“It doesn’t matter.” He may not yet own her full empathic abilities, but her determination slapped him with impressive strength.
“It does,” she countered as she threw on jeans and a sweater and faced him across the bed.
Talen looked Cara over carefully. “She’s in a large private hospital, and Jordan doesn’t know where she is. He thinks you can sense her if you are close enough.”
“I probably can.”
“No.”
“Talen, you can’t push me to accept this ability and then not let me use it. Especially when a friend needs me.” Her voice stayed low, direct. Impressive, that. “You didn’t see how she fought when Lorcan had me, or how she shifted into a lion to protect me when she knew it would expose her to the Kurjans. I owe her.”
Talen gave a low growl from deep in his throat and strode out of the room. Cara had a point, and he didn’t like it. He’d pushed her from day one to embrace her empathic abilities, so how could he refuse her need to use them? Every instinct he had bellowed for him to lock her in a closet until he dealt with the threat. He had not counted on this fucking turmoil when he’d pictured his life with a mate.
He sighed. She wasn’t just a mate. She was his. The little smart-mouthed scientist held his heart in her hands. He’d kill her if she let anything happen to herself.
Once in his office he lifted the phone and started barking orders. His mate may still need to learn her place in his life, but the rest of the fucking Realm would do as he ordered.
He had just clicked off when she entered the room dressed in faded jeans and a navy sweater that emphasized pert breasts and fragile shoulders. Her skin pale over delicate cheekbones, she’d set her soft mouth in a hard line. Eyes the color of heavens late in the day flashed blue sparks at him, and only the child on her heels kept him from answering her challenge and taking her to the floor right then and there.
His gut clenched as he realized his anger lay with himself. He loved her.
Then Janie gave him a tiny smile, her pretty hair in little braids with pink ribbons. His heart tripped. Jesus. They were his life. Fear and a fierce resolve to keep them safe nearly knocked him off his feet, and the marking on his palm burned right to his heart.
Cara opened her mouth to speak. Hell, to argue probably.
He raised a hand. “Jordan’s picking us up in fifteen minutes. We’ll drop Janie off at headquarters and get reinforcements before heading to Oregon.”
“We?” Hope flashed across Cara’s face.
He took a deep breath, fighting every impulse he had to shield her. “Yes. You were right. There’s no sense having your abilities if you don’t use them. But, mate”—his voice lowered and he sent out an emotional wave as a threat—see her block that, damn it—”you follow orders. You remain in the background until we clear the facility and if I tell you to do something, you damn well do it.” If she gave him one hint that she’d put herself in danger, he’d leave her here.
“I will,” she promised, her sexy voice low and breathy.
Talen shook his head as unease swept through him while he fought his gut. Every instinct he had bellowed for him to keep his mate safely away from the Kurjans and the raid—hell, away from any hint of danger. The sound of blades slashing through the air caught his attention. “Jordan’s here.”
She nodded as she took Janie’s hand, and they headed out the front door to watch the massive helicopter land on the grassy lawn.
“Duck your heads,” Talen yelled as they ran forward and jumped into the sleek vehicle. With a quick nod at them, Jordan lifted the Blackhawk into the sky.
Deep in the Kayrs underground headquarters sat a room with an impressive array of computers and technology that was at least as advanced as anything owned by Cara’s government, maybe even more so. Data scrolled across screens in flashes of green, black, and yellow, reminding Cara of a science fiction movie she’d seen as a teenager.
The Kayrs men stood shoulder to shoulder with the four towering shape shifters. Talen brought a holographic image of a private hospital in downtown Portland up on the large center screen. “The primary objective here is to rescue Katie and any other captives, per Realm Operating Directive 25.”
Jordan slammed a knife into his vest. “Are we expecting other captives?”
Talen shrugged. “It’s possible. Second objective is retrieving information, grab any computers or files you see. The final objective is killing Kurjans.” He shook his head. “This new Kurjan policy of hiding in plain sight concerns me. A hospital, for God’s sake. We’ll need to alter our battle strategy as well as our training scenarios.”
