He followed her, grasping her elbow to steer her away from the fire licking up the east side of the building.
She reached a room at the end of the hall and pushed open the door.
He ran in behind her as the ceiling in the hallway collapsed, barely slamming the door shut before the fire could rush in. Heat smashed against his ankles.
“Boone, Belle?” Karma cried out, dropping to the ground beneath the smoke.
Two little girls crawled out from beneath the nearest bed, both in little shirts that covered them past their knees. They had long black hair and terrified brown eyes, and both rushed to Karma, crying. She gathered them in her arms as she knelt.
Benny ran past the bed and opened the lone window, looking around the night outside. Most of the fights seemed to be finished. “Let’s go, sweetheart. Now.” The fire was coming in, and the smoke was unbearable. He didn’t trust this ceiling, either.
Karma grabbed the little hands of the girls and rushed toward him.
He whisked her off her feet and set her outside the room before she could stop him. Then he picked up both girls and handed one out. Karma took her, and Benny jumped out with the second one, landing on his knees and rolling to keep from hurting the fragile child.
The door inside exploded inward.
Benny jumped up. “Follow me. Stay right behind me.” He kept the toddler in his arms as Karma ran behind him with the other twin. Avoiding a couple of skirmishes still going on, he ran to a couple of grizzly bears guarding a shifter helicopter that had just landed. A male opened the back door, and Benny handed over the girl before turning and lifting Karma and the other twin inside. “Go to the back and keep down in case anybody is still shooting,” he ordered, ripping his shirt over his head and tossing it at her.
They did so, and he turned to guard them as the world burned around them all.
The main lodge exploded, and he ducked to avoid debris. Karma, his shirt safely covering her, perched at his side with the girls behind her, her gaze seeking. “Vero! This way,” she called, gesturing wildly to a young Kurjan teenager.
The kid took a couple of steps toward them and then glanced at the forest, where another teenager stood, watching him. It was Drake, and for a second, their gazes met. Drake was braced to fight, but his gaze remained thoughtful. Many of the Kurjans were fanned out before him, protecting him. He said something to the younger kid, but Benny couldn’t hear what it was.
“Do you want me to grab the kid?” he asked Karma. Kidnapping a Kurjan child would be a disaster, but he’d do it if she wanted.
Just then, the kid ran toward Drake. When he was safely behind the Kurjan line, he and Drake turned and disappeared into the forest. “He chose to go with family,” Karma said softly, tears in her voice. “I wish we could’ve taken both of them.”
“They’re old enough to make their own choice,” Benny said. Hopefully they’d make good choices in the coming years and not end up as his enemies. “Get your head down, sweetheart. There’s debris flying.”
She did so and he watched the remaining few skirmishes wind down. Most of the Kurjan forces had followed the kids or taken other escape routes, and the grizzlies lumbered off, blood on their teeth, to run home. Garrett and Logan bounded into the helicopter, followed by Sam and Bear.
Benny gave the pilots the heads-up to move. He grabbed a rifle off the mount and then sat with one leg hanging out, ready to provide cover.
Garrett clipped him in at the belt and secured the other rifle, facing in the rear direction.
They lifted into the air, watching the fire burn below them. The rain slashed inside, mixing with the dark smoke as it tried to choke them.
Then they were free. Away from the fight and into the clouds.
One pilot looked back, his brown eyes still bearlike. “Don’t see any Kurjan forces in the air yet. Are we tracking?”
“Negative,” Bear yelled, leaning against the opposite wall, his head back and tingles emanating from him as he healed a bloody hole in his neck. “We’re done. Get us home and don’t engage unless somebody comes after us.”
“Affirmative,” the pilot said, turning back to the front windshield.
Benny remounted the rifle above the hatch. Once Garrett had done the same, he slid the door closed. Then he turned and stared at the back of the craft.
