Claimed

by Rebecca Zanetti

  “Um. Well. There probably was a bomb. But I didn’t actually see it.”

  “Emma?”

  Damn, she hated that tone of voice. Emma blinked twice. “Fine. I’ve had visions of the lab blowing up with me inside.”

  “What?” Cara gasped.

  “Yes. But I didn’t know you were there. Besides, the scent of tulips always filled the air, so I figured I was safe until next spring.” The explanation sounded lame even to Emma’s ears.

  Cara shook her head, a frown bearing down between her eyes. She just stared.

  “So I was wrong. I should’ve told you and Dage.” Emma fought the urge to squirm. “Stop lecturing me.”

  “You think this is bad? Wait till Dage finds you.” Cara eyed the forest around them. “Where the hell are we?”

  “Dunno.” Her feet slipped on moist pine needles when Emma tried to stand. She studied her sister’s flushed face. “How are you feeling?”

  Surprise widened Cara’s eyes. “Oh. Yeah.” She closed her eyes and her shoulders visibly relaxed. Her smile rivaled the sun’s light. “Good. I feel good. I can sense the baby is all right.” She stood to her feet and enveloped Emma in a hug. “You did it. You saved him.”

  Thank God. Emma bit her lip. “For now. We stopped the catalyst.” The virus would meander slowly on its own damn path, and Cara’s quick pregnancy was still unheard of. Would the virus stay at bay for nine months?

  Cara sighed. “Good enough for today, Em. We’ll worry about the virus tomorrow.”

  Emma nodded. “Good point. Um, do you have any sense of where we are?”

  Cara peered around. “Oh.”

  “Oh what?” Unease whispered through Emma.

  “Well ...” Cara stepped onto the path. “I think we’re in our forest. You know, back in Tennessee.”

  What? Oh crap. “You’re right. I was so scared and only had a few seconds, so I must have teleported us somewhere we’d always fled for safety.” Away from the bastard who’d raised them, the forest had always been a safe place to hide from their father during one of his drunken rages.

  “So we’re across the country from where we need to be.” Cara lifted her hands and stretched her back. She closed her eyes and inhaled. Flashing blue eyes opened. “Nope. I still can’t reach Talen. Damn it.”

  Emma took a deep breath. “Okay, let me try to find Dage. My brain is still kind of fuzzy.” She opened her mind and a ball of rage slammed into her, dropping her to the ground.

  “Emma!” Cara darted forward and dropped to her haunches. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Wow. Dage is pissed.” Emma pushed herself to a seated position and wiped slimy pine needles off her hands. “They must still be on the raid to rescue the prophet. I’ll wait a couple minutes and try again.” She let Cara tug her up.

  Cara eyed the trail. “Come on. Let’s check it out.”

  “Oh, ah, well ...” Emma raised an eyebrow, glancing at the narrow path.

  “Come on.” Cara started forward, picking her way around prickle bushes and blackberry patches carefully with her bare feet. “I’ve always wanted to burn down the damn house. It’s probably fallen to the ground by now anyway.”

  “Okay.” Emma so did not need this trip down memory lane. She’d left Tennessee behind emotionally as well as physically years ago. But she couldn’t let Cara go alone. When she reached the edge of the forest, she couldn’t help but gasp in surprise.

  Cara smiled. “Look at that.”

  Their crappy old house had been painted a soft white and stood surrounded by carefully tended beds of geraniums and pansies. A small swing set and a myriad of softballs, footballs, and Frisbees dotted a lush green lawn.

  A rumble of a truck sounded down the dirt road and Emma jumped, tugging Cara behind a tree. Clean but battered, the Chevy rolled to a stop and a man hopped out. He stood over six feet in dirty overalls, a thick thatch of sandy blond hair tucked partly under a St. Louis Cardinal cap.

  Anxiety crept down Emma’s spine. The guy was big.

  The screen door tore open and a sandy-haired boy around six years old rushed out of the house, running full bore to leap at the man, who caught him and swung him in a wide arc.

  “Mom burned dinner,” the boy said with a shake of his head.

  “What?” The man’s shoulders shook with laughter and he eyed the doorway. “Are you sure?”

