Dark Protectors: Provoked Part 22

Oh, she'd hit a nerve. The guy wasn't thinking if he thought to threaten her in the world she'd created. If she tried hard enough, she could probably turn him into a donkey. Temporarily, of course. Gritting her teeth, she forced words out. "Listen. You don't know me anymore, either. You want to work with me for your own good." On all that was holy-did he think she was some helpless human?

His eyes darkened. "Is that a threat?"

A shiver wound down her spine. From day one of meeting vampires, she'd quickly learned how to cajole and charm. Yet for the first time, she wanted to hammer the h.e.l.l out of a vampire with an ego. "I'm the one with power here, Zane. Don't forget it."

The smile he flashed showed fangs. "Because I gave you blood."

"Partly." She'd always controlled the dream world.

He released her arms. "Then we should even the odds, now, shouldn't we?" Quicker than a thought, he had one arm around her waist, lifting her. The other tangled in her hair and jerked back.

She gasped, both hands shoving against his chest. She might as well have been punching a brick wall.

Sharp fangs pierced her neck.

Crying out, her mouth opened.

Pain melded with a heated pleasure to blank her mind.

With a low growl, he drank deep, drawing her closer. Heat cascaded along her entire front as she met his hard body. He bent her back, drinking.

Then he gentled. The deadly fangs retracted, and he licked her wound.

His rough tongue sent desire spinning through her entire body as if he'd licked her from head to toe. She bit back a soft sigh of need and forced herself to keep from pressing harder against him. Confusion fuzzed her mind-she'd never felt like this.

He set her down and stepped back. A dark flush covered his face while his eyes had morphed to pure gold. "You taste like sunshine and honey."

She exhaled heavily, her heart racing, her breath fighting to pant out. Instead, she calmed herself. "What the heck?"

Ma.s.sive shoulders moved when he shrugged. The raw desire on his face belied the casual move. "Now we both can find each other, and don't say I didn't warn you. The last thing you want is for me to be able to find you."

"Would you hurt me?" She lowered her voice to a soft note, holding threat.

He blinked twice. "I don't ever want to hurt you, Janie."

That wasn't a "no." Resisting the urge to rub her neck, she met his gaze. "What are you besides a vampire?"

"I'm the man who now has your taste, sweetheart." The endearment contradicted the angry glint in his eye. "Don't look for me, and don't even think about dragging me into a pretend world again. Next time I'll do more than bite you."

Janie Kayrs had never been a coward. Threats did nothing but irritate her. Putting her hands on her hips, she stepped toward him. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Admiration filled his gaze while dark amus.e.m.e.nt lifted his full lip. "You know you're the prize, right?"

"I don't like your phrasing."

"Too bad." He lost his smile. "Every single species out there wants you. Every single species out there has oracles, psychics, and seers who have prophesied your coming. Right or wrong-they're all coming for you."

"So?"

"So, here you are meeting in secret with someone who has clearly told you we're not on the same side. Or at least, we don't want the same outcome. And I-have-your-blood."

Ah, but she had him. "I trust you."

"Then stop it." His harsh tone set birds to fluttering high above. "Grow the h.e.l.l up."

She smiled and stepped even closer, feminine power flushing through her. "Oh Zane . . . I'm all grown up now."

He put out a large-boned hand to stop her movements. "Jesus, Janie. Don't make this easy on me."

"Easy on you?"

He snorted. "Yes. Easy on me. My G.o.d. Do you have any idea the power your mate will have-will gain just by mating you? With not only his people but all of the world?"

Mate? She tried to swallow and ended up coughing instead. Finally gasping a breath, she shook her head. "I wasn't offering to mate you."

"Weren't you?" His voice lowered, and a dark flush spread across his high cheekbones.

"No." Okay, sure she always thought she'd end up with Zane. But she wasn't throwing herself at the vampire, for goodness' sake. Doubt clouded in. Would Zane use her to end the war-even if that meant the Realm lost? How far would he go for his people, whoever they were? "Why won't you just tell me who you are?"