Karma sat in his too-large shirt, her eyes wide and bruises on her neck. The twins sat on either side of her, safely secured against her body by her arms, their clothing wet from the run through the rain. Their eyes were wide and topaz colored. Soot covered their faces.
They looked like three terrified birds all holding their breath.
He smiled and not one of them smiled back. “We’re safe,” he mouthed, wanting to go reassure them but figuring if he moved, they’d freak. The little girls huddled as close to Karma as they could, their small bodies trembling.
Benny looked around. It wasn’t as if they had blankets in an attack helicopter. “Bear? You have a tarp or anything in here?”
Bear slowly opened his eyes. “Where would I get a tarp?” He looked to the back of the helicopter. “Oh. No.” Then he glanced around. “My shirt is wet, or I’d give it over.”
The pilots both immediately took off their shirts, which were still dry. They tossed them back to Benny. He grinned and threw the warm garments back to Karma. “They’re all we have right now, honey. The pilots are big bears, and these should warm you a little bit.”
Her hesitant smile eased something in him that had hardened painfully when she’d been taken. She covered the girls with the shirts and settled back, her gaze never leaving him. Then she frowned. Edging slightly to the side, she yanked a tablet out of the back of her jeans. Her grin this time was triumphant.
Yeah. That was his woman. His. And those incredibly fragile creatures hanging on to her were her children. None of them belonged in the life he was leading right now.
How was he going to let them go?
* * * *
The small cabin given to them for the night at Grizzly territory was warm and safe. Karma finished settling the girls into a quaint queen-sized bed after a very quick shower to warm up all three of them. They wore clean shirts and she had on a clean tank top and short pajama set the bears had provided. The girls fell asleep within seconds, even though the storm had increased in force outside. The wind and rain battered the windows of the comfortable cabin Bear had given them for the rest of the night. Exhaustion weighed down her limbs.
Linda wavered by the end of the bed.
Surprise caught Karma, and she turned. “You’re here.”
The meager light from the attached bathroom seemed to shine right through Linda. Yet her smile was clear. “We did it, Karma.”
Karma smiled, and tears filled her eyes. She had no idea what was going to happen next, but they had done it. The girls were safe. “We did.”
Linda reached over and she touched Karma’s hand. Karma flipped hers around and held her friend’s hand. Her sister, really. The closest thing she’d ever have to a sister. They’d been united in saving these girls, and they both loved them completely.
“Thank you, Karma,” Linda whispered, her voice sounding far away. “Keep them safe and love them. You’re a good mother. Someday tell them about me, okay?”
“You know I will.” The tears slid down Karma’s face. “I promise I’ll protect and love them. You’re free, Linda. Don’t worry. Our girls will have a fantastic life.”
Linda smiled, released her, and then kissed both of her babies on the cheeks. A light surrounded her, she sighed, and then her form slowly disappeared.
Karma let her shoulders relax. Finally. They had done it. Together. She leaned over and kissed both girls good night again. “Terre should’ve known not to go up against two mothers,” she whispered, meaning every word. “There’s not a doubt in my mind that a mother�
��s love is the most powerful force there is.”
The girls snuggled down, both sound asleep.
Karma stood and padded barefoot out of the peaceful room to the main part of the cabin. Benjamin sat on a quilted sofa facing a crackling fire. His hair was wet, and he wore fresh jeans with a dark tee that stretched tight across his powerful chest. Her entire body heated and flashed wide awake.
He looked up and smiled. “Did they go down okay?”
“Yes.” She hesitated.
He patted the sofa next to him, and she gladly went forward to sit. When he reached behind himself for a hand-stitched blanket to place over her legs, she fell for him all over again. “Thank you.” She pushed her wet hair away from her face. “How did you find us?”
He reached for her hand and held it gently. “We figured there would probably be a helicopter if they got the chance. Did you see the first grizzly ram it?”
She nodded. “I thought he just was out of control.”
“No. He had a tracker on his tongue, which he stuck to the bottom of the helicopter.” Benny’s voice was a low masculine hum. Healing tingles cascaded from him.