  “Oh yeah.” Solemn nod from the child. “Smoke, stinky stuff and”—he glanced behind him before refocusing on the man—“she said ... damn.”

  “No,” the man said, choking on a chuckle. “Really?”

  The door opened quietly and a petite woman with brown curly hair firing in every direction put her hands on her hips. “I burned the heck out of the lasagna.”

  “I heard.” The man upended the boy and began striding toward the house while holding his giggling bundle.

  A girl about eight or nine peered around the woman. “Bobby Malone tried to kiss me again today.”

  The man stopped and clearly fought back another grin. “What did you do?”

  The girl shrugged. “I said we should play kickball instead.”

  “Good choice. Let’s celebrate such a wise decision.” He threw the boy in the air and then landed him safely on his feet. “I’ll shower and we can go to town for dinner.”

  The woman smiled. “I already found a coupon for Montey’s Restaurant.”

  The door shut behind the man as he ushered his family inside.

  Cara sighed next to her. “Wow. I guess the house has moved on.”

  Emma nodded, her shoulders slowly relaxing. “The house is happy.”

  Cara shut her eyes and inhaled. “So are the people in it.”

  “Good.” Emma still didn’t wish to have Cara’s empathic abilities. “This isn’t our life anymore, Car. Let’s go home.” She led her sister back down the quiet path, steeled herself, and opened her mind again, wincing when fury and raw pain sliced through her like a blade. Dage, damn it. Knock it off.

  Quiet reigned for a moment. Emma?

  Such pain, hope, and fear in the one tiny word. Yes. I’m with Cara. Umm, in Tennessee. We’re all right.

  The king materialized at her side, whisking her into his arms to drop his head to her neck. Birds scattered out of the trees, squawking in protest. His large body trembled around her and she fought to center her own breathing. “I’m okay,” she whispered softly against his hair.

  He lifted his head, tears swimming in those dangerous eyes. “I thought—”

  “I’m fine. I teleported.” She wrinkled her nose. “You smell like wet dog.” Worse actually.

  His deep chuckle echoed around the forest.

  Raw cuts and bite marks marred every exposed surface of his skin. She frowned. “What happened?”

  He lost his smile. “We were attacked.” His gaze took in Cara standing quietly to the side. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Now I am. Emma and Moira saved my baby.”

  “Ah.” Dage’s face smoothed in understanding, and he held out his hand. “Come here, sweetheart. Your mate needs to touch you.” He pulled Cara into his embrace, his entire body vibrating. “Everyone hold on.”

  Emma shut her eyes and nothingness filtered around her again. Then they stood on a battlefield, bodies everywhere, the smell of burned flesh choking the air. Her eyes widened on the sight of Talen throwing huge chunks of concrete and wood into the air, digging into the demolished lab.

  “Talen?” Cara called, pushing away from Dage and taking a step toward the smoldering mess.

  Talen pivoted in slow motion, blood on his face, eyes a dangerous green. He leaped for her, grabbing her close and dropping to one knee. His roar filled the morning.

  Tears choked Emma’s vision and she turned her face into Dage’s chest. “I was so scared.”

  Without a word, Dage lifted her in his arms and strode for the forest. Blood covered his clothing, transferring deep red to hers. Emma gasped, eyes widening on the deadly b
attlefield the soldiers were hurriedly cleaning up. No one met her gaze. Within seconds, darkness surrounded them, coolness in a heated day.

  “What—” Emma started, then gasped as Dage’s mouth devoured hers. The smoothness, the diplomacy that was so much a part of him ... was gone.

  He took.

  Hunger slashed through her. She craved. Now.

  Shifting, he pressed her against a tree, his hands tearing the jeans and panties from her legs, ripping open his fly. He impaled her in one sharp movement.

  Without pausing, he began to pound, his fangs dropping into her jugular.

  Shock held her immobile for a moment. Then a warmth began to hum inside her. A tingle started in her womb and exploded through her entire body, tightening every muscle as she came. She bit into his neck, and blood shot into her month, filling her with power. Raw energy. Need.

  Waves pummeled through her. More than an orgasm. An affirmation of life.