"Now that's a question you should spend some time with, Belle." He drew in a deep breath. "You're right that you're an adult now-all grown up. I'm done protecting you for your own good. You yank me into your world again, and I'll do what I need for my people. Believe me, Janie."

At the last entreaty, she saw the boy he'd once been. Young, carefree, full of honor. "I do believe you." Sweeping her hand out, the world disappeared.

Her legs cramped. Groaning, Janie unfurled from her position on the chair and flexed her calves. Silence pounded all around her in the underground haven. She ran her fingers across the twin puncture wounds that ached in her neck. Great. Now she'd have to wear turtlenecks for a week.

An odd thrill coursed through her at the thought of wearing Zane's mark.

She hadn't gotten the answers she'd wanted, but Zane had said enough to make her think. If nothing else, he was still not understanding her. Sure, she'd wanted to work together to end the war. But like Zane, she'd make sacrifices for her family and her people.

The vampire was making a serious mistake in underestimating her. Her relationship with him was turning into more war than love.

But all was fair . . . now wasn't it?

CHAPTER 21.

Amber relaxed in the queen's quarters, her shoulders settling down as she sank into the plush sofa. The plush, cotton blend of a sofa.

Emma smiled. "Okay. Now I'm going to try to read your mind, so you think of something fun."

"Can you really read minds?"

"I don't know. Dage can read minds, and I'm supposed to get his gifts at some point, so maybe I can read your mind. Maybe not. But Kane wants to test your gifts against everyone else's, so let's give it a try."

Amber nodded and thought of an old Star Trek movie.

Emma took a deep breath. "You're thinking about cows."

"No."

"Chickens?"

"No."

"Ice cream sandwiches?"

"No. I don't think you can read minds." Amber bit back a smile at the queen's disappointed look. "What else you got?"

"I'm psychic." Emma sounded downright sad about that fact. "And I can only see the future once in a while. My sister, Cara, is an empath, and we'll have you work with her as soon as she gets home from feline territory. Both Talen and Dage have cleared time on their schedules to work with you later today."

A knock on the door drew their attention to the exit. Hilde swept inside, her face a pretty pink.

Amber shook her head. How odd to see her grandmother so young.

Emma stood and gestured Hilde to an oversized chair. "Have a seat, Mrs. Freebird."

"Hilde, sweetheart." Hilde sat. "I want to have s.e.x."

Amber jerked her head and started coughing so hard her lungs hurt.

Emma's mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Hilde rolled her eyes. "For goodness' sake, girls. I haven't had s.e.x in twenty-five years. I want s.e.x." She smacked Amber's back several times to stem the coughing.

Emma shook her head. "Um, Mrs. . . . Hilde, you're, ah, mated. There's no, um, s.e.x."

"I know." Hilde waited until Amber stopped sputtering before sitting back. "Janie was telling me about this new Virus-27 that actually takes away the mating aspect. I want that virus."

"Oh." Thoughts scattered across Emma's face. "Well, the virus does take away the mating aspect, and you, ah, could have s.e.x then. But the virus is still dangerous, and while it's slow in progression, it still progresses. We don't know at what point it will lose potency, if at any point."

"So it could eventually kill anyone who is infected?" Hilde pursed her lips together.

"Yes." The queen clasped her hands in her lap. "We've cured shifters from the virus, but vampire mates and witches are still susceptible. It might take a hundred years for the virus to either kill them or run its course, but we don't know what will happen. Of course, we plan to find a cure long before then."

"The risk might be worth it," Hilde said grimly.

Emma leaned forward and patted Hilde's hand. "You're immortal. I know it's difficult to wait, but let us figure the virus out, and then we can apply the benefits to you."

Hilde's jaw set. "Twenty. Five. Years."

Amber sucked in air. What else could possibly go wrong?

