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  She stood and paused. “My duty?”

  “Yes. I’m wounded. Kiss it and make it better.” His smile could only be described as sinful.

  She coughed out a laugh and reached his side, only to be tugged down onto his hard lap. “You poor baby,” she murmured, running her fingers through his hair and leaning close to kiss his neck. “Better?” Her voice came out throaty, and her cheeks warmed. Oh, she’d flirted before, but those guys seemed like harmless boys compared to Zane.

  “Much better.” He shifted her in his arms, settling her closer. “What are we talking about?” He played with her hair.

  She spread her palm over his heart, marveling at the hard muscles. “I heard you shoved Kalin into the ocean. That showdown has been a long time coming.”

  Zane kissed the top of her head. “I know, and I do feel unsettled. We finally have him, and we’re going to have to torture him to get information on Virus-27.” Zane ran a hand down her arm, and she winced. “What?”

  “Nothing. Just a bruise.” Janie stretched her arm out.

  Zane slid his palm up and over her bicep. “Here?”

  “Yes.” She’d ducked when she should’ve dodged a punch. “I’ll be fine.”

  Heat prickled her skin and dug deep, spreading warmth. Zane rubbed the area with circular motions. All pain dissipated. “There you go, Belle,” he rumbled.

  She shook her arm. “Hey. You took away the bruise.” Sliding her hand along his arm, she pushed on his bicep. “Is it here now?”

  “No. I took the injury in, held it, and healed the bruise already.” He grinned. “See how handy I am as a mate?”

  “I did choose well,” she said solemnly, trying not to smile.

  “We both did.” He flattened his hand over her abdomen. “Can you sense him yet?”

  She shook her head, placing her hand over Zane’s. “No. You?”

  Zane stilled and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Yes. He’s strong already. Definitely your kid.” Concern flickered in Zane’s eyes.

  “We’ll be all right,” Janie whispered, and leaned in to kiss the now faded scratch on his neck. “We’ll get the information on Virus-27 from Kalin, and we’ll find a cure.”

  “I don’t want you going near Kalin.” Zane sighed.

  Janie lifted her head and leaned back. “But?”

  Zane’s eyes darkened. “What do you think we should do?”

  “I think I should talk to him. Alone.” Janie exhaled slowly. “He’s contained, and if he’ll talk to anybody, it’s me.”

  Zane closed his eyes and exhaled, his entire chest moving. “I agree.”

  Janie blinked. “That’s surprising.” She’d figured she’d have to fight Zane and the entire Kayrs family to get to Kalin.

  “I know.” Zane opened his eyes. “The thought of you and our child so close to the Kurjan Butcher makes me want to kill. But that virus inside you is as dangerous as Kalin is, and you’re the only person who has a chance at getting information. Torture probably won’t work with him.”

  “So you trust me to handle Kalin?” Her chest swelled. Zane saw her as a woman and not some prophesied fragile human who needed to be hidden away.

  “You’re smart and you’re trained. Of course I trust you.” Zane sighed.

  She leaned over and feathered her lips over his. “So you’ve seen the error of your ways.”

  He tangled his hand in her hair and tugged until her head lifted and her gaze met his. “What error?”

  “The whole do as I say or you get spanked error.”

  He grinned. “No. You’re going to talk to Kalin because it’s a plan we’re mutually agreeing on, and I’m going to keep you as safe as possible. It’s our only chance with him. But if I give an order in the future regarding your safety, you damn well better obey it.” Even through the smile, possessive determination glowed.

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

  “So long as you heed my warning, call me anything you want.” His hold tightened just enough to show his intent. “For now, we need to figure out a safe way to gain Intel from Kalin without me standing in front of you, which is what I’d much rather do.”

  Holy crap. She was actually going to face Kalin. Dots danced across her vision. With a grimace, she pushed to stand. “I’d rather do this now than later. Let’s go talk strategy with my dad. Maybe I’ll take a nice picnic lunch down to Kalin in his cell.”

  Zane stood and wove his fingers through hers. “I’m sure the king and your father will love that idea as much as I do.”

  Janie waited while the guards finished sweeping the Realm’s secured cells in the mountain. Her family had been surprisingly accepting of her idea to speak with Kalin. In fact, when she and Zane had arrived at the conference room, they’d already started making a plan. Their trust in her abilities warmed her.

