. There was no hesitation and no insecurity. He didn’t let her stop and think or worry about anything. In the space of a thought, Benjamin took control of them both, and it surprised her how much she’d needed him to do that.

  There wasn’t time to be concerned. For now, her body melted into his, and she let him do what he wished. Need burst through her with a tornado’s force.

  “So beautiful,” he murmured, licking along the shell of her ear.

  She shivered and scraped her knuckles right across the hard ridges of his abdomen and then lower. She swallowed, hesitating.

  “Don’t stop now,” he murmured, reaching around her to clamp both hands onto her butt. “I love your ass. Have since the first time I saw you in those jeans three years ago.”

  Now there was a reason to wear jeans. She’d been looking for one. He kneaded her, and she moaned as delicious ripples cascaded right to her sex. “You’re beautiful,” she countered, finally reaching for him. His shaft was long and thick, and she kept her hold gentle as she slid her hand along his smooth skin. So smooth. She could spend all day exploring his incredible body. Maybe she’d do just that.

  He nipped the soft spot between her neck and shoulder, staking a claim. His fangs pierced her skin, more powerful than any lightning strike, sizzling right to her sex. As if he knew her body better than she did, he pressed a knee between her legs, forcing her to ride him.

  The orgasm stole her breath, beating through her with a hammering force. She came down sighing his name, and he drove her instantly back up with his talented fingers driving inside her.

  Her breasts ached, and her nipples hardened even more. He rolled one nipple just as he pinched her clit, and she climaxed again, her legs going weak. He wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her still and forcing her to ride yet another cresting wave. She could only take what he was giving, and it was delicious.

  Finally, she sagged against him, murmuring and kissing his chest. Had she ever felt this much alive? Oh, she’d lived for centuries, but had she really been alive?

  He flipped her around and placed her hands on the smooth wooden bench that ran the length of the shower.

  She blinked. “I’m not—” He grasped her hips with relentless hands, his cock probing her entrance. “Oh,” she sighed, leaning back against him.

  Slowly, ruthlessly, he pushed himself inside her, forcing her internal muscles to relax and take him. Overcome, she bent over onto her elbows, letting her head drop. So much. He was so big, and he was behind her and definitely in control. At the thought, her body quaked around him.

  “No. You wait.” He reached around and tugged a nipple, gaining her attention. “You wait until I’m ready.” Then he released her, gripped her hips, and pounded.

  Hard and fast, powerful and devastating, he powered inside her, pulling her back to meet each thrust. She built hot and fast, needing that final detonation. “Please,” she whispered.

  “Not yet, damn it.” He twisted one hand in her hair and drew her head up, his other fingers digging into her hip. Her neck elongated, and he scraped his teeth down it. “You’ll hold on for me. Because I tell you to.” The hammering increased in force, and with his body over hers, she was truly his.

  The fire burned through her, and her body gripped him until she could feel his heart beat inside her. Every breath was a painful sob, but she couldn’t stop. Biting her lip, she tried to hold on.

&
nbsp; He swelled inside her. “Now, sweetheart. Give me everything.”

  Her body obeyed him before her mind caught his meaning. She clamped down on him. Then she shattered, crying out his name and shutting her eyes. Spasms overwhelmed her, stronger than before, igniting her every nerve. She gasped and sobbed, taking more of him.

  He ground against her, his powerful body shuddering.

  She murmured something, her body shutting down. Exhausted. So tired. So happy. So complete.

  He was still over her, and he kissed her ear gently. “You can say it again.”

  “I love you, Benjamin.” It was the truth, crazy as it seemed. Now her elbows gave out.

  He withdrew and lifted her by the waist, setting her beneath the spray. “I care for you, Karma. I vow to you that I’ll protect you with everything I have. You’ll be safe, and I’ll get your girls back for you.” He kissed her gently on the nose.