Kane spread the stack of papers over the sofa table, his eyes beginning to ache. He'd turned down the lights in his underground haven as well as engaging the soothing wall waterfall, but sitting on the sofa and hunching over to read was probably stupid. He frowned. There had to be a pattern that showed when the shifter inoculation was doctored. Thick boots sounded in the hallway and caught his attention.

The door opened and Dage moved inside. The rug m.u.f.fled his heavy steps as he crossed the room and dropped into the oversized chair. "Did you find anything?"

"Not yet. Well, that's not true." Kane grabbed two sheets from the far corner of the table. "All infected vials, even those that ended up in feline territory, were held at wolf territory in Montana."

"So the traitor is a wolf."

Kane shrugged. "That's my best guess right now."

The king leaned over to scan the papers. "I'll let Talen know. He was going to make Cara and Garrett come home, but if the problem is in wolf territory, they should be fine with Jordan at his ranch."

Jordan was the leader of the feline nation as well as being a good friend. Kane nodded. "I'd leave them with the felines-somebody needs to keep any eye on those monstrous Pride twins." He didn't care that adoration coated his voice. He'd adored Sam and Sid since the two little cubs had been born. "They're turning four years old soon." Which reminded him, he needed to go shopping.

"I absolutely can't figure out why you're their favorite," the king grumbled. "You're no fun."

"The twins think I'm fun." Kane smiled. He had every intention of getting them involved in science, so maybe a new microscope set would be a good gift. "Who should I alert about the wolf problem? The Bane's Council or individual Alpha wolves?"

"Neither." Dage closed his eyes and settled his head on the chair with a deep sigh. "I studied the data earlier. Does anything stand out?"

Kane had been trying to figure out a way to broach the subject and should've known Dage already caught the problem. Every once in a while Kane forgot the rest of his brothers were as smart as he. Almost, anyway. "The Bane's Council visits coincide with when the vials were probably infected. All seven times-from what I could see."

"Yeah." Dage didn't open his eyes. "And I have what is probably a terrible idea."

Kane studied the king.

Dage had tied his thick hair at the nape and wore sparring clothes absent any blood, so he hadn't sparred yet. Dark circles spread under his eyes, and frown lines cut on either side of his mouth. His eyes flipped open, a deep silver lighting his face. "What?"

Kane frowned. "When was the last time you slept?"

"When was the last time you slept?" Dage asked wearily.

"The night before Jase was taken."

"Me, too." Dage ran both hands down his dark sweats. "Don't you want to hear my terrible plan?"

He didn't need to hear the plan. "You're going to send in a spy-a wolf shifter-to sniff out the traitor. Maybe somebody the Bane's Council has requested to appear anyway, and somebody champing at the bit to have a job and help the Realm." Kane pressed his fingers to his temples, mimicking a psychic. "Let's see . . . maybe someone named Maggie."

"You're hilarious." Dage stood and paced over to the wall waterfall. "She wants to go. What do you think?"

That every plan they had would backfire as usual. "I think she wants to go, but not because she wants to help the Realm or meet wolves."

"She wants to help the Realm."

"Not as badly as she wants to pull one over on Terrent." Kane shook his head. The little wolf shifter had been waiting for Terrent to retaliate for her kidnapping him years ago, and apparently she was done waiting. Though, Maggie was a sweetheart and probably did want to help the Realm. "I say you let her go." While the job might be dangerous, Maggie was smart, and wolves protected their own. She'd be protected. Well, from everyone but Terrent.

"She's never been on a mission, at least that I know of." Dage stuck a finger in the water of the tinkling fountain.

"Don't touch that." Kane rolled his eyes. He mulled over the situation in his mind. Maggie had been kidnapped and experimented on by the Kurjans, resulting in her having no memory of her life before the vampires rescued her. n.o.body had come forward to say they knew her anyway. Dage, as usual, felt responsible for everyone. But the king would do what was necessary to protect the Realm, and sending Maggie was necessary. What he needed from Kane was something else. Support. "The right decision is to send her."

"Thanks." Dage touched the water again. "Ah, we should probably discuss our other issue."