“I need to know. What are your plans for the feline nation?” Jordan’s breath hitched on the question.
Irritation curled Brent’s lip. Tall, broad across the chest, the raw-boned shifter’s lumpy features reddened. “If you must know, I plan to sign a treaty with the Kurjans. There is no other choice.”
Jordan’s foot caught on a root and he stumbled. Fire and anger rippled through his muscles as he righted himself. If that were true, Brent might’ve arrived to kill Dage. “The Kurjans will turn on you ... on all of us. We need to align with the Realm.”
Brent snarled. “I’m the new leader, and I will bind us as I see fit.” He paused at the clearing, anticipation cascading from him. “Unless you plan to challenge me?”
“I hereby issue said challenge.” The words hurt to say, but determination welled strong within him. Jordan turned to face the only family he had left on earth. “Just between us.”
Brent circled around. “That’s new.”
“Yes. The nation is in enough turmoil ... there’s no need to show our enemies we’re not solid.” Jordan casually sniffed the air to see if Conn’s scent rode the breeze and just smelled pine and wet moss. Apparently the vampire had set up downwind and far enough away as to be undetectable.
Brent scanned the area. “We fight to the death, then.”
“Yes.” Jordan would need to get the larger man down to the ground. He’d probably be Brent’s size someday, but not for decades, and the ground would level the fight.
“I have no problem killing you.” Brent shrugged off his jacket, his gaze piercing. “I want your word that the victor will lead our people. I know you’ve aligned with the Kayrs family ... I want your word they won’t take me out after I kill you.”
Jordan stared Brent right in the eyes during a moment that would change him forever. “You have my word.”
The fight was brutal and took hours. They started as men ... and finished as mountain lions. When it was over, when Brent was dead, Jordan had shifted to human, bloody and hurt.
Conn jogged up, darkness in his eyes. “Sit down. I’ll bury him.”
“No.” Jordan struggled to remain on his feet. The haunted look in his friend’s eyes belonged on Jordan’s shoulders. While Conn hadn’t had to kill Brent, he’d resolved to do so ... which was something he’d never escape.
Rulers ruled alone ... or their loved ones got hurt. Jordan would never again make the mistake of involving someone he cared about in business. “I’ll bury him. It’s my job.”
Footsteps outside the conference room yanked Jordan back into the present. Maybe he hadn’t needed to isolate himself to such a degree. Either way, it was probably too late to worry about it. His problem remained the same today as it had three hundred years ago.
Brent Bomant had to die.
Katie leaned against the door of the lab, seeking another update. She’d been sure the new cure would work in Jordan’s blood ... it had just needed more time. Her breath caught in her chest as the queen turned around.
Emma scanned the newest results. “There’s no change.”
Disappointment burned on the way down. Katie tried to breathe. “There’s still time.”
The queen’s eyes dimmed. “Probably not. Anytime we’ve manipulated a substance with magic, the change has been almost instant. If this concoction worked, we’d already know it. I’m so sorry, Kate.”
Katie nodded, pain sliding through her skin like sand in a bottle. So much hurt filled her she forced a smile. “I’ll be back later.” Pivoting, she walked with measured steps down the hallway.
No cure existed for the werewolf virus.
Everybody had been trying to warn her, but she couldn’t let hope die. She found her way to Jordan’s quarters and slipped inside. Silence and a sense of emptiness surrounded her. He was probably arranging for one of the Kayrs men to kill him once he turned into a werewolf.
Stumbling past the small table and sofa area, her vision graying, she limped into the bedroom and curled up on the bed. Jordan’s scent surrounded her with what could have been. With what might have been.
She wanted to let the tears fall, but her spirit had gone dry.
Cotton failed to soothe as she tucked her body around his pillow.
He’d told her he loved her.
Jordan didn’t lie. The man loved her. Yet she hadn’t returned the words. The idea of saying them with death so near had caught the truth in her throat. And yeah. He’d surprised her. Dreams didn’t have words. Yet he’d found some.
