Consumed (Dark Protectors)

by Rebecca Zanetti

  A strong inhale centered her. She allowed acceptance to arrive. “Say the words, Lance. I need to know the truth.” She needed to believe the truth.

  “Sure.” He straightened up, releasing her and turning her around, the gun pointed at her stomach. “I love you.”

  She blinked. How could she get through to him? “No. You’re confused. You’re hurt because you lost your squad ... and because you lost Linda.”

  His eyes swirled a maniacal blue and he snarled. “No. That bitch was a pleasant diversion. Smart, though. She figured out rather quickly my feelings for you.” The smile he flashed was one Katie had never seen on the tiger. “It was more fun killing her than the assholes you dated, I have to tell you.”

  Katie stumbled back a step. “You killed them?”

  “Sure.” Lance exhaled. “I couldn’t have you with another man.”

  She shook her head. “What about Mitch? He didn’t turn into a werewolf?”

  “No.” Lance snorted. “I just said that so I could go hunt him down. He died well, if that helps.”

  Nausea rippled through her stomach. “You killed them because of me?”

  “Yes. So we could be together.We need to be together. To live and get away from this war. I can’t let them kill you. I thought we’d mate. Though, now, well ... you fucked that up.”

  She’d mated Jordan. “Right. So ... there’s no chance for us.” The guy was crazy. She eyed the nearest gun.

  Lance growled. “You move, and I’ll shoot the baby. Jordan’s baby.” Lance’s voice promised he’d do exactly that. “I want you to like me, and I know if I take out the baby, you probably won’t. So I’ll let you have him, but that’s all you’re getting from me.”

  “We can’t mate, Lance.” She spoke slowly, rationally. Where the hell was her friend? How had she read him so wrong?

  He shook her. “I know. But we can still be together. And you’re gonna watch me kill Jordan after he turns into a werewolf. Well, if his brain doesn’t explode first.” Anticipation had Lance licking his lips.

  She shook her head. Denial wasn’t going to get her out of this. Betrayal ate away the haziness. “Did you take the pictures? I mean, the ones from stalking me?”

  “Yeah.” Arrogance lifted his chin. “You never noticed, not once. But”—he frowned—“I thought the photographs were for David. I had no clue he was working with Brent the werewolf, had no clue they were related. I figured David would challenge Jordan if somehow Jordan survived the moon.”

  She tried to clear her mind. “That makes no sense. Why would you take pictures and give them to David?”

  Lance sighed. “I’m starting to doubt your intelligence.”

  “I’m right there with you,” she snapped back. How stupid was she to have missed this?

  “Okay.” He exhaled, irritation curling his lip. “David paid me money, a lot of it, to get those pictures of you. I thought he had a hard-on for you ... and figured I’d take the money and deal with him later. One time he let loose he was going to challenge Jordan. So I figured I’d let them fight, then take out whoever survived. Simple plan.”

  The guy was nuttier than a cobbler. “When did you find out David knew Brent?”

  “Same time you did—when we saw the pictures in that crappy shack.” Lance grimaced. “I’m sorry. I should’ve protected you better, and I will from now on. I promise.”

  She wrapped her arms around her middle. Flesh and bones wouldn’t protect the baby from a bullet, but she couldn’t help herself. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. “I thought we were friends.” Trust didn’t come easily to her, and she’d given it to the tiger. They’d fought together and had protected each other’s backs.

  “We are.” He frowned. “How can you not see everything I’ve done has been for you? You’re everything.”

  Even now, with a gun pointed at her and his eyes a crazy blue, she expected him to snap out of it. “Then why are you doing this? I’m asking you to stop.”

  He shook his head sadly. “You don’t know what you want ... what you need. I can’t let you sacrifice yourself with Jordan—he’s a dead man before midnight. Even if you won’t protect yourself, as your future, I will.”

  “Lance, I care about you. A lot.” There had to be some way to reason with him. “But I don’t love you or want to be with you. Please stop.”

  Indulgence quirked his lips. Amazing reflexes had his hand around her arm, and her back in the same position as before, facing the open doorway. Lance had always been quicker than most cats—he’d moved before she could draw a breath. “We need to go.”

  “Go where?” Panic had her fighting to stay still.

