Marked

  “Thanks,” Logan said.

  As she reached for the first-aid kit, she stilled. “Zane went to meet my family?”

  “Yep,” Logan muttered, shaking his head.

  Oh God. They’d be able to scent her on him and might even figure out about the mating. She bit her lip, her stomach clenching.

  They’d kill him.

  Zane landed right outside the main lodge of Realm headquarters. Nicely manicured lawns spread out in every direction in front of stately homes, while the cedar-walled building before him stood proudly against the rolling Pacific Ocean. A sense of foreboding rode the breeze, and he promptly set his mother behind him.

  Soldiers came out of nowhere to surround them, guns pointing and ready to shoot.

  He lifted his leather-gloved hands in the air.

  As usual, no weapons had teleported with him, which might be a good thing.

  Although he’d give his right nut to have a knife to protect his mother if necessary. The vampires surrounding them remained still, but his gut still ached with the danger of a twitchy finger. It only took one.

  The king strode from the main building, followed by his brothers—all dressed for battle. Zane knew each one of them from dossiers he’d studied. When Dage had nearly reached him, he lifted a pistol to point between his eyes. “Where is Janie?”

  Felicity hustled around Zane. “Really, King. Put down the weapon.”

  Zane grabbed her arm and tried to push her behind him again. She struggled—a determined female in harmless white pants and shirt. The idea of blood marring her silk prompted Zane to try harder.

  The king watched the interplay with no expression on his face.

  Finally, Zane stopped fighting. “King Kayrs, may I introduce my mother, Felicity Kyllwood of the demon ruling family.” He edged her closer to him so he could jump in front of any bullet fired before it hit her. “Mother, this is Dage Kayrs, King of the Realm.”

  Felicity glided forward, her hand outstretched. “It’s good to make your acquaintance, young man.”

  Zane fought a wince. While his mom was probably a century or two older than the king, the woman looked thirty. Tops.

  Dage blinked and took her hand, his grip appearing gentle. “Ma’am.”

  That mother tone got them every time. Zane’s shoulders slowly relaxed. “I’d like to request asylum for my mother. She was mated to a vampire.”

  Dage lifted a dark eyebrow. “I’d grant asylum regardless of mating. Where the hell is my niece?”

  Felicity slowly turned. “Why is the king asking you that question?”

  “Because he kidnapped her,” Garrett growled from next to his father, a furious vampire with golden eyes.

  Zane nodded at Garrett. “Hi, kid. Good to see you survived your ordeal.” Reminding the kid that Zane had saved his life couldn’t hurt.

  “You won’t,” Garrett ground out.

  A woman ran out of the building, dressed in a worn sweatshirt and faded jeans. She headed straight for Zane, and only the strong arm of Janie’s father stopped her. “Where the hell is my daughter?” she asked, looking downright miniature next to her massive mate.

  Felicity frowned. “Why is everybody asking you that question?”

  Zane cleared his throat. “I took Janie out of a helicopter before the Kurjans could kill her.” True. But he’d also mated her, and the second Talen found out, Zane was a dead man. He needed to secure his mother’s safety along with his brothers’ security before that happened.

  “Oh.” Felicity eyed the king. “Well, that was nice of you.”

  “So. Where. Is. She?” the king asked again.

  Felicity turned. “You saved her, but you didn’t bring her home. Why?”

  Zane fought to keep from shuffling his feet. “I wanted to secure your safety first.”

  Felicity rolled her eyes. “Oh. A simple misunderstanding then. Zane, go get the girl.”

  Guns cocked.

  Felicity stiffened. “Apparently not.” She sighed. “King, I do hope you know we don’t support my psychotic brother, Suri, and we are sincerely sorry for what happened to your brother. If we’d been in a position to find him and help him, he wouldn’t have endured such pain.”

  The king slowly lowered his weapon. “If I’d known you were a prisoner, I would’ve laid siege to gain your freedom.”

  Felicity smiled sadly. “As you know, my mate didn’t align with the Realm, so we weren’t on your radar, but thank you for the kind words.”