A momentary thought whispered across Cara’s subconscious—how in the world had Jordan tracked Katie to Portland? Realization slammed home. Oh. No. He. Did. Not. She shook her head. Katie would be furious. “When did you put the tracker on Katie, Jordan?”
His tawny gaze met hers before he gave a shrug. “What tracker?”
Jase snorted next to him.
Talen cleared his throat. “The data we’ve collected shows the facility is fairly new and probably not fully secured yet. Even so, they’ll know we’re coming, so the plan is shock and awe. We hit fast, and we hit hard, flying the two Blackhawks in together.”
Once everyone had their orders straight, Talen led them into another secured room stocked with every weapon imaginable, including guns, swords, knives, cannons, and rockets.
“Wow,” Cara said, scanning the abundant weapons. Her breath hitched in her throat.
Talen was all business as he dropped a lightweight black vest over her head and secured it at the sides.
“Bulletproof?” she asked. Her mind flashed to her child. Janie needed a mother. Fear and guilt swept down Cara’s spine.
“Yes. The vest will protect you even from our bullets,” Talen said soberly as he pulled a similar vest over his own head. He lifted his gaze. “Are you sure you want to go?”
No, she wasn’t. But Katie needed her. “Yes, I’m sure.”
His jaw hardened, and he stepped back to prepare for battle. The weapons room suited him as the head of security for the entire Realm. The vest fit snug over his black shirt, clearly emphasizing the breadth of his chest and the muscled strength of his arms. He’d pulled his dark hair back into an efficient band, and his face set hard in lines of concentration as he checked each weapon before handing it to the waiting warriors. The very air around him vibrating with purpose, his unearthly golden eyes glowed with intent.
But it wasn’t just the dangerous color of his eyes; it was the sheer intelligence and basic power shining out of them. His ability to strategize and create the battle plan to ensure their success impressed her while creating a yearning deep within she couldn’t quell. Damn it.
She pressed her back against the wall, seeking a moment of calmness in her own thoughts. Dage, Conn, and Jase were all quiet business as they placed weapons within easy reach before double checking each other’s vests and donning dark sweatshirts. She recognized the shifters with Jordan from her time on his ranch—the three brothers, Mac, Noah, and Baye, were his top Enforcers and they looked it. The three were tall and muscular with deep blond hair streaked with a myriad of darker colors—had she not known they were lions, she would’ve wondered at the coloring.
Mac winked a dark chocolate eye at her and nodded for her to double-check her earpiece. Cara complied, noting she was the only person in the room under six and a half feet tall. She was also the only woman, and the testosterone swirling around made her light-headed.
“Keep this with you and shoot anyone you don’t know.” Talen brought her out of her silent thoughts as he secured a glowing green gun to the side of her vest before covering her in a dark sweatshirt and zipping it up. “The gun is point and shoot—you’ve used one before.”
“It’ll be all right, Talen.” She rubbed his thick forearm as he inserted his own earpiece.
“It had better be, mate.” He swooped down and placed a hard kiss on her lips before t
aking her hand and leading her from the room through several corridors until they reached an elevator that took them outside. Jordan and his men jumped in one Blackhawk, and Cara snuggled between Talen and Jase in the back of the one piloted by Dage. Conn punched in buttons from the co-pilot’s seat.
“Cara, I hope you don’t get motion sickness,” Dage said dryly through her earpiece as he powered up the impressive vehicle.
“I don’t think so,” she replied, dread pooling in her stomach.
“We’ll find out,” Jase noted from next to her with a slight grin.
“We’re going to fly close to the earth so they don’t spot us, mate. The ride will be fast, twisty and turny. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” Talen’s smooth voice shot through her ears and straight to her core. How did he do that to her?
Cara shook her head as Dage pulled a lever and the ground dropped away faster than she would have thought possible; then the world spun by below her in a blur of green and brown. She almost giggled at the exhilaration. Apparently she wasn’t prone to motion sickness. Even when Dage dropped so close to the ground tree branches scraped the belly of the helicopter, she enjoyed the feeling of winging through the air. While Jase shook his head in amusement at her wide-eyed delight, Talen stared at the flashing clouds, his mind clearly on the battle to come.