She leaned against him, trying to see how badly he’d been hurt. “You’re healing. What is injured?”
“Just a few bones in my leg,” he said quietly. “You have bruises on your neck. What happened?”
She wasn’t ready to talk. “You first.”
He gave her the time she needed, telling her of their ride to the compound and the ensuing fights. “Now you. What happened? I need to know so I can help you.”
The reality hit her then. She’d left Terre to die in the rubble, because there was no way he’d been able to open that door with the keypad. “I caused Terre’s death.” Should she feel bad about taking a life? She didn’t and might have to think about that later. Right now, she relayed the entire story to Benjamin.
By the time she was finished, he had her on his lap and was holding her tight. “You were so brave.”
Nobody in her entire life had ever called her brave. “I was terrified and desperate,” she admitted softly.
“That’s brave, baby.” He tilted her head back and kissed her, long and deep. “I’m proud of you, although I wish I could’ve killed Terre.” He really did sound sorry about that.
She grinned. “Well, you did get to kill Jaydon.”
Benjamin rolled his neck. “No, I didn’t. I only had seconds to find you before that lodge collapsed, and my gut feeling is that he made it out. That guy isn’t giving up his plans so easily. We might’ve bought some time for now, but he’ll keep trying to duplicate the ritual.”
So he’d chosen her over vengeance. She snuggled closer into his chest. “Thank you for coming for us.” Her body was sore, but she’d never felt better in her life.
“Of course.” He tugged on a strand of her hair. “I’ve been thinking.”
Joy careened through her. “Yes?”
“I have family members that live all over the States, and some live in nice, quiet towns. Why don’t you think of locating in one of those? You’d have family instantly, and a smaller town would be a good place for the girls to grow up.” He rubbed his chin. “I’ll get you a list.”
She grew still, and her blood chilled. He was sending her away? “Would you be coming, too?”
“No, sweetheart.” He kissed her gently on the forehead. “You and the girls need a safe life. Mine is anything but.”
Oh. She hadn’t considered that he wouldn’t want to be a father. Of course, he didn’t want to be a father right now. She and the girls were a package deal, and asking him to take that responsibility on was more than he apparently wanted. “I understand,” she said softly.
Someone knocked on the door, and Mercy came inside. Her hair was wet and her eyes wild. “Excellent job stealing the tablet, Karma. I cracked it.”
“Already?” Benjamin stiffened and released Karma. “Did you find the enhanced females?”
“Some of them,” Mercy said. “They’re at a temporary location north of Portland. Garrett needs a few hours to heal his head, and Logan does, too. He’s contacted the other members of the Seven, and they’re coordinating a strike plan for just before noon.”
Karma gasped. “You’re all wounded. You can’t strike now.”
Benjamin shook his head. “We have to go before they figure out we took the tablet. It’ll be shock and awe, Karma. It’s what we do.”
It was crazy. Healing tingles were still coming from him.
Benjamin stood and drew her up. “Get some sleep. I’ll go help plan the attack.” There was still a crust of blood beneath his ear that he’d missed in the shower.
Karma watched him go. Terre had tried to destroy her spirit for years, and he’d failed. It had taken less than a week for Benjamin Reese to break her heart.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The rain had lightened as dawn began sneaking over the mountains and the sun tried to pierce the still-thick cloud cover. Benny quietly opened the door to the cabin Bear had provided for him after a contentious night of planning a desperate op and arguing with Bear about strategy. Sometimes Bear just liked to argue, Benny finally decided. Mercy had brilliantly gone and awoken Bear’s mate, Nessa, and her presence had calmed the shifter. As Nessa had commanded an elite witch fighting force before mating Bear, her insights had proven invaluable.
Benny wasn’t entirely sure she’d changed jobs, in fact. But that was none of his business.