  “Enough kind words.” Cara Kayrs pushed forward again.

  Zane pivoted to face her, to reassure her that Janie was fine, but Garrett planted himself firmly in front of his mother. Zane gave him a Dude, do you really think I’d hurt your mom look of irritation.

  Garrett returned a very simple fuck you expression.

  God, Zane liked the kid. He focused back on Dage. “I’d like to request asylum for my brothers as well.”

  “Granted.” Dage tucked his pistol in his back pocket.

  The forces around them drew nearer. Apparently the soldiers didn’t like the king being unarmed.

  “What about you?” Dage asked dryly.

  Zane shrugged. “I have a job to do after I bring Janie home.”

  “Which is?” his mother asked.

  He paused. “You know.”

  She shook her head, and for the first time that day, real fear filled her eyes. “You can’t take on Suri by yourself.”

  “I’m the only one who can,” Zane said gently.

  Dage gestured to a soldier. “Please escort Felicity to a room.” He turned to Felicity. “I hope you’ll join my mate and me for dinner tonight, once Janie is home. Perhaps we can come up with a plan together to deal with your brother.”

  Felicity stilled, her worried glance turning to Zane.

  He nodded. “Go with the soldier, Mom. Sam and Logan will be here soon.”

  She turned with obvious reluctance to follow the armed man.

  Zane relaxed his stance and finally lowered his hands, waiting until his mother was out of earshot. “You don’t need to say it. I understand.” The last thing he wanted to hear was how Dage would skin Felicity alive if Janie wasn’t returned home.

  Dage slowly nodded. “Good enough. I like your mother.” Although I will kill her. The last part of the sentence remained unsaid but fully expressed.

  Zane didn’t know whether or not the king was bluffing and had no intention of finding out. He glanced at the brewing storm clouds. “I’ll be back shortly.”

  “I’m going with you,” Dage said.

  “No.” Zane kept his gaze level and his stance nonthreatening. “Janie and I need to have a quick, private conversation before I bring her back. Shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes.”

  “About what?” Garrett asked, crossing his arms.

  “The word private should’ve clued you in that it’s none of your business,” Zane said levelly. Whether the Realm vampires liked it or not, Janie was now his mate and his responsibility. His.

  Talen stepped forward, his face hard, his muscles tense. “One of us is going with you. So choose.”

  Zane faced Janie’s father, awareness dawning as to how frightened the man must’ve been. Janie was a human, and a fragile one at that. The idea of somebody taking her from Zane sliced deep into his soul, and he couldn’t imagine the hell Talen had been feeling. “I’m sorry,” Zane said. “I’d never hurt Janie, but you didn’t know that.”

  “Decide,” Talen said through gritted teeth.

  Zane swallowed. He could take somebody with him just to provide some reassurance to the Kayrs family. But they all weighed a fucking ton, and his strength wasn’t at full power, considering he’d already jumped twice. “Fine. The kid weighs the least. I’ll take him.”

  Garrett stepped forward.

  Talen stopped him with a hand on his arm, keeping his gaze on Zane.

  Zane waited for Talen to refuse to allow his son to leave with Zane as well. The vampire couldn’t want
two of his children in Zane’s hands.

  Talen flashed dangerous fangs. “Don’t kill him until Janie is safe.”

  Garrett nodded and stepped forward to grasp Zane’s arm. “No problem.”

  Zane grinned. Janie came from an amazing family, to be sure. “You ever transport, kid?”

  “No.” Determination filled Garrett’s odd gray eyes.

  “Hold on to your lunch.” With a shifting of time and space, Zane jerked them out of the pan and into the fire.

  Chapter 14

  They landed near the fireplace, and Zane had to stagger back to lean against the worn rocks. “Do you have boulders in your pockets?” he growled at the young vampire, releasing his arm.

  Garrett slowly looked around, his gaze finding his sister as she stood near the kitchen. “Janie. Are you all right?” Both menace and relief echoed in the vampire’s low tone.

  Janie nodded and jumped into her brother’s arms with a sigh of relief.

