“Like a princess?” the little girl whispered.
Dage held her tiny hand with a delicate touch Emma would have to be blind to miss. “You are a princess, sweetheart.”
The smile bursting across her niece's face reached Emma's heart. An odd relief eased her mind. Janie's safety wasn't only on her shoulders anymore. Dage and Talen were more than equipped to keep the little girl safe should the worst happen. In case she failed to find a way to cheat death.
Talen cleared his throat. “Maybe we shouldn't go to the dinner tonight. I'm armed, but ...”
Cara shook her head. “Oh no, I am so going. I'm starving.” She tucked her arm through his and held out a hand to Janie. “Come on, sweetheart.”
Dage set the little girl on the floor. “We'll be right behind you.” His gaze dared Emma to refuse.
Cara gave her a lopsided grin and tugged her family out the door. “See you at the ball.”
Emma inched toward the door. “Let's go to the dinner, Dage.”
He shifted his weight, effectively blocking her way. “I thought we'd get a couple of things clear, love.”
Butterflies took flight in her stomach. “Like what?” She lifted her chin. Damn but that sandalwood scent made her want to tackle him to the floor and shred clothing until she reached his flesh.
His callused finger traced a path along her jaw and she had to quell the warmth in her core. “First, you need to understand it's well-known you're a probable mateâmy mate.”
She drew breath in, counting slowly to five, fighting the urge to tap her pretty shoe on the plush maroon carpet. The idea of his naked skin slowly wafted away as temper slid in. “I choose my own destiny, Dage. Period.”
He nodded. “Of course. Tonight you're going to choose to finish what we started in the cave.” Clasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he leaned down to brush her mouth with his. Once, twice, and then a third time.
She tightened her shoulders, fighting the need to grab him. Desire beat against her independence. Her mind ruled her body, not the other way around. Yet her hands drifted up his jacket, the soft fabric tickling her palms. Her knees trembled and she clutched his lapels, yanking him closer and taking his mouth. She slid her tongue in and explored. Mint and male exploded on her taste buds.
Independence be damned.
With a low rumble in his throat, Dage stepped in and deepened the kiss, one hand curving to cup her ass and tug her against a rock hard erection. He took control of the kiss smoothly, naturally. So easily. Bending her slightly, his tongue explored her mouth, his lips turning firm and demanding. She softened, accepting him. Her need to meet his passion, her need to please him was one she'd dissect and deal with later. For now she allowed desire to fill her mind, to fizzle her thoughts. Her hands slid to the buttons on his shirt and were instantly captured by his.
He released her mouth, raising his head. “Duty calls, love. We need to table this for later.”
She stared for a moment at his stunning face before taking an awkward step back. What in the hell was she thinking? Her knees trembled while her breath panted out.
He held out his arm and she took it still in a daze, shaking her head as he escorted her through the door and down the hallway. Tall, dangerous looking guards stood at attention every few yards against the oak paneling.
She fought to control her raging thoughts. “Dage, I don't understand why you're having this ball and symposium when you just went to war.”
He shortened his stride, eyeing her high heels. “We have the colloquium every ten years without fail so we can update each other, consolidate, and know our allies. We also need a Realm show of forceâan in-your-face type of thing for the Kurjans.”
“What exactly is the Realm?” As she walked beside him her feet already ached in the three-inch designer heelsâbut they were so worth the pain.
“We're like your United Nations. Several vampire nations, shape-shifters, and witches all belong.”
“You're the King of the Realm?”
“Well, king of the vampires. We run the Realm, though I don't have a say in individual shape-shifting clans or covens.”
“So you're at war just because the Kurjans have been working on a virus for the mating gene?”
“That and Janie. They've prophesized our niece's future with a psychotic little Kurjan named Kalinâand I won't let that happen. Ever.” Dage paused to lean against the wall, tugging Emma to face him. “The virus also affects shifters.”
“Shifters?” Emma teetered on her heels before finding her balance. “Like Katie and Jordan?” Cara and Talen had stayed with the lion shifters when running from the Kurjans.
“Yes.” Dage's eyebrow rose. “Have you met Katie yet?”
“No. But I spoke with her on the phone when Cara stayed with them.” Katie had done her best to explain the hierarchy of her lion shifting clans, but the organization was still a jumble in Emma's head.
“Ah. Wasn't that when you ran cross-country with the Kurjans on your tail?” A vein stood out in the king's neck and the air shifted around him. Anger.
“Er. Yes.” She needed to retrieve her research in Montana. “I didn't want to put Cara in any more danger, so ...”
“And once she told you about us?”
“About your family or the vampire race at large?” Emma had been shocked to discover the Kurjans, and then thankful beyond belief to find out the white-faced mutants had enemies strong enough to take them on. She thanked the fates every day Talen had found Cara and Janie before the Kurjans did.
“Both.” Dage's grip on her arm tightened.
“Then I figured Cara was safe and I should continue to Montana.”
Dage pivoted, pinning Emma against the raised wallpaper. “I'm hoping you learned your lesson.”
Considering the blood-sucking bastards had captured her and nearly taken her to Canada to mate with their leader, then yeah. “I need to hide better next time.” She bit her lip against a grin.
Dage's large hand ran down her back to cup her ass and gave a gentle squeeze, tugging her into male hardness.
Heat rushed through her. She fought to keep her voice calm. “You know, for a king, you're rather improper sometimes.”
“You've never met the king, love.” He nipped her ear and her knees began to tremble. “It's the man who has you.”
