Marked

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Zane straddled him, his vision wavering. He wrapped both hands over Suri’s on the star and turned to seek his mate. She stood on the other side of the cavern, pale, visibly trembling. “Get out, Belle. Before he dies, get out.”

  She looked down at her protruding stomach and nodded.

  Zane shut his eyes. He could kill Suri and take the responding explosion into his body. To save Janie and their son. He could do it. Suri’s struggles gained force, and Zane’s hands lost dexterity.

  He leaned up and stared directly into his uncle’s black eyes. “For my family.” Letting out a warrior’s battle cry, he shoved with all his weight. The star cut to the stone—through muscle, tissue, and bone.

  Blood gurgled from Suri’s mouth, which dropped open in an expression of pure shock.

  Zane released the star and grabbed Suri’s hair, yanking his head from his body with a sickening wet sound.

  For the smallest of moments, death held peace.

  Then a wave of deadly power exploded out, throwing Zane into a table. Agony lanced down his back. He dropped to his knees. The air morphed and turned brown, the oxygen flashing with sparks. Wind somehow burst through the cavern with a painful keening.

  Blood dripped from Zane’s eyes, turning the world red. The earth bucked in displeasure, ripples turning into earthquakes.

  God. What had he done?

  Pressure built, heavy and devastating. The earth began to fold in on herself, sending out shock waves for miles.

  Janie emitted a powerful cry of denial, hopping over fissures to reach him in a low tackle, landing on him. “Hold on.” Grabbing him tight, she yanked him out of hell.

  Peace and warmth. Zane opened his eyes to the oddest sense of safety. He blinked and sat up on heated sand in their dream world. “Belle?”

  She lay next to him and pushed herself up on hands and knees, looking around. “Oh.”

  Zane glanced down at Suri lying beneath him. “How?”

  “I don’t know.” Janie stood up and brushed sand off her jeans. “But we only have seconds.”

  Zane stood, battered and bleeding, and kicked his uncle over onto his back. Suri’s mouth remained open, his eyes wide in death.

  “Ouch.” She grabbed her belly and grimaced.

  “What?” Panic swelled and choked him.

  She shook her head. “Not now. God. We have to get out of here.”

  Zane tried to force thoughts through his muddled head. How many concussions did he have, anyway? The sky opened up above him, red lightning flashing against black clouds. The entire dream world wobbled.

  The air chilled to freezing.

  A figure hovered near the tree line. Kalin? Zane shook his head, trying to focus. The Kurjan was almost transparent, and his greenish purple eyes glowed through a rapidly thickening mist.

  Janie stilled. “Kalin? Why are you here?”

  The Kurjan smiled with blood-red lips. “I’m just passing through.” His image faded in and out. “This isn’t how I saw destiny.”

  “Thank you for saving me,” Janie said, rubbing her belly. “For saving us.”

  Zane cleared his throat. “Thank you.”

  Kalin gave a short bow. “Life. What a surprise. I see the future, and it’s a shocker. Thank you both for being the closest to childhood friends I ever had. Live well.” He flickered in and out, his gaze dropping to Janie’s stomach. “Maybe tell your babe about me, so someone remembers me?” His voice trailed off at the end, and he disappeared.

  The ocean began to boil and turn black.

  Suri leaped to his feet.

  Zane shoved Janie behind him. “But you’re dead—”

  Suri smiled. “Kind of.”

  Janie grabbed the back of Zane’s demolished vest. “I forced us all in here to keep the world from exploding.”

  Suri advanced. “In the dream world all rules are gone.”

  Thunder bellowed into a shriek. Lava bubbled up through the sand, hissing toward the ocean. The environment rose under pressure, pushing in, adding gravity to the very oxygen.

  Zane faltered.

  Red filled the sky and spiraled down, thundering through the heavy atmosphere. He sensed that the second its energy touched the lava, the dream world would detonate. By taking Suri’s power from the real world, Janie had sacrificed their dream world.

  Suri snarled, his face contorting.

  Zane turned and grabbed Janie close, opening up a space in time and dimensions. One more jump. Just one more to save his mate. The dream world exploded, burning his feet just as they jumped through.

