Provoked

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Terrent shook his head. “There’s evidence the inoculation isn’t working.”

  “Bullshit.” There was no doubt the cure worked. Kane stepped closer to the camera.

  Terrent’s eyes flared black. “Let me rephrase that. I believe, based on tests of the immunization, that someone has tampered with the concoction and made several of our vials useless.”

  Kane rubbed both hands over his face. “Who would do that?” He shook his head. “Okay. If someone got close enough to the vials to tamper with them, it’s someone close to you. The Kurjans have a mole in your organization.”

  “I contacted the feline nation, and they’re experiencing the same problem. Somebody has gotten to the vials, and we don’t know how far back the tampering goes. We’ll have to immunize everybody again just to make sure. In the meantime, my people aren’t protected, and the virus is still out there.”

  Kane swallowed. “You’re right. The only smart thing to do is to inoculate everyone again. Test the vials, find the good ones, and use them. I’ll step up production of more vials in our labs to send to you.” The ticking clock on his back just increased in speed. At some point, the Kurjans would figure out how to make the virus mutate and go airborne. It was merely a matter of time. He needed a cure before that happened. A cure for all beings. He’d find one, after he got his brother back.

  Terrent tugged on his ripped T-shirt. “We need to come up with some sort of plan for who’s doing this.” He glanced at his watch. “Also, the demons have increased the bounty on Maggie’s head. You need to send the little wolf to a new location—everyone knows she’s at your headquarters.”

  Dage exhaled. “Any idea why the demons want her?”

  Terrent focused back on the camera. “No. No clue. But I do believe the lass is in danger.”

  Kane frowned. Something was off there. Was Terrent lying? It was incredibly rare for the wolf to lapse into the brogue since it had been centuries since he’d lived in Scotland. Maggie was a little wolf shifter who had been captured by the Kurjans and infected with the virus, resulting in amnesia. She had no clue who she was and had sought refuge with the vampires. Why would Terrent lie about her?

  Terrent tapped an ear communicator that had been hidden and then nodded. “Okay.” The smile he flashed held way too much amusement. “Hilde Freebird would like to speak with you.”

  The screen went black. Two seconds later, a woman sitting in a hospital bed and covered by a hand-sewn quilt squinted black eyes at them. Curly blond hair had been pinned up on her head, and pale, smooth skin covered delicate features. She looked to be about forty years old. Living on the farm had been good to her. “You the king?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Dage gentled his voice.

  Fire flashed in her dark eyes. “You keep your grubby, vampire hands off my granddaughter—got it?”

  Dage bit his lip. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t touch her.”

  “Humph.” Pale hands clutched into the quilt. “I know you vampires—not a one of you can keep it in your pants. One of you seduces my sweet Amber, and I’ll behead you myself.”

  Heat started to climb into Kane’s face. “Maybe you should’ve told sweet Amber about her gifts . . . about immortal creatures.”

  Dark eyelashes fluttered as Hilde turned her attention to him. “Which one are you?”

  “I’m Kane.”

  “Ah.” A small smile pursed her fine lips. “The smart one. Good. Make sure you explain this carefully to your brothers; my granddaughter will not be messing with demons. The second I’m healthy to go, we’re going. Understand?”

  No. But arguing with a lady sitting in a hospital bed seemed like a bad idea. “We’ll keep her safe, Ms. Freebird. I promise.” Kane donned his most charming smile.

  “Don’t even think of bewitching me, dumbass. I’ve known plenty of vampires in my day. You’re all full of charm. And don’t think for a second I’m unaware of how often you mate to gain the gifts of enhanced females. You even think of having a vampire mate Amber, and you’ll regret it. My powers go a lot further than just destroying demons.”

  Kane coughed twice. Okay, so he’d considered mating Amber. Shit. He was still considering the possibility.

  Dage nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Freebird, and I hope you feel better soon. We have to go now.” He hit the button on the wall, and Hilde disappeared.

  Thank God.