  Jealousy, odd and unnecessary, whipped through Zane. What would it be like to have her leap at him without a care in the world, sure she could trust him and that he’d catch her? Whether the woman knew it or not, he’d never let her fall. Although his relationship with her family was surely suspect.

  Man, he hoped he didn’t have to kill any of them.

  He glanced at his two brothers sitting quietly at the table. The cabin wasn’t large enough for four men and one tiny human. The climate grew heavy with the sense of power and testosterone. “Everyone patched up?” Zane asked.

  Logan nodded and then eyed him head to toe. “You seem . . . different.”

  Sam’s head jerked up as if to scent the air. He looked from Zane to Janie and then back, his eyes lightening. “You didn’t.”

  “Didn’t what?” Logan drawled, a dimple winking in his left cheek.

  Zane cut them both a look to shut up.

  Garrett Kayrs lifted his head and took a deep breath. Slowly and way too deliberately, he set Janie away from him. “Janie?” he asked.

  Her hands fluttered together, her eyes wide. “It just happened.”

  Garrett growled, his eyes flashing a bright aqua, and then rushed Zane.

  Zane dropped into a fighting stance just before the vampire slammed him into the rock chimney. Shards ripped into his back and pinged off the floor. “Knock it off.” He cuffed Garrett on the side of the head the same way he would Logan before punching Garrett’s thigh and knocking him to one knee. “I have ten years of combat experience on you, kid. Wait for the right time to battle.”

  Garrett shot a punch up into Zane’s groin.

  Zane doubled over, waited, and then groaned when the agony hit. His eyes watered, while his temper flew. “Damn it.” He slapped his hands above Garrett’s ears, careful not to break his skull. Then he grabbed the young vampire by the nape, pivoted, and threw him across the room.

  Garrett landed on the table and smashed to the floor.

  Holy fuck. Zane leaned over, trying to breathe again. He’d forgotten vampires fought dirty.

  “Zane!” Janie rushed forward and bent to help her brother up. A table leg rolled across the floor. “Stop hurting Garrett.”

  Son of a bitch. Zane was the one with swollen balls. “Everyone calm down,” he groaned.

  Garrett swore and leaped through the air at him.

  Logan intercepted Garrett with a tackle a second before he hit Zane, the two young soldiers impacting the door and flying right through it. Snow billowed up and covered the floor.

  “Garrett!” Janie jumped to her feet and rushed toward the outside.

  Zane reached out with one arm and caught her at the waist, forcing her to a quick halt. She struggled against him. “No,” he said. “Stay away while they’re fighting.” If one of the men accidentally hit her, they could take off her entire head. They were young and out of control . . . and both defending family.

  “Screw you,” she muttered, turning and aiming a punch at his dick.

  He turned at the last second, but she still grazed his groin. Nausea skidded through his gut. Damn fucking Kayrs family—they all went for the balls.

  The sound of punches and grunts echoed from outside, and Janie fought him hard, trying to get outside.

  “Stop.” Zane was done being gentle. He picked her up by both arms and strode across the room to drop her on the bed. She bounced, her eyes on fire, fury spinning a glorious red across her stunning face. He leaned in until his nose nearly touched hers. “Get off this bed, and I’ll flip you over my knee, regardless of who’s here.”

  She blinked, rage darkening her eyes to a midnight blue. Then the combative woman tried to kick him in the balls again.

  He swiped her foot away from his junk and pivoted to glare at Sam, who sat on a chair in front of the demolished table, a bowl of carrots in his lap. Sam finished chewing one and swallowed. “What?”

  “Stop them,” Zane ground out.

  Sam shrugged. “Why? They’re evenly matched and have too much energy. Let them beat the shit out of each other.”

  The soft cry of distress from Janie struck right to Zane’s heart. A tree crashed to the earth outside. He turned. “Stay here and I’ll get them.” He pinned her with the glare he gave young demons during training and waited until she nodded.

  He didn’t believe the nod for a damn second.