  He turned instinctively to land on his back and cushion Janie’s fall. The ground rocked beneath him. He opened his eyes, his nose filled with the scents of dirt and death. “We’re back in the cavern. Damn it all to hell.” Struggling to his feet, he fell. His head dropped to his chest.

  Janie struggled to stand and grabbed his arm. “We have to get out of here.”

  The earth continued to rumble, even with the power surge caused by Suri’s death removed. Zane nodded, blood sliding from his ears. “I’m not gonna make it, Belle.”

  “The hell you’re not.” She propelled him toward the lift and around the opening schisms in the ground.

  He glanced down to see lava and red core. The physics keeping the cavern safe were about to fail, and his woman was fighting to get him to the lift. Taking a deep breath of heat, he forced himself to put one foot in front of the other. Reaching down, he grabbed Suri’s head by the hair.

  Janie blanched.

  “Trust me.” He moved like an old man onto the lift and sat.

  Janie sat and then stood back up. “I need the book.”

  He grabbed her arm just as the book spun round and round, finally dropping into the largest schism.

  “No,” Janie cried, struggling.

  “Yes. Let’s go, Janie.”

  She shook her head but tugged the gate closed. “Well, I guess we figured out my big destiny,” she groaned, sliding onto the seat next to him.

  Zane closed his eyes and surprised himself by grinning. “Saving millions of humans by forcing Suri’s power into the dream world is a hell of a destiny.” He slipped an arm around his woman. “Although, don’t take this wrong, I figure you have more than one destiny.”

  She paused. “I have more to do?”

  “You are the Prophesied One.” His chuckle turned into a cough for air. It’d be a miracle if he lived past the day. He leaned down and grabbed a bunch of dirt to rub in his hair. Mixed with the blood, it’d hide the gray.

  “What are you doing?” Janie asked.

  He finished by patting some dirt onto his face. “Taking years off my life. Push the button, Belle.”

  She frowned, hit the button, and the lift sprang up through rock. Then she hissed. “I can’t believe I lost the book.”

  “Forget the book.” As far as he was concerned, the damn thing was cursed.

  Janie peered over the edge but didn’t stop the lift.

  “Stand behind me when we get to the top.” Zane tried to find strength, but only pain filled his mind. This was a long shot, but it was all they had.

  The lift reached the top, and he forced himself to stand. Stepping out of it, he counted the number of demon guards flanking the exit. At least twenty. Shit.

  He staggered to the opening, very conscious of the woman covering his back. Wind and rain pummeled the area, and trees swayed as if furious. The earth continued to quake. Several helicopters rested at the far tree line; there was no way to get to them without fighting.

  One by one, the demon soldiers turned their focus on him. They were the elite of the elite, all wearing flashing medals across their chests. All close followers of Suri.

  Zane blinked blood and rain from his eyes and lifted Suri’s head high in the air. “Follow me or die.”

  He sensed a wave of pain behind him. From Janie. “Are you okay?” he muttered.

  “Peachy,” she said, stepping to his side. “I’ll take out the right side
of soldiers and you take the left?”

  “Funny.” He kept his gaze hard as Suri’s blood dripped onto the earth. “Decide. Now.” The demon in him came out full force in the harsh command.

  A couple of the soldiers eyed each other.

  Dread dropped into Zane’s gut. He could barely stand, much less take them on.

  A whir of sound echoed through the sky. He lifted his gaze. One by one, several helicopters dropped Realm soldiers onto the ground. A chopper landed, and the king stepped out, followed by Sam and Logan.

  Zane’s brothers ran toward him.

  The demon soldiers slowly dropped their weapons. “Looks like you’re the new leader,” a well-decorated soldier said, respect filling his eyes.

  Relief buzzed through Zane.

  He threw Suri’s head back into the earth and grabbed Janie, starting for the nearest transport. “We still need to get out of here.”

  She cried out and doubled over.

  “What?” he asked, holding her upright.

  Her eyes widened, pain turning her face pale. “I don’t know.”

  He stilled. The entire world stopped spinning. “How bad is the pain?”

