Marked

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Nothing would hurt her. Ever.

  His stomach lurched, and his liver pulsed. His spleen might have exploded. Yet he pulled harder, his eyes closing so he could concentrate. Something gave inside her.

  His eyes flipped open. Pressing against her chest, his fingers went rigid. He could do this. Picturing her strands of DNA, of her very essence, he searched for what didn’t belong.

  Finding the anomaly, he wrapped himself mentally around the intruder. His fangs dropped low and nicked his lip. The muscles in his arms and chest undulated, tensing with strain as if he tried to pull a truck by himself. An oily sense of wrongness fought him. With a hoarse shout, he tore the intruder from her body and into his own. The effort threw him onto his back, and his head smashed into the floor.

  His breath panted out, and his vision went gray.

  Sam reached him first. “Zane?”

  Zane shook his head and slowly sat up with his brother’s help.

  Janie sat up, wiping her eyes. Her very clear eyes. “It’s gone,” she whispered.

  The entire room went still. Nobody even breathed.

  Zane shut his eyes and wrapped healing cells around the virus before shoving it away. He coughed and opened his eyes. “I got the bastard.”

  The queen gasped. “Oh my God. The mutated virus is faster but weaker. Mates can pull it free, unlike the earlier version. We didn’t even think to try.”

  Every vampire in the room focused on his mate.

  The queen held up both hands. “Whoa. We need to study—ack.” Her voice cut off as Dage all but tackled her into the couch. “No, Dage, wait—” Thunder rolled outside as the king concentrated solely on curing his mate.

  Zane allowed Sam to help him up before reaching to assist Janie.

  Sam glanced around at the odd motions of vampires yanking the evil from their mates. “This is just weird,” he muttered.

  Zane nodded.

  Janie turned and burrowed into his arms, tears in her eyes. “You did it. My God, you figured out how to save us all.”

  Janie sang softly as she made the bed, her mind finally clear. No virus. Zane had taken the little bugger right out of her body. Emma had confirmed her blood results hours ago. All the mates were clear, and the news had gone out to the world.

  By morning, the virus would be banished from all mates.

  Mated witches would also be cured, and soon a cure for all witches would be found. For the first time in years, Janie could take a deep breath. Watching her mother suffer for so long had taken a toll on her. Now Cara could heal.

  Zane paced into the bedroom, and Janie’s breath caught. “I didn’t hear you return,” she said, holding a pillow to her chest.

  He glanced at the bed and then up at her. “The queen finished taking my blood. Damn, that woman likes needles.”

  Janie chuckled and tucked the pillow into place. “Emma is dedicated. What did she find?”

  “No virus in anybody’s blood, although the main test takes another ten hours to develop fully.” Zane nudged the door shut. “I thought we should celebrate.” His voice roughened.

  Amusement and desire bubbled up. “Dinner and a movie?”

  He blinked. “After.”

  Her grip tightened on the pillow. “You’ve never taken me on a real date.”

  “Yet here you are, locked in a bedroom, totally at my mercy.”

  She lifted the pillow again, laughter filling her. “I’m not helpless.”

  “No.” He angled toward her. “You’re damn strong. Impressive, really.”

  She lifted a mocking eyebrow, while pleasure burst inside her. “Not weak. So, do you have any weaknesses, Zane Kyllwood?”

  “Only you.” He stepped closer, his gaze thoughtful. Even flirting, an intensity danced on his skin.

  “I make you weak.” She slid one foot back an inch.

  “You knock my feet out from under me.”

  Now that was the sweetest compliment she’d ever received. Her heart thumped, full of him. “Let’s see about that.” Throwing the pillow at his head, she rolled across the bed to land on the other side.

  He beat her there and tossed her back on the bed, sprawling over her.

  She laughed and pushed at his chest. “Get off.”

  “Plan to.” He went limp, crushing her into the bed. “See. Swept off my feet.”

  She gasped for breath, chuckling with each pant and trying to shove at his chest. It was like being pinned down by a car. He’d immobilized her entire body. “You weigh a ton.”