  The young fighters burst through the door frame, ripping half of the wall apart. Furious hits and kicks punctuated groans and growls.

  “Enough!” Zane reached down and dragged them both up by the hair.

  Logan punched him in the ribs, and Zane threw him down hard. He bounced twice.

  Garrett snorted and hit Zane in the knee. Zane tossed his ass down, and the vampire bounced three times.

  “Let’s try again.” Zane hauled them both up again. Bruises and cuts marred their faces, while anger vibrated around them. He shoved Garrett. “You’re scaring your sister.” Then he pushed Logan the other way. “You’re pissing me off, and you ruined my cabin.”

  Both young soldiers turned to view the missing wall. Snow drifted around, and the heat from the fire dissipated.

  Garrett turned again, his gaze finding Janie. “How the hell could you?”

  Zane stepped to block his view, his voice lowering to deadly. “Watch your tone with your sister.”

  Janie scrambled to her knees on the bed and leaned around Zane. “Are you all right, Garrett?”

  Garrett snarled. “Sure. The demon here hits like a girl.” At Janie’s indrawn breath, he hastily added, “A girl who hasn’t been trained to fight.”

  “A girl?” Logan lunged for Garrett, propelling them both into Sam. He crashed to the floor. Carrots flew in every direction and rolled through the snow. “God fucking damn it,” Sam muttered, standing and yanking both kids up by the ears.

  Logan howled in surprise, and Garrett hissed in pain.

  Sam eyed Zane. “What’s the plan?”

  “Take them to Realm headquarters and land right outside the main lodge. Check on Mom, and tell the king I’ll bring Janie within the hour.” Zane ignored the fist she plowed into his kidney. “Now, Sam.”

  Both Garrett and Logan began to protest, and with a wink, Sam zipped them all from sight.

  The wind whistling, his cabin demolished, Zane turned to view his mate.

  It was time to reach an understanding.

  Janie eyed Zane warily. “Is Sam strong enough to transport both Garrett and Logan?”

  “Yes,” Zane said. The guy had been punched in the groin too many times, and irritation glowed a bright green in those amazing eyes. She realized she didn’t know him.

  Not really.

  The kid she’d played with was gone, and this man had fought battles she couldn’t even imagine.

  He’d overpowered both Garrett and Logan, two predatory vampires, with an easy grace and an effort not to injure them. With the controlled authority of a warrior. Underestimating him would be a mistake.

  Even so, they needed to g
et a couple of things straight, and she couldn’t let his earlier threat go unanswered.

  “You ever try to spank me, and I promise you’ll lose a hand.” She kept her voice level and as pleasant as possible.

  His cheek creased, while his eyes warmed in amusement. “Ah, baby. I accept that challenge.”

  The low tone zinged right through her body to land between her legs. She shivered.

  He frowned and leaned down to gather her up, blankets and all. She squawked and grasped his shoulders as he strode toward the still crackling fire to deposit her on the large ottoman.

  Then, with a sigh, he turned back, grabbed the entire mattress, and propped it over the gaping hole in the wall. “I liked this cabin,” he grumbled.

  Janie swallowed, watching him move. All predatory grace and economical movements—just like a big cat considering dinner. “What did you think would happen when you brought Garrett here?”

  Zane grimaced and scooped her back up, dropping into the chair with her on his lap. “I thought I’d have more time to get them out before fists flew.”

  Right—because vampires were so quick to think before acting. She tried to sit primly on his lap and not sink into his muscled heat. This was all just beyond her. As if disagreeing, the markings across her back began to burn. She shifted against him.

  He exhaled slowly. “We need to talk.”

  “I know.”

  “So stop moving.”

  Heat filled her face. Oh. Well then. She half-turned to see his face. “Did you mark me on purpose?”

  He paused, his eyes searching. One thick hand banded around her nape, caressing. “No.” He didn’t expand, just waited and watched.

  She nodded, while both an unexpected hurt and a welcome relief flowed through her. She’d hate him if he’d tried to manipulate her like that, but even so, he hadn’t wanted to mate her, and that made her heart ache. “Okay.”