  “Shit. Bad. Something’s wrong.” She bit her lip, tears filling her eyes.

  Sam shot him a worried look and slipped an arm under Janie’s shoulder. Between the two of them, they got her to the helicopter, where the king quickly put everybody in seats, and Janie sat next to a worried looking Talen.

  As if choreographed, the Realm helicopters and the demon helicopters all rose into the air and then split into two different directions. Zane held Janie close, his body bleeding, his heart breaking. It was way too early for the baby, so she must’ve been injured somehow in the jumps. Pain racked his mate, and he tried to draw it into his body. But between the fight, the virus, and teleporting, he was done.

  He’d see Suri soon in death.

  Zane looked up to see the king, worn and wan, and so damn ill, staring at him with regret in his silver eyes. “How did you get transport?” Zane coughed.

  “Allies. Mainly shifter allies,” Dage said. “We’ll head to our secondary headquarters for now.”

  So they all could die. Tears clogged Zane’s throat, so he stopped talking.

  An explosion echoed like deadly thunder behind them, heaving up red, orange, and yellow smoke. The cavern was toast, although no humans in outlying states would be harmed. Zane comforted himself by brushing his hand through Janie’s silky hair. His mate had saved millions.

  She doubled over again and gasped. “The baby is coming.”

  Panic ripped through his chest. “Now? He can’t be coming now.”

  “He is.” Janie took several deep breaths, her eyes a wild blue. “I want to get married.”

  “What?” Zane shook his head. “Now?”

  She grabbed his hand, her nails digging in. “Yes. I wanted to before he came, or before I die, but everything has been so crazy. I want to get married. Now!”

  Sometimes he forgot her human ways, but he’d move the fucking earth himself if it’d make her happy. “Okay.” He looked at the ground below. “We can probably find a preacher on the way.”

  The king turned around and rolled his faded eyes. “I can marry you.”

  “You can?” Zane asked.

  “Why does everyone forget I’m the fucking king?” Dage asked Talen.

  Talen shrugged, looking a thousand years old. “I almost never forget.”

  Dage growled and placed a hand on Janie’s arm. “Do you take—”

  “Yes,” she gasped, her face pinching in pain.

  Dage frowned, concern wrinkling his brow. “Zane Kyllwood, do you take Janet Isabella Kayrs as your wife?”

  “Hell, yes.” Zane patted her hand, trying to send healing vibes her way, although he lacked the strength.

  Dage nodded. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  Talen leaned over and shook Zane’s hand. “Welcome to the family. Again.”

  Zane nodded and kissed Janie’s forehead. “Feel better?”

  She smiled. Her eyes widened. Then she doubled over, vibrations of pain shooting away from her shaking body. “The baby is coming. Right now.”

  Chapter 31

  Janie lay back on the makeshift bed, her heart thundering. She eyed the rough stone walls of the Colorado underground facility. After it had been attacked years ago, Dage had quietly rebuilt it as a backup if necessary. “Why are we here? Another hour and we could be at the Realm hospital in Canada.”

  Cara grimaced. “The demons hit the hospital at the same time as headquarters. There is no hospital.”

  Cramps gripped Janie’s rib cage, and her stomach rolled. “We have to stop this.”

  Her mother and Emma scrambled around the narrow room for medical supplies.

  “We’ve contacted Doctor Morose,” Emma said, reaching for a blood pressure cuff. “He’s en route from Maine.”

  Janie sucked in air and tried to stop the next contraction. The doctor was the best gynecologist in the Realm, having delivered babies for seven centuries. He’d agreed to move to headquarters during her eighth month—in just a few measly weeks.

  But headquarters no longer existed, and it looked like she wouldn’t be pregnant much longer.

  The Colorado facility wasn’t functional yet and lacked medical necessities. Her baby could not be born right now. “He’s too early. He’s way too early,” Janie gasped, the pain making her light-headed.

  Cara smoothed back her hair. “You’re at seven months, sweetheart. The babe is early, but he’s strong.”

  Janie tried to take comfort from her mother’s soft words. But had the baby’s early exposure to the virus weakened him? Or the falls she’d just taken during the fight? Now she lay in an unfinished facility, half-nude, covered by a sheet, because they didn’t even have hospital gowns. “Don’t you have anything to stop the contractions?”