  He lifted himself up onto his elbows, pressing his groin more firmly against hers. “You calling me fat?”

  “Hmmm.” She pursed her lips, pinched his flank. Or tried to. Nothing but smooth muscle over pure hard steel. “I have a couple of exercise tapes you could borrow.”

  He grinned. “Have any leg warmers I could wear?” The tension riding his shoulders lessened.

  She skimmed up his back to play with his thick hair. “I see you in pink.”

  He chuckled, and his mental guard relaxed.

  Images slammed into Janie’s brain. Strategy and danger. She stilled.

  His smile faded. “We shouldn’t be able to read each other’s minds so quickly.”

  Yet they could. She shook her head against the pillow. “We’re finally in a good spot. You have to find peace.”

  Granite hard muscle pressed against her chest as he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “There’s no peace if Suri lives.”

  Fiery heat ignited her nerves. “Then send an army and let’s finish this.” Her voice rose, and her mind reeled with the need to find a solution without so much danger to him. They’d just found each other, and they finally had a chance to live. To be together. “Please.”

  “An army of vampires taking on an army of demons? That’s not peace.” Zane spoke softly, but the firmness of his jaw left no room for negotiation. For reason. “The only way to find peace is to take Suri down and agree to a treaty as the new leader. Otherwise, we’ll always be at war. The two sides of me, the vampire and the demon, will be fighting each other. I have family on both sides.”

  The truth made sense but there had to be another way. A way that wouldn’t get him killed. She coughed out frustration. “Even if you beat Suri one-on-one, his death will send out shock waves, right?”

  “Definitely.” An apology shone in Zane’s emerald eyes.

  “Can you survive it?” Janie whispered, her gaze dropping to his full lips.

  They formed the words she really didn’t want to see. “I don’t know,” he said. “I have a better chance than anyone else, though.”

  That wasn’t exactly reassuring. She sighed, curiosity battling with fear. “What about you? There’s power in you, too. If you, ah, died, would you send out shock waves?”

  He shrugged. “Not at this point. You need to be at least five hundred years old to accumulate that much mental power, and frankly, after the last two wars, not many demons have lived that long. Suri and Nick are among the few.”

  So Suri had nothing to fear if Zane died. Janie swallowed. “You’re still regaining your strength from battle and from teleporting so many times. Surely you’re going to give yourself time to heal before taking on Suri.”

  Zane lowered his head until his nose nearly touched hers. “I leave tomorrow, Belle.”

  Her body flared into motion, struggling against him, trying to fight. “No,” she breathed.

  He held her in place, not moving, letting her work it out of her system. Against him.

  But every move, every touch, every strike of her body against his blasted desire into her nerves. Into her very being. By the time she wound down, she panted with more than exertion.

  Need filled her, desperate and hungry. Finally, she stilled. “Why can’t we just relax and have a soft time? There’s always so much fire.” Vulnerability and fear made her feel small. Helpless.

  His gaze melted. “You want gentle?” Soft as a whisper, his lips wandered against hers. “I can give

you gentle.” His groin settled more comfortably against hers, hard and ready. Tempting.

  Warm and strong, his palm cupped her jaw, his thumb caressing her cheek. “Let me show you, Belle,” he rumbled. His mouth covered hers, kissing slow and deep. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and she let him take her languidly where he wanted to go. His senses opened, letting her inside his head. Inside his heart.

  His fears as a child, his hope as a teenager, his determination as a man, all filled her mind. Memories of his thinking about her, of his wanting her, filled her heart.

  He gave her everything, holding nothing back.

  She accepted him, opening herself. Sharing every secret fear and hope. Somehow Zane smoothly removed their clothing with minimal effort, his hands caressing her breasts, his knees nudging hers farther apart.

  He pushed inside her carefully, his mouth constantly working hers, his power keeping her with him. The sensations bombarded her—his sensations. What he felt, he shared with her.

