Wicked Burn

by Rebecca Zanetti

  “Max,” Talen said, gesturing him inside.

  Max Petrovsky grinned and half-hugged Garrett before doing the same with Logan. “Heard you guys handled yourselves well.”

  “Of course.” Garrett shut the door behind the Realm soldier.

  Max had fought wars side by side with the Kayrs vampires for centuries, worked as a bodyguard, and was pretty much family. “We’re scouting the area for additional Sandovskys, and our Intel confirms they’re here. I’ll have a location for you shortly.”

  “Excellent.” Talen leaned back against the wall. “It’s time for a chat.”

  Max nodded. “In addition, I have six soldiers ready to escort that cooler to a lab in Vegas, if you wouldn’t mind turning it over.”

  “Happy as hell to turn it over,” Talen drawled. “Thing’s more trouble than any of this is worth.”

  Max rubbed his square jaw. “Agreed. I don’t think anything can negate a mating if the parties are both alive. No way, no how.”

  Talen nodded. “I’m with you.” He looked up as Cara came from the bedroom.

  Her entire face lit up when she saw Max. She reached him quickly and leaned up to press a kiss against his cheek. “Is there any chance you brought Sarah?”

  “No. My mate is safely at home,” Max said, rather pointedly.

  Talen barely kept himself from nodding.

  Cara rolled her eyes. “The war is over, boys.”

  “The war is never completely over,” Max countered. He patted her awkwardly on the arm with a hand larger than a salad plate. “But you should have a good time in Hawaii anyway.”

  Her lips pressed together. “I plan to.”

  Talen frowned. Was it just him, or was there a whole shitload of defiance in her tone of voice? Irritation clawed through him. He strode to the closet and yanked out the offensive green cooler. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to get rid of this thing.”

  Max took it gingerly.

  Cara chuckled. “There’s nothing dangerous in it, Max. Only tissue and other samples . . . nothing poisonous.”

  Max nodded but didn’t lose his frown. “Do you need me in Hawaii?”

  “No. The boys are coming,” Talen said, knowing full well Max wanted to get home to Sarah. They’d been trying to conceive for an entire year, but it sometimes took centuries for vampires to procreate. “As soon as you find the Sandovskys here, you need to get home.”

  “Agreed. You’re safe here, too.” Max nodded. “I have men stationed at every entrance to this building, and snipers across the way. The residence in Hawaii is similarly secured, and I’ve sent two extra squads over tonight to prepare for your arrival. Also, we canceled your commercial flights. A Realm airplane will be waiting to fly you across the ocean at your convenience.”

  Talen flashed his teeth. He’d forgotten how much Max hated to fly. “We’ll be fine.”

  “I’m aware. I’ll let you get settled in, and I’ll give you a call later today. If that goes well, we’ll meet in Anchorage midnight tomorrow.”

  Cara rocked back on her heels. “We’re going to Alaska?”

  Talen slowly shook his head. “You’ll be staying in Maui with Garrett and Logan. If all goes well, I’ll only be gone a day.” He had Realm strategists putting together a strike plan that he’d tweak before going in.

  Cara frowned. “You’re going after the Sadovsky group.”

  “Most likely. We’ll see who we can corner here in Seattle first.” Talen glanced at her. “They’re after you, and they won’t stop, so we’re stopping them.” Sometimes it was as simple as that. “Sorry you have to fly, Max.”

  Max shrugged. “I’ll make sure I have a parachute on board just in case.”

  Talen grinned, but Max was probably serious. “How many of my brothers will be joining us?”

  “All of them.” Max sighed and shook his head. “I think the king should stay safe at headquarters, but when I told him that, Dage hit me in the face.” Max rubbed his jaw. “Hard.”

  Sounded like Dage. “We’re all spoiling for a good fight.” Talen didn’t miss the quick wince Cara gave. Yeah. His first fight was going to be with her.

  Max glanced from one to the other. “Maybe the boys should come with me.”

  “They’re staying here,” Cara said firmly.