  Well, it was a start.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Benny set the platter of Chateaubriand in the middle of the round table and took his humungous apron off. “You’re welcome. I cooked.” Yeah, he was the best cook among the Seven. Although, after he’d seen what Karma did with a simple potato dish, he realized he had some competition. Cooking with her had become almost as enjoyable as the hours they’d spent in the shower and then in bed.

  Okay, not as enjoyable. Not even close.

  His body was loose and his mind clear, and he owed that to the sweet female fussing over the green beans. He grasped her around the waist, lifted her up, and set her in a chair. “Sit and eat. You need nourishment.”

  She slapped the hand at her waist. “Benjamin,” she admonished, embarrassment in her voice.

  He grinned and took the seat next to her. It was way too late for him to pretend he had any manners. “Pour the wine, would you, Logan?”

  Logan poured Opus One for everyone, handing the glasses down the line.

  Benny looked at his family, feeling at home with Karma by his side. Logan and Mercy were making googly faces, but it didn’t gross him out like usual. Sam had already dug into the dinner like a starved wolf, and Garrett was eyeing the green beans. Shrugging, he reached for the bowl and dumped some on his plate.

  Benny waited until Karma had served herself before filling his plate. “All right. Sam, you start.”

  Sam washed down the steak with a generous gulp of the expensive wine. His eyes were dark but the color had returned to his rugged face. He looked like a cross between Zane and Logan with his square jaw and green eyes. Intelligence shone in those eyes, and he did nothing to hide it among family. “The Kurjans are assholes,” he said. Then he winced. “Sorry.”

  Benny took a drink of the wine. “Call it like you see it. What else?”

  Sam chewed thoughtfully and then swallowed. “You know, I think Jaydon has grand plans to become Ulric two-point-oh. If Ulric makes it home, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaydon doesn’t try to do him in.”

  “That’d be convenient,” Garrett said grimly. “How accurate are the rumors about Jaydon?” He looked at Karma.

  She delicately wiped her mouth with one of the cloth napkins she’d found somewhere in the pantry. “Very accurate. Linda overheard him talking about it. I think that’s why there’s been a rush on gathering enhanced females. He is definitely going to attempt the ritual that Ulric performed centuries ago.”

  Sam shook his head. “I’d be surprised if Dayne allowed it. When Ulric performed his ritual centuries ago, he broke all natural laws by killing one hundred enhanced females and using their blood to fuse his entire body into an impenetrable shield. The Kurjans want to keep enhanced females for themselves or for whatever Ulric ultimately has planned, right?”

  Benny kept an eye on Karma’s plate to make sure she was eating before he answered. “Yeah. Supposedly Ulric wants to do away with all enhanced females except Kurjan Sotis, but I’ve never understood why.”

  Karma shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard his plans or what his plans are believed to be.” She coughed. “I do understand that the only way Ulric can be killed is if he ingests the combined blood of the three Keys.”

  Mercy winced. “So gross. I’m one of the Keys.”

  Karma jumped. “I didn’t know that. Do you know the other two?”

  Logan reached for a roll. “Grace Cooper, Adare’s mate, is a Key. We haven’t found the third one yet.”

  “Maybe it’ll take centuries to find the third Key,” Karma said, her voice hopeful.

  Benny wanted to agree, but in his gut, he knew it wasn’t true. Sometimes the world sped up as if rushing toward a countdown, and he could feel it happening now. The ritual was coming. He was glad that during his explorations of her body, he’d discovered she did not have the birthmark of a Key. Thank God. He looked at Garrett. “You get anything?”

  “Besides a migraine?” Garrett muttered. “Not really. Jaydon seems ambitious and likes to inflict pain, but it wasn’t personal, you know? He’s a sadist, but I think he could get off torturing anybody, not just the Seven. He didn’t give up much during our one session.”

  Benny reached for a roll that Karma had made from scratch. The pretty lady liked to cook as much as he did, and he could see them doing that for years to come. If he didn’t die, that was. The more he was around her, the more he wanted to keep her forever. “Logan? What about you?”