  The second he’d embedded himself completely inside her, and her internal walls gripped him, a devastating sense of peace and rightness centered him. She rode the feeling, both humbled and amazed. They shared far more than most couples, even immortals. She felt everything he was and everything he hoped to be. At the center of him . . . was her.

  She lived in the heart of Zane.

  The thought threw her body into a hunger that quickly gripped him, too. He thrust harder, faster, both of them beyond the moment. He drove inside her, one hand tethering her hair, the other clamping her hip. He half-lifted her, increasing his pace.

  Flames scorched through her, forcing her higher, searing her nerves. A small explosion detonated, then another, and then her body ignited into an orgasm so strong her skin burned. She cried out and dug her nails into his skin, her body arching into his. Energy uncoiled from her core to singe outward and consume her entire body.

  She shut her eyes and held on tight, trusting Zane to keep her safe. To keep her tethered to the world.

  The surge took everything she was, finally releasing her to drop onto the bed, panting. Shaking. Eternally fulfilled.

  Zane dropped his head into her neck, still pounding, and then groaned her name as he came.

  The sound of their ragged breathing filled the room. Zane lifted his damp head and kissed her, slowly and thoroughly. “It’ll all be okay, Belle. I promise,” he gasped.

  She nodded and kissed him back. Prophesied for centuries, she had power of her own. Now it was time to figure out how to save her mate.

  Chapter 27

  Zane cracked his neck, trying once again go get rid of the dull ache spreading from his shoulders to his temples. His bulletproof vest was cinched too tight, and his feet felt as if he’d donned the wrong boots. He kept his gaze on the dark screen spanning an entire wall.

  All of the Kayrs men stood around the conference table, nobody bothering to sit. Sam and Nick kept to the wall behind Zane, as if already covering his back.

  The king punched in a couple of numbers on a keyboard, and slowly, a Kurjan took shape.

  “Kayrs,” the current Kurjan leader said. His hair was a blood red with black woven throughout, and his eyes darkened to a pure purple. A pregnant woman handed the white-faced soldier a drink and then quickly disappeared from sight.

  “Dayne,” Dage replied. “Congratulations on your child.”

  Dayne smiled with sharp canines. “Thank you. We do want our race to continue.”

  “We all do.” The king gave a regal nod. “Right now, we have your ruler in a cage. Want him back?”

  Zane bit away a smile. Dage sure knew how to get to the point.

  “No,” Dayne said.

  Dage’s dark eyebrow rose. “Excuse me?”

  “The Kurjan Butcher can stay in your cage. Keep him. I’ve found I like ruling.” With his own regal nod, Dayne cut the connection.

  Dage blew out air and turned to the group. “Can’t say I’m horribly surprised.” Turning back to the keyboard, he punched in several more numbers. “All right. For the next part of our meeting, let’s talk about Zane’s crazy idea to go after Suri.”

  Zane lost his smile. The room seemed to waver. What was wrong with him? It had to be all the teleporting he’d done lately. Hopefully there wouldn’t be permanent damage, because he’d hate to lose the ability. Shaking his head, he forced himself to concentrate as the king mapped out Suri’s current location on a huge wall screen.

  Talen growled. “You need to take me with you.”

  “No.” Zane tried nonchalantly to wipe sweat from his brow. “The presence of any vampire in the vicinity of Suri’s death will be taken as an attack on the entire demon nation.”

  “You’re assuming Suri will be the dead one,” Conn said evenly.

  Zane lifted an eyebrow. “Assuming any other outcome will get me killed.”

  “Good point.” Talen’s hard features flushed. “Somebody turn down the damn heat in here.”

  Zane nodded. God, it was hot. Maybe the furnace was on the blink. He eyed the terrain around the Idaho compound, where they believed Suri was still located. “I can’t kill him there.”

  “No.” The king tapped the tablet in his hand, enlarging the screen to show Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Utah. “If Suri sends out the power surge you believe, you have to get him to a more secure location.”

  Kane Kayrs pointed a laser at the map. “A dormant super volcano lies just beneath Yellowstone National Park, and if it blows, it’ll take out a good part of the Pacific Northwest before the ash is spread to the east. It’d be a disaster and would kill many.”