He kicked off his boots and moved to check the fire when a small sound in the kitchen caught his attention. He bypassed the fire and turned to find the two little girls rifling through the pantry. “Hello, urchins,” he murmured.
They both jumped, and the slightly taller one pushed her sister down and then stood in front of her in a protective stance, her eyes wide. They were dark topaz, not merely brown, and there was no doubt both girls would be incredible beauties one day.
Benny paused. He didn’t want to scare them, but his sheer size was a lot. He was big even for immortals, and the males the girls had been around in the Kurjan strongholds probably hadn’t been the nice, nurturing types. Neither was he. Yet he crouched to his haunches, acutely aware that he still towered over them. “Are you hungry?”
The girl on her butt edged to the side. “Hungry?”
His heart just melted right then and there. So he grinned, keeping his voice quiet and gentle. “From here, I can see pancake mix. I’m sure there are huckleberries in the freezer, because bears are nuts for huckleberries. Seriously nuts. How about huckleberry pancakes?”
The sitting girl chewed her lip.
The one protecting her with her tiny body looked toward the exit and then back to Benny.
He sighed. “Okay. Let’s start here. I’m Benny. You can call me Benny, Ben, Benjamin, or butthead.”
The sitting girl burst out laughing. “Butthead,” she repeated.
The other urchin narrowed her eyes and just studied him, obviously looking for a trap.
Benny didn’t move. The more still he stayed, the more they seemed to relax. “If you don’t tell me your names, I’ll have to give you names. And I’m terrible at naming people. I had a dog once, and I named him Freddy the Farter.”
Both girls laughed and then caught themselves.
“All right. I’m thinking Goat Nose and Frog Face.” He nodded as if satisfied. “Yep. Good names.”
The girl sitting slowly stood and moved to her sister’s side. “Those aren’t girl names,” she whispered.
Benny shrugged. “Oh. Well then, how about Girly Giggles and Girly Goober?”
The serious one lifted her eyebrows, obviously wondering which one was her name. “No,” she whispered.
Benny waited.
The other one reached down and took her sister’s hand. It was like a punch to the gut for Benny, but he ke
pt his expression curious. “I’m Belle, and she’s Boone,” the girl whispered.
Benny smiled and pursed his lips as if thinking it over. The girls held their breath in unison. “All right. Those are very pretty names. We’ll go with those.”
Boone studied him. “Benny, Belle, and Boone. All Bs.”
He grinned. “Yes. All Bs. You’re a smart one, aren’t you? We’ll have to form the Huckleberry Pancake B Club.”
Belle perked up. “Club?”
“Sure,” Benny said easily. “Everyone needs a club, right?”
Boone frowned. “But you’re a warrior. We’re just girls.”
Ah, shit. He wished he could go back and bomb the Kurjan stronghold again. “Yeah, and girls are the strongest ones out there. Didn’t you know that?”
Both kids shook their heads.
He nodded solemnly. “Honest. Sometimes people tell girls they aren’t strong because they’re actually afraid of how strong girls can be. Do you feel strong?”
They shuffled their feet in unison, and hand to God, it was adorable. Benny sent healing cells to the ankle that was still bugging him. “Well, you might not feel strong because you haven’t eaten truly excellent huckleberry pancakes yet,” he said, trying to sound wise and not like his ankle was breaking. “But you’re both badasses. Totally tough. You survived a bombing last night. Definitely strong.”
Boone clapped a hand over her mouth. “You said ‘badass’.”
He winced. Swearing around little girls was probably a bad idea. He sucked at this. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said a bad word. I’m very sorry.”
Belle’s mouth gaped open, and she turned to look at her sister, her eyes even wider than they had been before. “He said ‘sorry’,” she whispered. Boone shushed her.
Benny’s chest hurt, and he rubbed it. Maybe he should try a different tack right now. “Here’s the deal, ladies. I was in a battle last night, and my ankle hurts and my stomach is really empty. Huckleberry pancakes sound like a great breakfast, but I need help. Will you help me?”
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