  “This is no longer our fight.” His forward step moved her right along with him. “I have transportation waiting outside. Do what I tell you, and I won’t shoot you.”

  Jordan suddenly appeared in the corridor. His tawny gaze took in the situation. “This isn’t good.”

  Chapter 23

  Katie breathed out, the gun inhibiting a full exhale. Jordan kept his hands at his sides, his face placid, his stance relaxed. But fear and fury burned hot and bright in his eyes. She went lax against Lance. “We seem to have a situation.”

  Jordan eyed the weapon. “Did you kill Linda, Lance?”

  The tiger stiffened. “Sure. She was a threat to my future with Katie. How do you know about Linda?”

  “I’ve been investigating you since you threw the tantrum when I took Katie from New Orleans.” The lion lifted his gaze to Katie’s eyes, talking to Lance, but watching her. “Just got off the phone with an informant. My timing sucks.”

  “Yeah, well”—the tiger shrugged, his large chest knocking into Katie’s head—“I figure your timing is excellent. You turn into a werewolf, your people kill you, and I get the girl.” His voice was almost ... cheerful.

  Jordan had been in several fights, been injured, and the moon would soon start to call. Lance was definitely in fighting shape. Katie glanced down the empty corridor. Where was everybody?

  Jordan snarled. “I’m rather pissed at the girl.”

  Katie’s mouth dropped open. He had better be trying to distract Lance. “Excuse me?”

  One arrogant eyebrow lifted. “There’s no excuse. Apparently, while you’ve been off fighting on your own, you’ve had not one, not two, but three fucking stalkers you haven’t noticed. When we’re finished with this guy, you’re going through training again. If I let you out of the house.”

  Irritation had her chin lifting, knocking her skull against Lance’s chin. “There’s a gun in my ribs, Jordan. Do you think you could concentrate on that and not on being a complete asshole?”

  Lance’s breath warmed her ear when he lowered his head. “See why I’m a better choice for you?”

  Fear swirled in her gut. “You killed Linda?” He was in love with the woman. How could this have happened?

  “Sure. Nothing is as important as keeping my squad safe. As keeping you safe. Linda was a threat to our future, and she had to go.” Lance’s voice stayed calm with conviction.

  Katie shook her head. There was no reasoning with him. Every move flitting through her head resulted in the gun going off. She needed the weapon away from her abdomen. “You’re hurting me, Lance.”

  A low growl hitched Jordan’s chest.

  Lance merely tightened his hold. “Move back, Jordan. I’m done talking.”

  The lion leader took a step back, hands out, gaze on the gun. “There has to be something we can work out here. How about you take Katie underground, and we wait until tomorrow morning to worry about the situation? I mean, chances are I’ll be dead.”

  Lance’s muscles vibrated down her back. “And give the Chance brothers opportunity to take me out? No thanks. You know Baye will try to stop me from taking her. She’s mine, Jordan. You should’ve realized that fact before screwing her.”

  Hearing her mating reduced to a vulgarity shot heat straight to Katie’s head. If she could just get Lance to loosen his hold—


  Jordan shot forward, his hand sliding between the gun and her ribs, his palm cupping the barrel. Pushing her to the side, he shoved Lance against the door frame.

  The gun went off.

  Katie screamed.

  Jordan hissed in pain, clutching his wounded hand. The scent of blood whipped through the oxygen.

  Lance smiled, raising the gun toward Jordan’s head.

  Noise faded away, as did fear. Katie dropped into a slide across the smooth rock, hitting Lance in the ankles. Her hip pounded in pain. She connected with a loud pop. An ache ripped up her shin. He fell, and she rolled away.

  Jordan was on him that fast. The gun went spinning down the hallway. The punches were too fast to track, fury behind them. Lance’s head knocked against the rock wall, bouncing twice, and his eyes fluttered closed. Quick and deadly, Jordan’s fangs dropped and pierced Lance’s jugular. There was nothing like an Alpha protecting his family.

  “No!” Katie grabbed his shoulders, trying to shove him off the unconscious tiger. “Don’t kill him.”

  Jordan eyed her, his dangerous fangs still embedded deep in Lance’s neck. A couple of furious slashes, and he’d decapitate the tiger.