  “Fuck.” Kane shook his hands out to stop the adrenaline ripping through his veins. “Why can’t anything go as fucking planned?”

  Dage headed straight for the bar set in the corner to pour two scotches. “Any more word on the internal struggles of the demons?”

  “No. Apparently whatever was going on has been handled. The demon nation is strong enough to deal with us now.” Kane rubbed his chin. “I wish we had found out what type of insurgence was happening.”

  Dage returned and shoved a full glass in Kane’s hand. “Sit down.”

  Kane tipped back his head and downed the liquid before sitting in a thick leather chair, his boots settling on the neutral Persian rug. Warmth coated his throat to land in his belly. “This had better be fake leather.”

  Dage sat in a matching chair, facing him. “You’ve never given a shit about leather before.”

  “I give a shit now.” Kane met his brother’s stare evenly, irritation clawing down his spine.

  “That is a faux-leather chair.” The king took a small swallow of the smooth drink. “What’s up your ass?”

  Who the hell knew? “We’re the most powerful race on earth, and you’d think we could sit our butts on something other than pure leather. How hard is that for you to understand?” Kane’s fingers curled over in the absurd need to hit something. Was he turning into Talen or what?

  Dage’s smile lacked any semblance of humor. “Do I need to handle you?”

  “Handle me?” Heat burned inside Kane’s head so fast, so hard, he was shocked steam didn’t flow with his words. “I fucking handle you, king. That’s my job.”

  “Is it, now?” Anybody remotely familiar with the king would recognize the soft tone of voice as something to run the hell away from.

  Kane was beyond running. “Yes. From day one, I’m your fucking advisor. Your sense of logic in a violent world. You wouldn’t know how to handle me.” The words spewed out too fast for him to stop, even while he knew he was being unfair. Horribly unfair to a guy who’d never wanted to lead—never wanted to be king.

  “She is a beautiful woman.” The king took another drink.

  Kane stopped cold. His mind blanked. “What?”

  “Amber. She’s stunning and has the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen. Very pretty girl.”

  Taking a deep breath, Kane sat back in the chair. His mind clicked to life. “I was rallying about the unfairness of life and how I have to be logical when Talen gets to just hit things. Could we get back to that?”

  Dage shrugged. “That’s boring. And your lot in life isn’t why you’re acting like you have a stick shoved up your ass.”

  If Kane had the energy, he would hit his brother. Right now, the world on his shoulders was holding him down. “I offered to mate her.”

  Coughing, Dage wiped liquid off his chin. “You did what?”

  Kane shrugged. “I mean, before we, well, you know— I offered to mate her. To get her abilities so she wouldn’t have to use them. So she’d get mine. You know how I can shield all emotion, as well as throw emotion out in rare occasions.”

  Dage set his glass on the polished oak table. “That’s a very logical reason to mate a woman, Kane.”

  “Exactly.” Thank God somebody understood. “She refused, saying she wants love and all that crap. But our mating really was a good idea.”

  “So after she refused, why sleep with her?” Dage’s silver eyes narrowed.

  Why, indeed? Kane brought his glass to his mouth, frowning when he realized the crystal was empty. “Well, we’d just rowed across a freezing lake, and I needed to warm her up.” The
reason even sounded lame to him. He flashed a smile. “And like you said, she’s stunning.”

  “You like her.”

  “Sure. She’s smart, sexy, and dedicated to what she believes in. She said she’d help us save Jase.” What wasn’t to like? Her idealistic view of the world was silly, but not unlikeable. “I still think mating her is a good idea.”

  “Maybe. Though you should be careful, the marking is just one part of a mating. Emma’s genetics started to change even before I marked her. Of course, I knew she was destined to be my mate.” Dage’s eyes darkened as he talked about his woman.

  Speaking of which—sometimes his brothers were little old ladies who gossiped. “You didn’t have to tell Emma that I’d slept with Amber.”

  “I know.” Dage sighed. “But you of all people know that our scientists need the facts when doing research. Emma wanted to take Amber’s blood immediately, and she needed to know you’d been intimate. Just in case.”