Her dreams had always included him. Even while lying to herself, trying to move on, she’d harbored the hope of their future. Deep down at her core, she’d believed.
Fate smashed hope and belief into splinters of nothingness.
Fear that he’d see her feelings as a silly crush, or worse yet, have pity on her had kept her distant from him for ten years. An entire decade had passed when she could’ve been with him.
And now, Jordan was accepting fate. He was going to leave her all alone again.
She flashed back to the moment she’d first shifted as a small child, scared beyond belief and running alone in the woods. If anything, the woods and the world were much scarier today than they’d ever been.
And he was going to leave her alone again.
At the thought, fire welled up in her with a strength that had her sitting up. Fuck that. Fuck fate. And fuck Jordan, too.
Katie had absolutely nothing left to lose. She did, however, have one last chance to save him. Sure, it might kill them both. Or anger Jordan to the point that he hated her. She could live with the hate, if it saved him.
With a quick punch to the pillow, she shot to her feet. She could either lie back and let fate decide, or embrace the dark.
Life truly was all or nothing.
Chapter 19
O
ut of the whipping rain, Katie stood at the entrance of headquarters, peering from under a New Orleans Privateers hat. The clouds shot across the sky, revealing and then hiding the moon, the storm never pausing. She tilted her head for a better sense, nodding when no vibrations came back. Brent and any others of his kind remained too far away to feel.
The safety wouldn’t last, of that she was sure. The moon would be full the next night, and if Brent attacked again, he’d strike under its power.
But for tonight, the forest around them remained clear. The snipers had headed indoors after making sure the area was secure. They weren’t needed outside tonight in the storm. The folks could sleep peacefully in the earth one more night.
She double-checked her readings. Now that she’d decided on a path, no emotion clouded her mind. “I don’t sense anyone.”
Jordan lounged against the rock, not touching her. Dressed in a black T-shirt and cargo pants, he looked as impenetrable as the rocks around them. They stood less than a foot apart, but the distance felt like miles. “I’m betting we see some action with the full moon tomorrow.” He peered into the darkness. “Yeah. The woods are safe tonight.”
Anticipation and an odd inevitability hinted in his low tone. The man was planning on going out strong, taking out werewolves before losing himself.
That’s what he thought. Thunder rolled high and loud. Katie jumped and then cleared her throat. There had to be a way to get through to him. He was the most honest person she knew and wouldn’t play coy even if he could figure out how. “Did you mean what you said earlier?”
His eyes darkened. He sucked in air. “Yes.”
Her smile came unbidden. “You don’t sound happy about that.”
“I’m not.” He scrubbed both hands down his face. “I have twenty-four hours until I go over completely. Telling you I loved you was a mistake.”
At least he didn’t call the actual fact of loving her a mistake. “I kissed Lance.” Well, Lance had kissed her, but close enough. She wanted a reaction from Jordan, and she’d get it.
Fire shimmered along his skin. “Katie, come on.” Then he lifted his head ever so slightly. His nostrils flared.
So far, he was keeping an admirable hold on his impressive temper. She’d need him to unleash for her plan to work. “I want all of you, Jordan.” Her voice stayed soft, but the guy had animal hearing.
“You have all of me.”
“Bullshit.” Something inside of her enjoyed the flash of warning that lit his eyes. He’d always hated when she swore. “While I thought you were a good fuck, you didn’t give me all of you.”
His chin lowered. “What’s your goal here, kitten?”
Leave it to Jordan to cut right to the issue. “What do you mean?” Unlike the leader of the lions, she had no problem playing coy.
“You’re trying to piss me off, and for the world of me, I can’t figure out why.”
Because Cara had told her to challenge him. “Cowards piss me off.”
“You’re calling me a coward?” He sounded more bemused than angry.