  He swelled inside her and then came in great, heated gusts, filling her beyond possible. Panting, he licked the wound on her jugular and dropped his head to be cradled between her neck and shoulder.

  A low sob escaped him.

  She stilled, and pure instinct had her clasping his head to her skin. His giant body trembled against her. Soft murmurings without meaning welled up and she whispered them into his dripping wet hair.

  He lifted his head and she gasped. His eyes were the darkest of midnight. No color. Not even a hint of light.

  His fangs retracted. “I thought I’d lost you.” His jaw hardened. “I won’t go through that again.”

  As she watched, a shard of silver swam to the surface in those deadly eyes. Then another. “I know. I had to go to the lab, Dage. Cara was losing the baby.”

  He released her, reaching down to yank her jeans up. She bit back a wince.

  “I’ve covered you with blood. I’m sorry.”

  She glanced at the red marring her white sweatshirt. “At least it’s not our blood.” It needed to go in the garbage. Now.

  He grabbed her hand. “We need to relocate. Somehow they found us. We’ll figure out how later.” Purposeful strides had them toward the edge of the forest way too soon.

  Embarrassment caught in her throat and she tugged back. Everyone would know what had just happened.

  Dage pivoted and lifted her without a word, tucking her head into his neck. Sandalwood filled her nostrils, and she relaxed. She kept her face hidden as he loped across the field until they were at the helicopter next to where Talen stood with Cara in his arms.

  “Only family and our people to headquarters. Send the rest to the coastal facility,” Dage ordered.

  Talen nodded. “Already done. Caleb and Jordan are included as our people, right?”

  Dage paused. “Jordan yes. Caleb? Perhaps. But have him come to Colorado anyway.” He jumped inside and took a seat while Talen did the same, Cara still in his arms.

  Emma looked around, trying to focus on anything but the dangerous mood that still gripped the king. Her mate. “Where’s Janie?”

  The door shut, and Talen nodded at the pilot. “I sent her with Max, Lily, and a full contingent of soldiers the second we were attacked.” The chopper rose into the air. “They’ve already arrived at headquarters.”

  Emma shifted in Dage’s arms. Her balance needed restoring—the king had scared the shit out of her. “The shifters?”

  “Yes. They’ve arrived at headquarters as well.” Talen sat back, extending his legs before him, his livid gaze not offering any reassurance. “Why in the hell were you two in the lab?”

  Cara’s hands began to tremble in her lap. “The baby ...”

  Emma struggled to get off Dage’s lap and sit on the seat. He kept her in place, his muscles thick bands of unrelenting steel. Finally, she sighed and gave up the fight. “Cara was infected with the catalyst. She began to rapidly turn human again.”

  Dage stiffened, gripping her harder.

  Fire shot through Talen’s eyes. “Okay. Start from the beginning.”

  Janie snuggled down in her pink bed clutching Mr. Mullet to her nose. She was back underground with the earth who whispered secrets to her. The earth’s heartbeat echoed softly through every rock wall along with peaceful warmth. Mama and Daddy slept in the next room, having shown up only a couple hours after Janie did. While she’d waited, the pretty prophet played Old Maid with her, and Janie even let Lily win twice.

  Her eyes drifting closed, Janie let sleep come until she walked along the beach. She’d seen a picture of the ocean the day before and wanted to play alongside it. The water probably didn’t smell like blueberries, but in her dream that was okay.

  Zane wandered barefoot along the sand toward her, stopping to grab a white shell on the way. “You’re dreaming about the ocean.” A deep bruise covered the right side of his face.

  “What happened to your face?” She’d really hurt anyone who dared hurt her Zane. Somehow.

  He shrugged. “Training. I dodged when I should’ve ducked.” His grin showed his dimples.

  Boys. How dumb. “I’ve been thinking of calling Talen Daddy. What do you think?”

  “I think he’s your dad and you should call him that.” Zane shifted his focus to the sparkling waves. “I’m sure he’d be proud if you did.”

  Warmth flushed through her. “Yeah, okay.” She scrunched her toes in the gritty sand, wondering if that’s how it really felt. “Have you seen Kalin again?”