  Logan twirled his fork. “Dayne wanted information about the Seven and what we knew of Ulric’s ability to get home. He didn’t buy the intel that we have Ulric in prison somewhere, so I’m thinking they have some line to him, somehow. He also wanted any information I had on how Quade and Ronan got back here after guarding the prison world.” Logan snatched a roll off Mercy’s plate. “Oh, and he was generous with information about their new technology.”

  Benny perked up. “Their new ability to venture into the sun?” It was unthinkable, and yet if he belonged to a species that was weakened by the sun, or died in the sun, he’d spend every waking moment trying to find a cure. Or at least he’d have his scientists on the job.

  Logan nodded. “Yeah. Yvonne, Ulric’s Intended, actually created the antidote to sunlight. She looked at the weakness like a disease and built a form of vaccine, although it’s temporary. For now. And the sun still weakens them after a time, which we already knew.”

  “I’d forgotten she was a scientist,” Mercy said softly. “She has a birthmark, too, right?”

  “Yeah. A birthmark indicating she is Ulric’s Intended,” Logan muttered. “Seriously. If I remember right, that chick is nuts.”

  Karma cleared her throat. “She’s not nuts, but she is very determined. It’s a quest for power that drives her—as well as a blind devotion to Ulric. They’ve never met, and she has built an image of him in her mind, in her heart, that probably isn’t anything close to the real warrior.”

  Benny slid his arm over Karma’s slim shoulders. The woman was smart and insightful. The truth hit him right in the solar plexus. She was also…his.

  * * * *

  Karma had never felt part of a group the way she did having dinner with Benny and his friends. She belonged and was treated as if she mattered and could contribute. More than ever before, she wanted her girls to have this type of experience. This kind of family. She sighed.

  “What’s wrong?” Mercy asked, her gaze concerned.

  Karma shifted on her chair, snuggling even closer to Benjamin. He’d slipped his heavy arm over her shoulder, giving her a sense of being protected and wanted. “None of this changes the fact that I have to go back. All of you must know that.”

  “No,” Benjamin said.

  She reached for her wineglass. The Seven seemed to have excellent taste in wine. “Yes. There’s a main headquarters for the Kurjans, but the group Terre and Jaydon lead is transient. The best soldiers are always on the move, and if Terre doesn’t have
the girls brought back to him, we’ll never find them.” It had been her life for the last century, and she’d love to put down roots. To garden. Something in her had always loved working with the soil, and the second she had a home, she would create a flowery oasis. The twins would love that. “Benny, you have to get on board.”

  He grinned. “Benny? Look at you being all modern.”

  She snorted. Benjamin fit him better, but she liked the nickname, too. Benny fit the guy who’d put on a dress to show her she could defend herself no matter what she wore. Benjamin had taken her to unbelievable heights in the shower. He was both. “Don’t distract me,” she murmured. How wonderful it was to have the freedom to say such things and know there would be no repercussions.

  Except his gentle tug on her ear. “You said I have three days to find them,” he reminded her.

  She tried to remain calm. “Yes, but don’t we need to plan in case they can’t be found? In that case, I have to follow Terre’s directions.” She looked around the table for support. “My children are at stake. Nothing is more important.”

  Mercy’s posture straightened even more. “I agree. If we can’t find them, what choice do you have?” She looked at Garrett. “Can we wire her up?”

  Garrett shook his head. “We can wire her, but I have no doubt she’ll be scanned the second she arrives in Kurjan territory. We don’t have devices like the one that was in your head, Karma. Ours are detectable, and any tracking dust would be easily found.”

  Logan poured more wine in Mercy’s glass and then his own. “Even if it can be found, we should dust her anyway. It takes a few days to get rid of the dust. They’ll know it’s there, but we’ll also know where she is.”

  “So they won’t move her anywhere of importance until it dissipates,” Mercy said, hopping in her chair. “Plus, we could dust her without consent, so Terre won’t be pissed and think she worked against him.”