  Max shook his head and refocused on Talen. “Did you get your hands on the new wolf prototype?”

  “Yeah.” Garrett handed over the purple gun. “Thing is awesome.”

  Max turned the weapon around in his gigantic hand. “I’ll have our guys get on duplicating it and then creating defenses. We need updated bulletproof vests, anyway.”

  Garrett frowned. “I wanted to keep it.”

  “You can have it back after the tech guys figure it out.” Max slipped the weapon into his jacket pocket.

  Talen reopened the door. “Call me with info.”

  “You got it.” Max clapped Garrett on the back on his way out. “Watch out for your folks.”

  “Always,” Garrett said.

  The door closed behind Max, and the tension in the room naturally dissipated. Garrett shuffled his feet. “Since we have guards stationed all around the building, Logan and I thought we might hit a few bars in town.”

  Talen nodded, his heart rate kicking up. He did require some alone time with his mate, after all. “Be home in time to leave for the airport tomorrow morning,” Talen said and then paused. “I take that back. Be home tonight.” He waited a beat. “Alone. Just the two of you.”

  Garrett blew out air. “Seriously?”

  “Yes.” Talen clapped him on the back. “Seriously.”

  Logan sighed. “Let’s hit the bars anyway. I could use a drink after the fight earlier. And about five pizzas.”

  Garrett’s eyebrows rose. “Pizza is a good idea. I’m starving.”

  Talen slipped him cash. They’d need a lot of pizza, knowing the two of them. He waited until they’d hustled outside before shutting the door and leaning back against it.

  Cara watched him with fire in her eyes.

  He crossed his arms. “So, mate. Ready to chat?”

  Cara eyed her mate. For months they’d danced around this, trying to settle into a routine after the war. But that was the rub, wasn’t it? Talen Kayrs wasn’t a male to settle into anything. Even though he’d raised two kids and now adored little Hope, he was not a retired immortal but a fully trained vampire warrior in his prime.

  In his fucking prime.

  His golden eyes flared and darkened, sizzling to a vampire secondary green color. The hue of a fire too hot to touch. A vein pulsed in his corded neck, and primal dominance suddenly hardened his entire face.

  Oh, it had been too long since she’d seen that look, but it was way too late to turn back now. “What did you wish to discuss?” She kept her voice level to hide the fact that her heart was absolutely pounding against her rib cage.

  “What part of ‘stay in the secured area’ did you not understand?” he asked mildly, the muscles flexing in his arms.

  He dwarfed her and always had. While some women might’ve been intimidated by his size, weakened by it . . . she enjoyed every inch made just for her. He’d put that big body between danger and her more than once, and his sheer deadliness gave her a sense of security not many people in life enjoyed. Plus, he more than knew how to use that body to pleasure her.

  Even so. Sometimes he made her feel too feminine . . . too protected. “I understood every word,” she admitted, meeting his gaze evenly, while a shiver of nervousness caught her unaware. It had been too long since she’d poked the beast.

  “Then why did you leave safety?” His voice lowered at the last. If a tone could be a warning, he’d found it.

  “I heard gunfire.” She winced as she hurried to add, “My son and his friend were in danger.” Sometimes it was that simple.

  His jaw tightened. Displeasure mingled with an unreal heat in those eyes that had turned green with temper—and passion. Even so, a golden rim encircled h
is green iris, making him look like something . . . other. A vampire showing his true colors.

  She shivered. The storm gathered strength outside, pelting rain against the wide wall of windows across the living room.

  His lids half-lowered. “Did you really think I wouldn’t protect Garrett and Logan?”

  She inched a step back from the barely vibrating anger in his voice. “I knew you’d protect them, but you’d moved on to challenge a helicopter.” For goodness’ sake. If anybody was justified being angry about their spouse doing stupid, dangerous things, it should be her. The man had challenged a fucking weaponized helicopter.

  His nostrils flared.

  Damn vampires. They could smell everything.

  “You’re both angry and aroused,” he murmured, making her point for her.