  Zane nodded and peered closer as his vision wavered. Just how stressed was he, anyway? “The shock waves sent out by Suri might wake up that volcano.” He blinked several times to focus. “Looking at fault lines, that area is subject to a pretty bad earthquake.”

  Dage tapped his tablet again. “The Borah Peak earthquake moved the mountain sixteen vertical feet, and we think the fault line connects to the San Andreas.”

  So many fragile humans to protect. “So we’re talking about millions of deaths. Many cities destroyed. California might even drop into the ocean,” Zane said. He shook his head. “There’s also a nuclear facility in Washington State, right?”

  “Hanford,” Kane said.

  “I understand,” Zane said. “It’s almost as if that bastard chose his location carefully, now isn’t it?” Leave it to Suri to cover all contingencies. If things went bad, millions would die.

  Sam came to his side. “I’m not part of the Realm, so I’m going with you.”

  Zane turned and put his trembling hand on Sam’s shoulder. “You’re a good brother, but I need you to take the reins if I don’t make it back.” Frankly, he wasn’t completely sure he could transport Suri out, but it appeared he didn’t have a choice.

  “This is a bad idea,” Talen growled, grabbing the back of a chair and leaning heavily on it. “I said to turn the damn heat down.”

  “It’s off,” Dage muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think it’s chilly anyway.”

  Talen shook his head, and his shoulders rolled back. “Zane, if you do manage to get to Suri—and don’t think we don’t know you’re having trouble teleporting—where do you plan to take him to fight?”

  “Alaska wilderness, somewhere away from the Denali fault line.” Zane’s hands began to tremble. A rush of energy rolled up from his feet, swirled around, and landed hard in his gut. Bile burned his throat.

  What the hell was going on?

  The king pulled out a chair and fell into the seat, his breath hitching. His skin lost all color.

  Talen frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Dunno,” Dage whispered, his eyes flashing a sizzling blue through the silver. A shudder racked his massive shoulders.

  Talen turned to Conn, who was leaning over, sucking in air. “Get Dage out of here.” The chair back beneath Talen’s hands crumbled in his grip, and he swayed. His golden eyes rolled back. Then the biggest badass Zane had ever met dropped to the floor.

  Zane moved to help him when the world tilted. Blackness assaulted his vision, and gravity took over. His last thought as his head impacted the stone floor was to look for the attack.

  Janie ran into the first room in the infirmary, her heart thundering. She nearly skidded into Garrett, who turned to grab her arms. His eyes glowed a primal aqua.

  “What’s going on?” she gasped, leaning to see her father and Dage both on examination tables while Emma and Cara bustled around. “I don’t understand.”

  Garrett shook his head, worry lining his face. “We don’t know yet.”

  “Where’s Zane?” she asked, frantically trying to look into the adjacent room.

  “He’s in room B with Conn,” Garrett said soberly. “Kane, Jase, and Max are in C.”

  Her ears rang. “They’re all afflicted?”

  “Yes.” Garrett released her to turn back toward his father. “We’ve been attacked.”

  Janie rubbed her chin. “Only mated vampires?”

  “Yes.” Garrett rushed forward as Talen stirred.

  “Dad?” Janie followed, grabbing her father’s hand.

  His golden eyes flipped open, he stilled, and then leaped from the bed. A quick glance around had him shoving both Garrett and Janie toward Dage and behind him before he settled his stance and faced the door.

  Garrett angled to the side and reached for his father’s arm. “There’s no immediate threat, Dad.”

  Talen turned, confusion wrinkling his brow. He swayed.

  “Whoa.” Garrett helped him back to the table just as Dage slowly sat up.

  “What the hell?” Dage asked, focusing on Emma as she peered into a microscope.

  “Just a second,” Emma said, her voice high and tight.

  Janie gave her brother a look. “I need to check on Zane. I’ll be back.” God. If every mate had been affected, there was really only one possible reason. She bustled into room B, where Zane already sat on a table flanked by Sam.

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