The touchdown was quick and unexpected. They landed on the roof of the building figuring the Kurjans would have been more prepared for a frontal assault. She jumped out of the helicopter behind Jase and followed him to the metal door set into red brick with Talen right behind her. She shifted as the other six soldiers swung over the sides on thick ropes attached to the Blackhawks; seconds later glass shattered with a large boom.
“Fire in the hole,” Jase yelled.
Talen yanked her around the side and covered her head with his body. An explosion rent the air. He stepped back and she followed Jase through the smoke-filled doorway—the metal door sat wrinkled and smashed to the side. Two Kurjan soldiers came into view and she screamed at the guns trained at her chest, then shock filled her as the enemy froze in place, both obviously trying to move toward her but acting as though they waded through concrete.
Sweat beaded on Talen’s upper lip. “These are older and fairly well-trained,” he hissed to Jase. Then his head slammed back and he grimaced.
“What?” Cara asked.
Talen shook his head. Jase instantly fired two shots and dodged forward to slice the head off one Kurjan while Talen dispatched the other.
“Come on,” Talen growled as he grabbed Cara by the arm to run down the cement stairs behind Jase. They descended the four flights to land at the first floor doorway. He turned to her. “Shut your eyes. Do you sense Katie?”
Cara closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. God, please let this work. Nothing. With a hiss, she concentrated on her friend’s face, her smile, her impish grin. A shiver of awareness started to hum in the back of her head. She concentrated harder and her eyes flew open. “She’s here. She’s really mad and trying not to be afraid.”
“Where is she?” Jordan’s growling voice through her earpiece made Cara jump.
Cara shook her head and turned anxious eyes on Talen. “I don’t know. It’s like she’s muted.” Cara closed her eyes and concentrated even harder. “Like something heavy is between us.”
“She’s underground,” Talen muttered.
“Fourth floor is secured,” Mac said clearly through the earpieces. “This place is actually a hospital, and we just scared the crap out of a bunch of patients. We cut the communications and declared a military situation, so they can’t call out.”
“Status?” Talen asked as he placed one hand on the tan metal door and closed his eyes to concentrate.
“Third floor secured,” Conn affirmed. “Nurses and patients, no Kurjans.”
“Same with second floor.” Baye’s low voice came across clearly.
“First floor secured, no Kurjans,” Noah reported.
“We found the entrance to the basement in a closet, north corner of the first floor,” Dage said quietly. “Jordan and I are going in.”
“Wait,” Cara said as more whispers went through her mind. “She’s not alone. There’s someone else with her, another woman. Feminine. Hurt.”
“Another captive?” Talen turned from the door.
Cara shrugged, her eyes wide on him. “I don’t know. She’s kind of blank. Like merely an essence is there.” The breath in her throat turned to ice. “I also sense a darkness, maybe an evil surrounding them.”
“Yeah, I sense that too,” Talen said dryly. “I sense five Kurjans below.” He nodded at Jase. “Everyone hold their positions. Jase, Cara, and I will head for the north corner, and when I give the signal, everyone evacuate for the roof.” He gave a short nod to Jase, who yanked open the door. “Act casual,” Talen murmured under his breath as he pulled her into a standard hospital waiting room with fabric chairs and patterned linoleum. It was empty save for Noah standing next to a forty-something blonde at the admittance counter. The heavyset woman blushed a soft pink, trying to smooth down her fluffy hair.
“Colonel, Nurse Reed and I have secured the first floor,” Noah said solemnly to Talen. “The doors are locked and the patients are all safe.”
“Very good, Major,” Talen said smoothly and turned a smile on the woman. “Your country thanks you, miss.”
The nurse’s thickly made-up eyes went wide and her mouth slack. She blushed even more, gasping as Jase moved into her view. The hand on her hair began to tremble.