  She slammed her hand on her hips. “Angry, for sure. How dare you take such a risk?”

  He cocked his head to the side, tension swelling from him and filling the room. “My job was to take out that helicopter.”

  Her eyebrows raised so quickly her skin hurt. “Your job? Seriously. Your job as the strategic leader of the Realm is to climb cranes and shoot at helicopters.” The derision in her voice had an obvious effect on him . . . and it wasn’t pretty.

  “No,” he rumbled, pushing off from the door. “My job, the one I take to my heart, is to secure your safety at all costs.”

  She swallowed and took a full step back. “Not at the expense of our children.”

  He shook his head, his gaze not moving from her face. “Garrett and Logan weren’t in danger, not really, until you left the safety of that stairwell. At that point, their concentration could’ve become fractured as they worried more about you than protecting their own hides.”

  Well, she hadn’t exactly thought of that. “I took out one guy and then I also took out the demon.”

  “Yes, yes, you did.” He stalked her, patiently, taking two steps for every one of hers. “But I didn’t want them taken out. I wanted them in custody so we could figure out what is going on here.”

  “So, why didn’t you just capture the last guy?” She eyed the layout of the living room and then fought a yelp when her back touched the wall.

  “He had a gun to your throat, Cara,” Talen snapped, the band around his control obviously stretching dangerously. “That meant he had to die, and rather painfully. Or perhaps the bastard lived, but recuperating from multiple holes in his head and body from the rebar will take time.”

  “You wouldn’t want a weak little mate who cowered while others fought, would you?” she asked, trying to sidle down the wall and away from him.

  He stopped moving. “There’s nothing weak about using strategy, which we needed to do at the moment.” His growl filtered through the room and rolled through her body as if it licked every part of her with just a little too much heat. “The demons wanted you, so you needed to stay hidden until I captured them.”

  She frowned.

  He took another step toward her, bringing warmth and tension. “When Dage was targeted by that feline group out of Australia, we locked him down until we took care of the problem. That’s what happens.”

  That was what had happened, and the king had been pissed but overruled by his brothers. She cleared a potted plant and calculated the distance between her position and the other side of the sofa. Her lungs trapped her breath, and anticipation flittered through her abdomen. Her panties dampened. “So I didn’t understand the plan. It happens.”

  Slowly, so deliberately, he shook his head. “It will never happen again.”

  She stopped moving, defiance rising fast and heated. “Oh, really?”

  His expression turned dark and foreboding. “Yes. In battle situations, I expect to be obeyed without question. Not just by soldiers, not just by the boys . . . but by you.”

  Lust and denial flamed through her at his natural show of dominance. Her spirit rejected the order, while every feminine nerve in her body thrummed to life. The man had been made for her, yet sometimes, he seemed to forget her strength. Knowing she was going too far, knowing she’d probably pay, she forced a mocking smile. “Not in a million years.”

  She moved quick, jumping around the sofa, and he let her.

  Oh, the vampire could be quicker than a jaguar striking prey, and he could’ve stopped her. Instead, he rolled into motion, his steps slow and sure, raw hunger glittering in his eyes. “You should never run from a vampire, baby,” he whispered.

  Her sex clenched. “Why not?” she breathed.

  “We can’t help but chase, and when we catch, we’re not gentle. You want gentle, right?” he crooned.

  Hell to the no. She wanted Talen—all of him. “You’re assuming you can catch me,” she taunted, her back to the storm outside.

  He was getting closer, too close to the sofa. She couldn’t tell which way he’d round it, so she remained still, her legs bunched to run. The second he moved, she’d go the other direction. If she made it to the door, it’d be a miracle, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give it her best shot.

  His concentration narrowed in focus just like a wild animal’s as he stalked her. Sexual awareness cascaded along her arms, wrapping her in a hunger with sharpened teeth.

  “I’m going to catch you, mate, and I’m taking you down hard,” he whispered, coming closer. “You’re going to beg for more by the time I’m finished with you tonight. Then you’re going to promise to obey me next time . . . and you’ll mean every word.”