  “I hate when you turn my logic against me.” Kane shook his head. He would’ve done the same thing.

  Dage leaned forward. “Amber’s gifts are unique, and she’s definitely an enhanced female, or potential mate. Maybe we should find someone else to mate her—a vampire who believes in love and all that crap, as you put it.”

  Kane’s shoulders went back. Heat spiraled through his spine. “If she mates anybody, it’s going to be me.”

  One dark eyebrow rose. “Why is that?” Dage asked mildly.

  “Because she’s the only demon destroyer we’ve ever found. That kind of power should stay in our family.” Now that made sense.

  “Interesting.” The king sat back in his chair. “So, at what point did the mating brand appear on your hand?”

  Kane frowned. “Huh?”

  Dage pointed to Kane’s right hand. “Your palm.”

  Almost in slow motion, Kane turned his head to view his palm. Dark and raised, an intricate Celtic knot with an elaborate K in the middle stood in strong prominence, filling his entire palm.

  The Kayrs marking.

  He dropped his glass to the floor. “Holy hell.”

  CHAPTER 14

  The ocean rolled far below them and sent the slightest spray of salt up to the small courtyard. Amber perched on a weathered bench to face the sea. She took a cleansing breath of fresh air and kicked her shoes along the frozen grass. There wasn’t snow on the cliffside, but the air was still cold. The sun shone weakly down, creating a lovely late afternoon with no real warmth while thick pine trees shielded her on either side. The rock entry to headquarters gaped open behind her.

  She sighed and lifted her face to the sun. “I love this courtyard.”

  Kane settled his bulk next to her. “You’re safe here. Well, now.”

  “This area hasn’t always been safe?”

  “No. We were breached a few years ago and had quite the battle right here. But we have sensors all around the forest as well as around our subdivision to the south, and we control several satellites. You’re definitely safe here now.”

  “What about from an air attack?” she asked lazily, keeping her eyes closed. “I mean, what if a suicide bomber decided to hit your headquarters?”

  “We have missiles in the ground to take out anybody we don’t recognize.”

  Her eyes flipped open. “Really?”

  “Sure.” Kane shrugged, his gaze remaining on the quiet ocean.

  For some reason, he’d been avoiding her gaze since escorting her outside. She tilted her head to the side. “You mentioned a subdivision.”

  “Yes. We own a small subdivision on the other side of the forest so we can live aboveground when it’s safe. The community is gated with excellent security. This is a nice place to live, Amber.”

  The emphasis on the last sentence rose her chin. “I’m not mating someone for convenience, Kane.” The guy could at least try to get a little romantic considering the previous night was, well, freakin’ fantastic. Why couldn’t Kane be one of those guys who waxed poetic after a good romp?

  “There’s nothing convenient about us,” he muttered. The sun danced around his chiseled face, angling in the hollows beneath his high cheekbones and along the strong line of his jaw. His forehead was broad, his face symmetrical, his lips full. The dark brows over his odd eyes showed masculinity, while his eyes glowed with pure intelligence.

  She really needed to get a grip and stop mooning over the vampire. “You said I could teleconference with my grandmother today.”

  “I’ll set the visit up after we practice your skills outside where we can relax. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the labs.”

  A knuckle popped when she clenched her hands together. “You’re quite the scientist.”

  “Yes.”

  “Speaking of your labs, please tell me you don’t use animals in testing.”

  He stiffened. “I do use animals. Mice, rabbits, and monkeys. But I don’t harm them in any way. My favorite monkey is a fellow named Walter.”

  “Walter?” She grinned. “You let them have fresh air and organic food, right? No meat?”

  “Tell you what. I’ll let you handle their diet from now on, if you continue to train.”

  She sighed. That seemed like a fair deal. “So, are you going to attack my brain or try to seduce me again?”

  “Attack.” His strong voice didn’t change. “If you’d just mate me, then you wouldn’t have to train.”