  Katie calmed her voice. “He’s sick, Jordan. Since he lost his squad.” She’d had no clue how sick he was. “Please don’t kill him.” She tried to reach her mate, but chances weren’t good. Alphas took care of threats to their families with a quick death.

  His eyes morphed into an animal, while his body remained human.

  “Please, Jordan. He has saved me before.” Yes, Lance had killed. And he’d answer for those crimes when he was well enough to do so.

  Jordan retracted his fangs and stood, blood sliding down his chin, his eyes calming. “We’ll secure him in the cells on the ninth floor. I’ll let him live ... for now.”

  Katie sighed in relief. Then she stared at horror at the hole in his hand. “You need a bandage.”

  Talen Kayrs held his mate’s hand while they kept vigil at their daughter’s bed. How could he have allowed her to be injured? What if her head didn’t heal? A helplessness flushed through him that had his eyes heating. His family was his life.

  Cara tightened her hold, her tiny hand encased by his. She smiled, her gaze on their daughter. “She’s strong, Talen. Trust me.”

  His breath caught in wonder at the strength of the woman. So small, so delicate, yet she held strength unmatched by any warrior he’d ever fought. So he allowed her to shoulder the burden, to comfort him. “I believe you.” And for the moment, he did.

  The injured girl’s eyes fluttered, then her breathing smoothed out.

  Janie wandered along warm sand, the ocean rolling, the sun shining, and an excruciating pain pulsating her face. She tucked her hands in her linen pants. Linen, huh? The material wrinkled like crazy, and was quite worthless when training to fight. Odd that in her dream she wore it.

  Not that this was a normal dream.

  The breeze lifted her hair, wandering along the bruises in her face. Werewolves hit hard. Though she’d nailed the jerk in the nose first. As soon as Uncle Jase got home, she hoped she could tell him all about the fight. He’d promised she’d like using the jumping front kick if she ever needed to defend herself.

  Hopefully she’d see Uncle Jase again. At this point, the future wasn’t looking good. For either Jase or her.

  Interesting that she’d never seen this ending in visions. An outcropping of rocks rose ahead and she slowly climbed, using her hands against the rough ridges and finding a nice seat where she could view the ocean. Dazzling and blue, the water shimmered with a world of life she couldn’t see. The rock warmed her, providing a smooth surface for her to lean back.

  Endorphins kept fear at bay but failed to erase the pain in her face and head. Odd to be actually dying. Even as she sat, the blood slowed in her veins.

  A figure stood farther down the rock cropping, tall and broad, white face reflecting the sun. Janie tilted her head to the side.

  Catching sight of her, the figure straightened and then sauntered her direction. Agile limbs had him climbing the outcropping to pause and take a seat. His greenish eyes flashed. “Janet Isabella Kayrs.”

  She’d smile, but her lip hurt. “Kalin the Kurjan. Do you have a last name?”

  “No.”

  Too bad. She loved hers. Surveying him, her mind in a daze, she struggled to concentrate. “You grew up.”

  He rubbed his prominent jaw. “I thought you’d end up taller.”

  “Yeah. I get that a lot.” She should be afraid. Instead, cotton surrounded her, safe and warm. Haze fluttered over her vision, yet she tried to study him. Well over six feet, his long hair was black with bloodred tips. His shoulders had broadened out, and his features had turned from teenager to man. Well, Kurjan. Kind of handsome in a totally creepy way. He wore a Kurjan soldier uniform. “You’re a soldier.”

  “Yes.” Puzzlement wrinkled his light eyebrows. “What happened to your face?”

  “Werewolf attack.” She shrugged, then winced as bruises flared to life.

  “Oh.” Anger burned bright in his eyes. “I’m so very sorry to hear that.” He shook his head. “But you need to dig deep and get better. Now.”

  Somehow she’d never figured Kalin would be giving her “dig deep” pep talks. “So you’re sleeping now, and I can’t block you. Since I’m dying.” She’d never figured to spend her last minutes with Kalin. They’d almost been friends once.

  “You’re not dying.” Fury danced on his angled face. “You can’t die. You’re the future.”

  “The future changes by the second. You should know that.” She swayed, his face melting a little bit. “Besides, you don’t like me.”