  “No. Not yet.” Zane’s jaw hardened. “But I will.”

  Janie nodded. They both would. “We got attacked by Kurjans and werewolves.” She’d seen part of the fight as her helicopter lifted into the sky. “But I didn’t see them coming. Why didn’t I see them coming?”

  Zane shrugged again. “You’re not supposed to see everything, Janie Belle. You know that.”

  “What else don’t I see?” And why did her friend seem kinda sad?

  He sat on the warm sand and tugged her down next to him. “I don’t know. Things are changing but everything will be all right in the end.”

  “You can see the end?”

  “No. But I’ll make sure it ends up okay. Trust me.”

  She did. He was her best friend. “We’ll always be friends, right Zane?” She grabbed his hand to hold on tight.

  “Absolutely.” His big hand surrounded hers with warmth. “Even when we’re really old.”

  “Like thirty?”

  He smiled. “Even after that. Even if we don’t talk for a while.”

  She clutched his hand harder. “Why wouldn’t we talk for a while?”

  He shifted his green gaze to her. “War has been declared and I need to train for my calling, Janie Belle. I may not be able to visit as often.”

  Wow he had pretty eyes. She sniffed. “But you’ll try?”

  “I promise.”

  Good. Zane would never break a promise to her. She’d seen him as a grown-up fighting. As a grown-up, as a soldier, a darkness surrounded her friend that she needed to fix.

  That was her calling.

  Chapter 27

  Conn crossed his arms, leaning against the smooth rock wall of the communications room, Jordan at his side. While the king liked being underground, Conn hated it. He figured the enemy wouldn’t come so far under the earth’s surface, and he was more of a face-to-face kind of guy. The need to hit something made his fists clench against his ribs.

  Before them, Jase stood in front of three cameras with a dark tarp behind him as camouflage, shielding the rocks. Their headquarters in the Colorado mountains needed to remain a secret—needed to be a haven.

  Jase cleared his throat, continuing with his first press conference, for lack of a better term. “So the Realm dealt with the threat. The royal family is under lockdown for the time being.”

  Off camera, Chalton manned a console that looked like it belonged at NASA Space Center. He punched in a button and a face swam into focus on yet another screen. Vivienne Northcutt, head of council of the Coven Nine
.

  Deep black eyes set in a lined face still lovely sparked. “Where is the king?”

  “The king is attending to business.” Dage and Talen had locked themselves in a war room to plot strategy for the day. A wry grin lifted Jase’s upper lip. “You’re stuck with me from now on.”

  Conn fought his own grin. Jase had dressed in combat gear for his debut—nothing fancy, nothing formal. A silent message that they were at war. Nicely done.

  The witch cleared her throat. “Rumors abound about the king ... well, losing his mind.”

  Jase chuckled, all charm. “Vivienne. You know better than to listen to rumors.” He moved closer to his camera. “The Kurjans attacked. The king is a soldier first and foremost, the ultimate soldier.” The smile fled Jase’s face, and his eyes glowed with determination. “He took care of the threat—as is his job.”

  Jordan ducked his head. “Your boy knows what he’s doing. He just let every leader listening know to get on board or face the king’s wrath.”

  Conn gave a short nod.

  A male face came into view on camera. Deland, head of a shifting clan in Russia. “What about this virus we’ve been hearing about? Does the infection really turn shifters into werewolves?”

  Jase shook his head. “Not at this point, though I’m sure the Kurjans are working on their scientific research as much as we are. I can assure you, our best people are on this.”

  “I see. And what about the rumors regarding humans researching vampire DNA? Human scientists being allowed to know about any of our species?” Deland asked.

  “Absolutely not true.” Jase took another step closer to the camera. “The king has not allowed one single human to know about us or to have access to our DNA. Those rumors are unfounded and simply untrue.”

  Conn inhaled through his nose, his mind calculating the issue. Someone was certainly spreading rumors, attempting to take down the king. He needed to discover who it was and take care of them. Permanently.

  Conn’s cell phone buzzed at his waist, and upon seeing the number he excused himself and dodged into the hallway. Ducking into a smaller office, he connected the phone to a computer, punching in buttons. He smiled. “Hi.”