  She couldn’t let them down.

  Now she stood deep in the mountainous headquarters. She loved being inside the earth and let the sense of surrounding rock center her. Peace filtered through the earth that held them all so tight. Unfortunately, the peace failed to diminish the headache pounding at the base of her skull. She’d barely kept the agony at bay since contracting the virus, and the pain was becoming more insistent.

  Zane, Talen, and Dage manned control panels in the adjacent room, recording everything.

  The guards exited, and Chalton gave her a terse nod. Dage had decided to send in guards Kalin didn’t know and not family—not anybody Kalin knew. “We’ll be right outside,” Chalton said.

  Sweat slicked her palms. She nodded and tugged down her bulletproof vest before striding inside and shutting the door.

  Lighter brown rock made up the walls of a square room bisected in the middle by pure iron bars. A cot and toilet made up the cell. Kalin stood, dressed in a plain black jumpsuit, and drew near the bars. “Janet.” Satisfaction rolled his consonants.

  “Kalin.” Her heart beat hard enough to rattle her ribs. She chose one of the two chairs on her side of the bars and sat, taking a moment to study him. “Please, sit.” Damn, he was tall. Almost seven feet. His black hair had grown out longer than the last time she’d seen him, the red tips seeming brighter. Green and purple commingled in his eyes. Gone was the boy who’d visited her dreams.

  He sat gracefully at the end of the cot, his burned skin already healing. “Might you bring your chair closer?”

  “No, I might not.” She had strict orders to keep out of arm’s length, and she was smart enough to heed them. Uncle Conn was the ultimate soldier, and he knew what he was doing.

  Kalin laughed and glanced at her combat outfit. “Are you expecting to be shot?”

  “No.”

  “How many knives do you have hidden?” Curiosity darkened the purple in his eyes.

  “Five.”

  He nodded. “Good number.”

  “Thanks.” Her hands trembled, so she rested them lightly on her legs as she waited. Some of her training had included interrogation and interviewing techniques, and every instinct she had told her to let Kalin lead the discussion.

  Kalin lifted his patrician nose and sniffed. “Ah. Peaches and . . .” He launched himself at the bars, wrapping long fingers around them. “You’ve contracted the virus.”

  She barely kept herself from shoving back in her chair. “Yes.” Showing trust, she leaned toward him. “I’m hoping you can save me.”

  He glanced up at one of several security cameras. “Let me out of here, and I promise I will.”

  “No. Save me anyway.”

  “Have your mate save you,” Kalin spat, fangs slashing low. He swallowed and drew them up, visibly inhaling. “I apologize for my outburst, but you shouldn’t have mated Kyllwood. A demon, for God’s sake.”

  Finally, Janie’s body calmed. Her mind took over. “He can’t save me. You can. So do it.” But could Kalin help? “You altered the virus enough to make it go airborne, and in doing so, you had to be smart enough to create a cure.”

  Kalin’s blood-red lips curled. “Oh, I know the cure. But for now, I like you unraveling and getting rid of that nasty demon-vampire marking.” He released the bars. “The mark is fading, is it not?”

  Yes, the mark seemed lighter by the hour. “No. Sorry.”

  “You’re a terrible liar.” Kalin tsked his tongue. “We’ll have to work on that when we’re finally together.”

  “So you really think we’re going to be together?” she asked softly, tilting her head.

  His smile warmed. “I’m immortal, Janet. We’re not confined to a little lifetime, and I have no doubt we’ll end up as one. The sooner the better, of course.” He stilled and blinked. Then he took a deep breath, his eyes widening and his gaze dropping to her stomach. “Baby powder and fresh rain.” His fangs dropped again, glinting in the fluorescent light.

  Janie swallowed as her pulse picked up again. Her chin rose. “Yes.”

  Kalin staggered back and dropped to sit. His eyes narrowed, clearly calculating. “You can’t be pregnant this quickly.”

  “Yet I am.” She covered her stomach protectively.

  He shook his head, dark hair flying. For several long, tension-filled moments, he just studied her. Then he swallowed. “This new version of the virus will destroy a baby. You won’t make it nine months—not even close.” His voice roughened.