Heat pooled in her abdomen even as she shoved both hands into his hard abs and pushed. Neither of them moved an inch. “You said something about the virus affecting shifters as well as vampire mates?” Damn, she needed to get her hormones under control.
Dage inhaled, his shoulders moving with the effort. “Er, yes. We think the twenty-seventh chromosome of a shifter controls the shift or mandates the type of shifter.” He spoke against the column of her neck, his breath warm on her skin. “To be honest, we don't know anything for sure.”
“Type of shifter?” Emma struggled for a moment to accept this new reality. “I don't understand.”
Dage lifted his head. “Shifters are either canine, feline, or multi.”
Emma fought a shiver of pleasure when he grasped her hand. She shook off the sensation. For the love of Pete, she was holding hands with a
vampire
âanother species on this earth, one far stronger than humans. True danger in a seriously sexy package. Focus. She needed to focus. “Multi?”
He wound his fingers through hers, instantly warming her palm. “Yes. Multi-shifters can change into any animal except for feline or canines.”
Geez. How was it possible for humans to have missed this? Emma's rational mind began to organize the information. “What does the virus do to shifters?”
Dage shrugged. “We think the virus attacks the gene to change the shifter into a werewolf.”
Emma chewed her lip for a moment. “A werewolf?”
“Yes. Werewolves are pure animals who crave feeding and killing. They're bound to a master with a single spell, no rational thought, no humanity.”
Well, that sucked. “How does one become a werewolf?”
“Humans become weres by being bitten by a werewolf. Before the virus, shifters were immune to such a bite.”
Emma shook her head. “I don't understand. Why go to the trouble of creating a virus to turn shifters into werewolves? Why not just bite a bunch of humans?”
“Because human werewolves don't live longâa year at the very most. Shifters are much stronger.” Dage pushed away from the wall. “We think the Kurjans truly had no idea the scope of this virus when they began their research.”
So the Kurjans were attempting to create an immortal slave class. It made sense from a psychotic world-domination type of viewpoint.
Dage drew Emma's arm through his to ease down the hallway again. “My brother Kane has had men creating a lab for us. I was hoping you'd agree to do some research.”
Wariness warred with an uneasy interest within Emma. No doubt the vampire's lab would be state of the art. “I have a lab, Dage.” Unless the Kurjans still controlled it.
Dage paused and cleared his throat. “Ah. No, you don't.”
Emma swung around to face him, halting him in his tracks. “Excuse me?” He was so not telling her what to do.
His gaze met hers head-on. “We blew the building up.” Her mouth gaped open. “You did not.” Her good Manolos were in her locker, damn it. As well as her passion pink Newton lipstick that had been discontinued. She couldn't even find it on eBay.
“Sure we did.” Not by one tiny tick did the king appear anything but factual and at ease with the truth.
“Why?” she gasped.
He shrugged. “The Kurjans controlled your facility. All data there had to be destroyed, so we did a complete job of it.”
“What about the people who worked there?” The vampires wouldn't have killed anyone, would they? Fear began to tremble down her legs.
“We're keeping dossiers on all of them. So far, only your boss Frank Davis seems to have known about the Kurjans.” Dage rubbed a hand down her arm. “He's disappeared, but probably to another Kurjan facility.”
Goose bumps rose in response. “What about Henry Duvall?”
“We can check the data later if you want.” Dage's eyes narrowed. “Why? Who's Duvall?”
“My lab partner.” Emma lifted her chin. “And a good friend.”
“Ah.” Dage's eyes lightened in understanding. “That's right. I remember that name. He protested when we moved your belongings to storage and put your house on the market.”
Shock made her voice tremble. “You did what?”
Dage lifted an eyebrow. “Love, the Kurjans are after you. You certainly can't go back to your old life.” He clasped her hand again. “We had to send Duvall a couple of letters from you insisting there was a family matter and you'd gone on vacation with your sister. He finally quieted down.” The king's tone implied Henry had made a wise choice in doing so. “Were you, ah ...”
“What?” Emma stumbled. “No. Of course not. We were just friends.” Good friends, considering they had the same taste in men.
“Good to know.”
They'd put her house up for sale. Unbelievable. She'd spent hours choosing just the right paint color for each room. It had taken over a week to sand and refinish the hardwood floorsâwith Cara and Janie pitching in to help. The garden was a work of art with its pansies and hydrangeas. Emma loved that house. She sputtered for a moment, her mind reeling as Dage turned and began leading her down the hallway again. She gritted her teeth together until her jaw ached. “We'll discuss this later.” When she could form a coherent thought without wanting to kill him.
“Of course.” Dage reached a large double door and tucked Emma's arm more securely in his. “You stick close tonight to either me or one of my brothers.”
She nodded, then barely suppressed a gasp as he swept the doors open to reveal a ballroom rivaling anything royalty had devised through the years. About two hundred people had already taken seats around blue covered tables set for eight with fine china and crystal. The scent of roasted chicken wafted through the air. Dage led her through the room, nodding to several dignitaries until reaching the head table where Talen, Cara, and Janie sat with another couple.
Dage grasped her hand. “Emma, this is Jordan Pride and Katie Smith.”
Jordan stood and held out a large hand. Ahâthe mountain lion shifter. A myriad of brown, black, and blond streaked hair reached his broad shoulders. Tawny eyes twinkled at her. “My pleasure.”
She shook his hand, realizing she hadn't quite believed in the existence of shifters until right that moment. An odd electric power shot up her arm from his touch. Weird. “Nice to meet you.” He released her and she took the seat Dage pulled out.