“I believe this was a false alarm, but we need to check one more thing,” Talen said as he walked past the desk with Cara and Jase on his heels. “Major, stay here with the nurse.”
They jogged through the quiet hallways until coming to a janitor’s closet at the northern corner. Conn’s voice came through the line thick and amused. “You did not tell her that her country owes her.”
Talen chuckled. “Too much?” He dodged inside and closed the door behind the three of them. A gaping hole in the far wall showed where Dage and Jordan had gone. They walked carefully down a flight of hard cement steps to a narrow hallway where two decapitated Kurjans lay.
“Damn it,” Jordan’s voice echoed through the earpiece. “Five Kurjans down, I don’t sense any more.”
“Me neither,” Talen agreed as he started forward. “They certainly weren’t expecting us.”
“I’m sure they got the word out, though. We probably have ten minutes until reinforcements arrive,” Dage said grimly with running steps sounding in the background.
Cara edged away from the hard stone walls, her boots sending up dust from the dirt floor. Mold scented the stale air.
“This place is a maze of twists and turns,” Jordan hissed out through her earpiece as they turned a corner into a round room with four halls spreading out in different directions. “It’s almost like they just created the lab or just abandoned it. Where the hell is she?” Rage echoed throughout each word.
Cara came up short as Dage and Jordan emerged from one of the big tunnels. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She pictured Katie smiling and turning into a lion. She focused as hard as she could, and giving a sharp cry, she turned and ran down the tunnel to the far left with Talen and Jordan on her heels.
Dirt pounded up from their feet as she passed closed door after closed door before emerging into another round room with tunnels veering off. She stopped and closed her eyes again. “This way,” she said as she ran straight into the nearest tunnel. It was narrower than the others and industrial yellow lights cast eerie shadows across the pale rock. Finally, she halted in front of a narrow stone door and started to pound on the smooth surface. “Katie?” she yelled, pounding harder. A fierce softness vibrated at her from the other side—her friend was so close.
Talen pulled Cara away and gave a short nod to Jordan before both men threw massive shoulders into the hard stone. The door flew open with a loud crash, revealing
a hospital room with two beds, monitors, and a myriad of medical equipment. Both beds were occupied.
“Katie,” Jordan growled as he rushed forward and ripped the restraints off her wrists and ankles. “Are you okay?” His hands went to her shoulders to yank her against his chest. Cara’s breath caught in her throat at the raw emotion etched into the shifter’s face even as her shields moved to block the rage and relief rolling off him in deep waves.
“Yes,” Katie said, pushing a shaking hand through her tousled hair and straightening her white hospital gown. “They injected me with something once, but I think it was just a sedative.” She jumped off the bed and wobbled before Jordan scooped her up in his arms. “Help Maggie,” she said almost on a sob.
“Why didn’t you shift?” Jordan growled, moving toward the door.
“At first I couldn’t, then I didn’t want to hurt Maggie,” Katie sighed.
The antiseptic smell of bleach slammed into Cara as she hurried to the other bed which held a small woman with dark brown eyes and thick black hair. The eyes widened in fright. Pure terror cascaded out of her very pores, and Cara instantly tried to soothe her with soft, nonsense words. She started to yank on the leather restraints only to have Talen push her gently aside and rip them apart.
“I told you they’d come,” Katie said with almost a grin at the other woman, settling further into Jordan’s broad chest.
Maggie nodded and tried to stand on her bare feet, only to sway to the left. Grabbing a worn blanket, Talen wrapped it around her and quickly picked her up and headed for the door. “Cara, stay between Jordan and me,” he ordered as he moved into a jog. He handed Maggie over to Jase in the large round room and led the way down the final tunnel with Dage taking the rear position.
“Everyone evacuate.” Talen gave the order as he ran up the steps into the janitor’s closet. The sound of feet on concrete and doors bursting open filled their com-lines as everyone headed up to the Blackhawks. Within several heartbeats, Cara was again safely ensconced between Jase and Talen with the world spinning by below them.