  “That’s irrelevant.”

  Yeah, somewhere deep that kinda hurt. “Whatever.”

  Clouds, dark and full, rolled in from the ocean. The sea churned and turned gray. Thunder rumbled directly above. The wind cut hard and cold.

  Kalin’s hair lifted and he growled. “Stop that.”

  “Not me.” Janie actually enjoyed the rain. Would there be rain in Heaven? Was she even going to heaven?

  Movement caught her eye. Strong, powerful, and obviously angry, Zane’s long strides ate up the beach toward them. His expression darker than the sudden storm, his eyes turned a deep green, and the scar on his jaw held prominence.

  It was fitting her life would end with all three of them together in a dream.

  Zane bounded up the slab. A swift growl and he tackled Kalin, tumbling them both down the jagged rocks to the ocean.

  The sky fissured.

  Panic finally shot through Janie’s daze. She jumped to her feet, leaning over the rock where Kalin had sat. “Stop it!” she yelled. Wind whipped her hair into her face, and she shoved curls back to see.

  The two men battled below, punches throwing, kicks impacting hard.

  The sky spread, showing a red ball of fire on the other side. Oh God. They would all die.

  Scrambling down, she lost her footing and fell on the rocks. Pain lanced across her hip. Pebbles cut into her hands as she stood, staggering down to the beach.

  Sand swirled around her legs. She struggled to balance. “Stop fighting!”

  Zane shot a roundhouse kick to Kalin’s gut, sending the Kurjan back three feet.

  Janie jumped between them. “Stop fighting or we all die.” She pointed to the swirling mass of red pain beyond the tumultuous sky. Fighting in the odd dream world they’d created could only lead to disaster.

  The men paused, both looking up and then back down at her. Wind whistled around them.

  Kalin flashed sharp fangs so much bigger than they used to be. “That’s my cue. I do see some of the future, Janie. You’re in mine.” With a wisp of sound, he disappeared.

  Zane growled, dark gaze focused on her face. “What happened?”

  “Werewolves.” She swallowed. Although the wind beat against her, she no longer felt its bite. “I told you we’d see each other again.
Though this is the last time.” Her brain hurt. Comfort existed past the dream if she could just let go. Maybe she should let go.

  Zane grabbed her arms, giving a strong shake. “How bad?”

  “Bad.” She forced a smile, lifting her head to see his eyes. For so long, they were all she thought about. “Thank you for being my friend as a kid.”

  “You’re still a kid,” he growled, the sound cutting through the storm.

  She swayed. “They hurt my brain. I need it.” Her eyes fluttered closed. “I had such hopeful plans for us. For the world. I’m sorry, Zane.”

  “Janie Belle!” His bellow shook the dream beach.

  A small smile warmed her face. How fitting the last words she’d hear would be Zane’s nickname for her.

  The world tilted. Something warm and bubbly slid into her mouth. Fire licked down her throat. Her blood bubbled and veins pounded. Healing and hot, the liquid surrounded her brain. Awareness drifted in just as pain exploded behind her eyeballs.

  Zane had given her blood.

  Janie sat up in the hospital bed with a sharp gasp. Her father instantly enveloped her in a strong hug before her mother pushed him aside to frame her face. “Janie?”

  She sucked in air. The pain in her head ebbed. “Hi, Mom.”

  Chapter 24

  Katie stared in shock at the queen, forcing her sharp canines to stay up. “That’s impossible.”

  Worry filled Emma’s eyes along with an apology. “I can’t explain it.” She tapped her clipboard on her hand, leaning against the orange counter in the small third-level lab. Various machines buzzed near two microscopes behind her. “Your chromosomal pairs have already reached a normal twenty-eight for a shifter. So quickly, too.” A frown marred the queen’s pale skin. “But there’s no change whatsoever in Jordan’s blood.”

  The lion lounged against the door frame, no expression on his battered face, a bandage wrapped around his wounded hand. “I don’t feel any different.”

  Katie jumped off the examination table, crinkling the protective paper. “This doesn’t make any sense.” She yanked the neck of her shirt away to reveal the marking. Her tennis shoes slapped the tile, and she shoved the scent of bleach and cleanser away. “We mated.”