  Was that panic? Janie stood and stepped closer to the bars. “Then help me. For our friendship as kids, if for nothing else.”

  “I can’t,” he whispered. His shoulders slumped. “The mutation of the virus happened quickly and infected several Kurjan mates.”

  Janie’s knees wobbled, but she stayed upright. “What happened to them?”

  “They died. Within a week to a month of contracting the stronger virus. All of them.” Kalin stood and stepped up to the bars again, sorrow lining his face. “Our scientists are working around the clock, but as of right now, there’s no cure. I’ve lied and tried to cover that fact, thinking we’d eventually find a cure, but . . .”

  Fury soared through her and she grabbed the bars. “Then why the hell did you set the virus free? Why infect the witches during the peace talks?”

  “We’re at war, and the peace talks represented the only opportunity to infect witches, and thus vampire mates.” He wiped his smooth chin. “We had no choice.”

  “Oh, you had a choice.” Raw anger lowered her voice. “We could’ve found peace.”

  He snorted. “Peace after war? Never. War is meant to be won.”

  “Or lost,” Janie hissed.

  Kalin moved quicker than possible and wrapped his hands over hers, holding tight. “We’ll just see who loses.”

  The door banged open, and Zane entered, firing three shots into Kalin’s shoulder. The Kurjan fell back on the cot.

  Zane grabbed Janie’s arm and shoved her behind him, the gun still pointed at the Kurjan.

  Kalin grabbed his bleeding shoulder and chuckled. “You may have knocked her up, but you’re going to lose her. Soon.”

  “Bullshit.” Zane aimed and shot Kalin in the knee.

  The Kurjan hissed in pain. “No cure, demon.” Even with the fresh wound, he stood, looking down. “All of your power, all of your strength, and you can’t save one little human mate. If you were a true ruler, you could save your woman. How helpless you must feel, Kyllwood.”

  Zane’s body tensed, and Janie set her hand against his waist. Zane settled, his shoulders going back. “We’ll see about that, Kurjan. Have fun bleeding.” He turned and hustled Janie from the room, slamming the door behind them.

  Chapter 26

  Zane tipped back his head and swallowed the entire tumbler of Scotch.

  “That’s fifty years old,” Talen grumbled, refilling Zane’s glass. “Slow down or start drinking the cheap stuff.”

  Zane would bet his left shoe the vampires didn’t have cheap stuff.

  “It’s over by Garrett and Logan,” Talen said, jerking his head toward the kids playing pool. Then he turned and strode across the room where his pale mate sat on a sofa, talking to Zane’s mother.

  Zane straightened and leaned back against the bar, his drink in hand. When he’d been summoned to a strategic meeting, he sure as hell hadn’t expected alcohol, pinball tables, and a comfortable fireplace fronted by heavy furniture. When Suri planned, the demon kept to conference rooms—and no women. Nobody playing pool or arguing good-naturedly about the football playoffs.

  The Kayrs family ruled as a family, now didn’t they? Oh, there was no doubt the king was in charge, but he relied heavily on his brothers as well as their mates.

  Zane glanced at Sam, over playing darts with Jase Kayrs. Maybe Zane should include his brothers more and stop trying to shield them. They were fine men and even better warriors.

  Janie slid onto a bar stool, her shoulder nudging his arm. “My dad is sharing his good Scotch?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You must’ve made quite an impression in battle.”

  Zane took another sip. It was good.

  “Check out the sunset,” Janie said softly.

  Floor to ceiling windows showcased the rather calm Pacific Ocean and a spectacular pink and orange sunset. “Beautiful,” he said. Then he brushed a hand over her silky hair, allowing himself to touch freely. To reassure himself that for now, she was all right. “I thought you were very brave facing Kalin alone earlier.”

  She sighed and leaned into him. “I thought he’d want to help me. Foolish, I know.”

  Zane slipped an arm around her shoulders. So fragile and yet so strong. “I thought he’d help you, too.”