Okay, this wasn’t going according to plan. Well, if all else failed. “The sex was just fine, Jordan. I know you’re not feeling a hundred percent lately.”
His eyebrows lifted. “
Just fine?
”
“Well, yeah. I mean you’re cranky tonight, obviously, and I figured you might be stressed about what happened between us. It was ... nice. Really, really nice.”
He studied her like she was trapped in a slide under Emma’s microscope. “So
nice
you screamed out my name each time. Four times, to be exact.”
“I know.” She lowered her voice to something soothing. “So stop worrying about it. I mean, you’ll move on, and I’ll learn the really hot stuff from Lance.” She bit her lip. “Or maybe Terrent Vilks. I’ve heard wolves are crazy wild.”
“Katie.” Jordan’s voice cut like a whip. “Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
He rolled his eyes. “Stop trying to make me mad. This isn’t going to work.”
The clouds chose that moment to part a sliver, allowing the moon to shine through the rain. He lifted his head, a low rumbling spilling from his chest.
Well, if words wouldn’t do it, she had one card left to play. Twisting her body, she shot a sidekick to his knee. With a muffled
oof,
he went down, surprise lighting his face. Jumping, she kicked him square in the temple. His head bounced off the rock with a sickening thud.
With a gasp, she ran. She dodged left, then right, having scouted her path earlier.
A shiver wound across her torso to land in her abdomen. She probably had less than a minute until Jordan recovered and came after her. The rain pelted down, soaking her white T-shirt and ripped jeans. Her tennis shoes squished in the mud as she jogged. No sense making this easy on him.
God, she hoped this wasn’t a huge mistake.
She yanked the bill of her cap lower to shield her eyes. Thunder complained high and loud. Lightning flashed across the sky, turning the clouds a light gray for the briefest of moments. The ocean churned far below.
Panting, she leaned against a tree, allowing the boughs to protect her somewhat.
Jordan’s bellow rose over the storm. Calling her name. Oh yeah. The lion was angry.
Gingerly, quietly, Katie headed deeper into the forest. This was all or nothing. God, she hoped it was something. Using all the training he’d given her, she tried to avoid leaving signs. Rain dripped off her hat. Wet clothes molded to her skin. Wind smashed into her body. She shivered.
The hair on the back of her neck prickled. She turned around only to see dark forest. Pivoting, she hurried the other way. Every instinct she owned clamored she was being stalked.
Several quick turns and she stopped cold. Jordan stood between two trees, clothes plastered to his hard body, his hair long and wild in the wind. But those eyes. Nearly glowing in the dim light, something more than lion.
She hadn’t thought about the emerging werewolf inside him. The lion would never hurt her. The werewolf... who knew?
Thunder roared, and she jumped.
“Why did you kick me?” Low, guttural, the primal tone cut through the storm.
“Because sniveling, fucking cowards should be put down and out of their misery,” she yelled over the increasing wind.
The animal shimmered under his skin. Anger, deep and primal, harnessed and rode the breeze.
She took a step back. Water from her bill dropped onto her nose. This was more than Jordan. Fear caught in her throat. “Jordan, I—”
“One chance, Kathryn.” His voice didn’t even sound like him. “Turn and go back to headquarters. Now.”
Doing so would end any chance she had of mating him. Of saving him. But did she have the courage to face whatever he was becoming? Moonlight slithered down, and he bared his teeth. His tight muscles seemed to vibrate in place as he held himself in check. Barely.
She took a deep breath, fear buzzing in her ears. All or nothing. “Fuck you.” Pivoting, she ran in the opposite direction of headquarters.
The howl he gave was much more wolf than lion.
Desperation had her really running, turning, seeking safety. Instinct took over and she forgot her plan. Run, damnit, run.
He caught her by the nape, sending them both sprawling across the drenched trail. She bit her tongue as she landed, hands sliding in the mud. Pain flared along her skin. Flipping over, she slammed her heels into his hips, sending him flying over her head. Leaping to her feet, she bunched to run.