  Her clit ached with enough need she wanted to jump him and tear off his clothes. But no. That wasn’t how the night was going to happen. “Meh,” she said. “We’ve already done the taking down hard. That all you have . . . mate?”

  He growled, and her lungs seized. She fucking loved that sexy sound.

  She smiled.

  He moved then, sailing over the sofa in a graceful leap. She gasped and hesitated one millisecond too late. His arm wrapped around her waist, and he took her down.

  Chapter 10

  Talen’s fangs dropped low as his woman bucked against him, fighting with every dirty move he’d taught her through the years as he dropped to his knees. Her elbow jammed him in the gut, stealing his breath, and he fought the urge to laugh out loud.

  This was what he’d been missing all these years as she’d fought the illness.

  She’d been correct that he was still treating her like fragile glass, but even now, the thought of any harm coming to her ripped his heart into shreds. Vampires loved once and once only, and she owned him, body and soul. Nothing could harm her. Period.

  Even so, she didn’t need kid gloves from him. Especially if that gave her license to put her life in danger.

  What she did need, she might not like so much. His body thrummed in time with hers. He could smell her desire, her lust, and the familiar scent threatened to snap the small amount of control he had left. She was wild and sweet, a promise of everything good and pure in his life.

  She broke his hold, partially turning.

  A fierce wave of excitement surged through his veins. Her hiss of triumph rocked through him, igniting lust. He grasped her arms and flipped her onto her knees, facing away from him.

  She swept her leg out, faster than he would’ve imagined, and knocked his knees to the side. Scrambling quickly, she made it up and around the couch.

  He laughed out loud, absurdly pleased with her. With a roar only a vampire could make, he turned and cleared the sofa in one smooth motion, launching himself at his mate.

  She let out a startled eek and flew back into the door, her hands instinctively rising.

  His hands slapped the wall on either side of her head, and he inhaled her spicy scent, his nostrils flaring.

  Her eyes widened. “Um—”

  “Oh, baby.” He leaned in, satisfied by her sharp intake of breath. “It’s too late for um.” He grasped her shirt at the neck and ripped it in two. The useless material fell away from her body.

  Her eyes darkene
d to the color of a fathomless ocean.

  “Bra,” he said, lowering his face to hers, giving her a chance to save the lacy lingerie.

  The quirk of her lip, the hint of defiance, was all it took.

  He shredded the bra, revealing her pretty pink nipples.

  Her chest heaved. “Talen—”

  A quick dip, and his mouth enclosed a nipple. She gasped and grabbed his shoulders. He slid one arm around her waist to keep her upright and flicked her, allowing the scrape of his fangs along the side of her breast.

  She trembled against him, need pouring off her.

  He licked up her chest and over his bite mark on her neck, the one that had never completely healed. She shuddered and let out a soft moan.

  “Before tonight is over, I’m biting you again, Cara. All the way to bone.” He nipped at her earlobe and drew back.

  Her eyes widened even more.

  Oh, it was time to claim his woman once more. Sure, he’d mated her again when she’d healed, but apparently it hadn’t been enough. He’d make damn sure tonight was enough to fully convince her of his loyalty and of anything else she needed convincing about.

  His knee slid between her legs, and the feeling of her hot sex nearly pushed him over the edge.

  Pink wound beneath her skin from her neck to her full cheekbones, adding to the glitter in her eyes. His mouth crashed down on hers, and her unique taste of honey and sunshine filled his mouth. God, she was fucking perfect.

  She gasped him in, kissing him back, and then let loose with a low chuckle right before biting his lip.

  Surprise whipped into lightning-hot desire. He flipped her around, his body keeping her still, and grabbed her wrists to put above her head. She struggled against him, her soft laugh stroking his lust hotter than either one of them should want.

  Indulging himself, holding her in place, he traced her spine down her back with one finger. She shivered and shook her head, tumbling her silky hair over her shoulders.

  He drew in her scent and tucked his finger in the waist of her jeans, giving an experimental tug.

  She stopped moving.