  “No.” Emma felt for Janie’s pulse and looked at the ceiling. “You need to take several deep breaths and try to slow your heart rate. It’s way too fast.” She eyed Cara. “A stethoscope won’t work on the baby, and neither would a monitor. If we had one.”

  Cara nodded and patted Janie’s arm. “I know. Vampire babies are too well insulated.”

  So there was no way to see if he was doing all right. Janie tried to hold still and not move. Maybe if she stopped moving, then the contractions would ebb. “Where’s Zane?”

  Emma wiped Janie’s brow with a wet towel. “He’s getting patched up in the next room and will be here soon. We can’t have him bleeding all over everything.” Her smile trembled on her lips. “Women have been giving birth in fields forever, Janie. This is fine, and your son will be perfectly healthy.”

  Janie nodded. “If there’s a problem? What do we have here?”

  “The lab is stocked,” Emma said. “We were moving on to the medical facilities next.”

  So basically . . . no medicine.

  Cara leaned in and grasped Janie’s hand in hers. “I gave birth to Garrett in an underground jail cell. Remember?”

  Janie forced a smile. “That’s right. Simone and Moira helped you.” Maybe they should get a witch in the room. Although manipulating quantum physics wouldn’t help right now. A contraction ripped into her, and she cried out.

  Emma cleared her throat and reached for the sheet. “Let me just take a gander, Jane.” She looked for a moment and then gently felt Janie. “You’re dilated at about a four.” Emma stepped back to the narrow counter to wash her hands in the small sink. “This little guy is showing up today.”

  Zane kept his face stoic and tried to concentrate on a tiny spot on the rock wall. The needle dug in again.

  “You doing okay?” Talen Kayrs asked, his thick fingers working the thread through Zane’s flesh.

  “Yes.” Although he might pass out from loss of blood. He sat on an old folding chair in a large, empty cavern in the rock. The emergency headquarters lacked pretty much everything. “Thank y
ou.”

  Talen chuckled, his gray head bent at the task. He looked like a ninety-year-old human, and he moved as slowly. “Thank you for saving Janie. It’s a miracle you were able to teleport.”

  “Or fate.” There was no way Zane had made it on his own, was there?

  “Or you.” Talen slapped a bandage over Zane’s chest wounds. “There’s no stronger drive in the universe than the need to keep a mate safe.” He stood and straightened his back, the vertebra popping loudly.

  Zane nodded, trying once again to force his wounds closed. Nothing happened.

  Sam and Logan hastened into the room.

  “Mom’s secure with a couple of the witches closer to the center of the mountain,” Sam reported.

  Logan frowned, worry glinting in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

  No. In fact, Zane could feel the energy leaving his body. He had to live. Just long enough to see his kid.

  Dage strode into the room followed by Conn, Kane, Jase, Max, and Garrett. The king’s gnarled hands shook on a stack of papers. “How is Janie?”

  “Getting settled,” Zane answered. “Emma is coming to get me as soon as they have her in place. The baby is coming today.”

  Dage smiled cracked teeth, lifting new wrinkles at his eyes. “Good. I’d like to meet your son. Before . . .”

  “Before what?” Garrett shoved away from the wall, panic filling his tone.

  Talen turned toward his son. “We’ve had reports of five vampires across the world dying during the last week. Apparently the virus works very quickly once death is close.” He turned, and a crack echoed through the room. Shock opened his mouth, and he fell flat on his butt.

  Garrett rushed forward. “Dad?”

  Talen growled and grabbed his hip. “Broken.”

  Shit. That easily? Zane wanted to get up and offer his chair, but his legs refused to move. He ran a weak hand through his hair. Strands of gray fell to the floor. “I’m almost dead, and now I’m balding?” He snorted. “Apparently I am a superficial bastard. The hair loss bothers me almost as much as death.”

  Talen leaned his head against the wall and barked out a laugh. His nearly colorless gaze met Zane’s. “Me too. I would’ve liked to have known you over centuries, Kyllwood, not just a few short months.”