  The guy wasn’t letting go of the thought. “I’ve seen Emma and Dage. They didn’t mate for convenience—they’re in love.” In fact, the air had almost combusted when Dage had kissed the queen.

  “They believe in fate. I don’t.” Kane shoved his hair back from his face.

  “You should. Fate exists.” She’d always known that fact, even without being aware of her gifts.

  The wind whistled around them and shoved Kane’s hair into his face again. He sighed. “I need a haircut.”

  “Yeah. You don’t seem like a long-hair type of guy.” The thought of running her fingers through his thick mane clenched her thighs together. Not a good idea. “I can cut hair.”

  He finally looked at her—violet eyes serious. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  She was a moron. “Great.”

  “Thanks. I’ve been working so hard to find Jase, and then to find you, I’ve just let it grow.”

  “So, brain attack?” She might as well get the pain over with.

  He frowned. “I’m going to come at you like a demon. Fight me.”

  She nodded, closing her eyes again. “Go for it.”

  Nothing happened. The wind wandered over her face while the sun tried to warm her. Her shoes in the grass began to tingle in coldness. Yet, she waited. Finally, she opened her eyes to see Kane staring at her. “What—”

  Invisible knives slashed into her brain. Horrible images of war, death, and dying filled her mind. She closed her eyes, screaming silently. Taking a deep breath, she imagined the sun increasing in strength and shoved heat through the images. Thinking of puppies and glowing fish, she replaced the pictures with scenes of kindness and love. As beauty defeated death, she shoved the pain into nothingness.

  Her eyes flipped open to see a pale Kane. Oh, sending the images cost him . . . more than he probably knew.

  He nodded, pride filling his smile. “Good job. Now attack back.”

  “No.”

  His bottom lip turned down. “This doesn’t work unless you incapacitate them. You have to fight back.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  His eyes softened. “I’m tough—this is important. Please.”

  Man, if he used that voice on her again, she probably would mate him. “Okay.” Digging her nails into her palms, she recaptured the images he’d sent and tried to send them back. His expression didn’t change. She tried harder, a large knot of dread filling her stomach.

  Nothing.

  Her ears began to ring. Darkness dropped over her vision. She swayed.
/>   “Amber, stop.” Kane slid an arm around her shoulder. “Really, take a deep breath.”

  She breathed deep, her body shuddering. “Did you feel anything?”

  “No. But we’ll try again later.” He pressed a hand against her forehead. “You’re burning up. Let’s get you inside, sweetheart.”

  She tried to stand, but Kane was faster. Lifting her and striding for the rocks, he tucked her face into his neck. The scent of male and musk settled her, and she sighed right down to her toes. Why couldn’t fate exist?

  After being poked and prodded by both Kane and Emma for nearly an hour, Amber was rethinking her stance on passivity. They’d taken blood, tissue samples, her blood pressure . . . as well as measured her brain waves. When she’d been ready to explode, Emma had finally led her to a plush sofa in a quiet room with a big-screen television. The door shut quietly behind the queen. Settling back in the cushions, Amber waited.

  Grandma Hilde soon took up the entire screen. “Amber, sweetheart. Are you all right?”

  Amber studied the woman who’d raised her. Hilde sat in a bed, her color strong, her pretty black eyes sparking. “Yes. How are you?”

  “Good as new.” Hilde clapped her small hands together. “So, how angry are you?”

  “Very. As well as feeling very betrayed.” She tried to keep her voice calm, but a low tenor of hurt cut through the words.

  Hilde nodded, truly not looking very sorry. “I don’t blame you. But when your mother died, I decided to give you a good life, one without the craziness of demons, vampires, or the rest. You deserved a decent childhood, baby girl.”

  Awareness sprang to life down the skin on Amber’s back. “How did my mother die?” she whispered.

  Hilde shifted on the bed. “Well, now. Um . . .”

  Hurt exploded fast and hard in Amber’s chest. “She didn’t have cancer.”