  “Do you believe him? That there’s no cure?” Janie asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Zane caressed her neck. For so long, Janie had been his only lifeline. It felt damn right to hold her close. “We’ve been poring over the recordings, and if there’s a clue in what he said, we can’t find it.” Frustration heated up Zane’s throat, and he tried to mellow it out. Kalin had been correct that Zane was helpless to cure Janie, and that truth spiked through him like a hot poker.

  Janie’s chin dropped to her chest. “That feels good. Constant headache.”

  Zane frowned and rubbed harder, yanking her pain into his neck. Agony flared along his vertebrae and down his spine. He coughed. “God.” Sucking in air, he forced healing cells around the pain and shoved it into nothingness. “That was more than a headache.”

  She lifted her head, her eyes clearing. “I know. Everyone keeps getting them from the virus. Earlier I wanted to rip my own head off.”

  Yet instead, she’d calmly entered the cell of a killer. Zane shook his head, his chest puffing out. Yeah. His mate was awesome, brave, and so damn smart. He’d underestimated her before, mistaking a fragile body for a delicate spirit. His woman was a warrior. “You’re perfect, Belle.”

  She snorted. “How much have you had to drink?”

  “Not enough.” He glanced down at her cup. “What’s that?”

  “Green tea.” She sighed and eyed his tumbler. “I already miss red wine.”

  He faltered. “Ah, maybe I should give up alcohol, too. Just to be fair.”

  She turned her head and a saucy smile lifted her pink lips. “Drink all you want. You can make it up to me later.”

  He smiled through the worry. “Now that’s a deal.” God, he had to save her. The idea of Janie being taken from him poked the beast inside him to action. To fight any danger.

  The king stood near the fireplace and cleared his throat. “Let’s have a quick meeting. Does anybody think the Kurjans have a cure for the virus?”

  “No,” Janie said softly. “I think Kalin was telling the truth.” She frowned. “At least some of the truth. He seemed cagey.”

  Dage nodded. “Agreed. I don’t think he has the actual cure, but I believe he knows something. Perhaps his scientists are on the right path.” The king turned toward his mate. “What’s the status in our labs?”

  The queen pushed black hair from her pale face with trembling hands. “The virus is definitely attacking faster, but the witches are holding their own. Unlike mates. We don’t know why yet, but I think it might be the key to curing the bastard.” She sighed and stood, looking thinner suddenly. “The virus comes with a blinding headache, and my vision has come and gone several times all day. The thing spread unbelievably quickly. At least fifty percent of mates are infected across the globe, and we believe about seventy-five percent of witches are as well.”

  “Any difference between male and female witches?” Zane asked.

  “No. Males are infected at the same rate as females, and so far, they appear to get a bad cold and then recuperate somewhat,” Emma answered.

  Janie nodded. “But even so, they’re still infected?”

  “Yes, and the virus keeps unraveling their chromosomes, so although they feel better, they’re still under attack,” Emma said, swaying. Dage grasped her arm and settled her back on the couch with a worried growl.

  Zane clawed a hand through his thick hair. Frustration welled up inside him, and he tried to calm himself. Kalin’s words kept rolling around in his head, taunting him with the raw truth. “Any news on Suri?”

  “He seems to be consolidating power in Idaho,” Dage said slowly. “Our first focus here is the virus, and then we need to discuss Suri and a possible attack.”

  Zane shook his head. “No vampire attack on demons. This is between Suri and me. That outcome will determine the future relationship between our peoples.” He kept Dage’s gaze until the king nodded.

  “Your choice. We’ll back you,” Dage said.

  Zane didn’t smile, but relief filled him.

  Janie pushed off the stool, her gaze on her mother. “Mom? You don’t look so good.” She moved to cross the room and stopped in the middle. “Oh.” She wavered and put a hand to her head. “Zane?”

  Shit. Her vision. Zane reached her in one stride and slid an arm around her. “It’s okay, Belle.”

  Janie shook her head, a sob rising from her throat. Her knees buckled.

  Zane swore and caught her, so much fury bombarding through him, his ears rang. If you were a true ruler, you could save your woman. Kalin’s taunt ripped through Zane’s head. “Enough of this shit.” Losing her was not a fucking option. He laid her down and pressed both hands to her chest. Drawing on the universe, drawing on every ounce of stubborn strength he owned, he pulled on the pain inside her. On the fucking parasite trying to hurt her.

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