A thick hand banded around her ankle, yanking her down, ripping her shoe off. Panting, nearly sobbing, she kicked him in the face with her other foot. That shoe and both socks sailed through the air to join the first one.
Thick claws shot out of his hands to shred her jeans. She yelped as he nicked her knee. Swinging wildly, she punched him in the nose. He bellowed, grabbing his face.
Rolling over, she levered to her knees and stood. Claws tore the back of her shirt. Shrugging free, she ran in her bra and underwear, the mud soaking her bare feet.
Oh God, what had she been thinking? Panting, she dodged left and right, trying to keep trees between her and the lumbering force bearing down on her. Sticks and pebbles cut into her feet. Rain beat at her face. Sure, she’d heard true claimings were bloody and brutal. Those damaged shoulders she’d seen on other mates had seemed romantic. Crazy and romantic.
This was neither. But it was real. Desire slammed through her along with fear. An odd combination, animalistic and true. They were animals, and this would happen in the wild.
She ran harder, arms pumping.
Jordan stepped onto the path before her.
She halted, sliding two feet before stopping. The rain battered down on her hat. Panting, she put both filthy hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
“This what you wanted, Katie?” His chest seemed broader, the tight muscles in his arms and legs more powerful. The animal shifted beneath his skin, morphing back and forth from something dark to the lion. But the man remained upright, topaz eyes blazing and a red flush high on his face.
Deep inside her, a lioness stretched awake again. Katie stood to her full height, forcing a sneer. Her knees trembled with the instinctive need to flee. Her heart pounded with the storm. But this was their only chance. She wanted all of him, even if some of that was now werewolf. “Is this all you’ve got?”
“You’re about to see what I’ve got.” Silky, low, the husky threat shot straight to her clit.
She edged to the side of the path, her breath panting out.
He stalked nearer, his eyes unblinking and focused solely on her face. Primitive and deadly, hunger shone in his gaze. The edge of darkness that had been shadowing him curled his lip in a snarl of determination. A preternatural stillness surrounded him, screaming
predator
.
Katie trembled. She might only be half a lion, but she deserved it all. “You want me, you take me, Jordan. You fucking
earn
me.” Feinting, she lunged the other direction, pivoting to run.
He caught her by the arm, jerking her off her feet. A smack had the hat falling to the ground. Her hair tumbled down around her wet shoulders. He sucked in air. “Stop this.”
She truly had no clue which one of them he was talking to. “No.”
His mouth slammed down. Hard—forceful—desperate. As if he could kiss the defiance, the challenge out of her. His tongue penetrated her mouth, all male, accepting no resistance. He controlled his fangs, but their sharp points, their deadly ability remained right there.
She groaned, fire boiling through her blood. Locking her hands into his hair, she met his kiss, slamming up against his hard body. His fully clothed body. Decadence and the sense of vulnerability had her head swimming.
Then she bit his bottom lip until she tasted blood.
He shoved her away. Wiping his lip, his eyes morphed to gold. The animal inside him took precedence, rising to the surface. A casual observer wouldn’t have noticed the change.
Katie was anything but casual.
She turned and ran, knowing there was no way she was getting out of the forest. Heart racing, adrenaline zipping through her blood, she fled like her life depended on it. Which it probably did. The inevitable sound of him pursuing spurred her to flee faster.
He took her down hard.
The breath whooshed from her lungs. She stilled, hands sliding, mud splattering her neck. Sucking in air, she tried to lever up on hands and knees just as her bra went flying into the trees. Her underwear followed. Panicking, bucking against him, she fought with the intense training she’d learned over the years.
Countering every move, keeping her on her hands and knees, somehow his pants and shirt flew over her head.
A whisper of warning sounded before he grabbed her hips. His hands were rough, his hold unbreakable, his intention absolute. She struggled, fighting him, fighting the future ... fighting herself. Tightening his hold, he roughly plunged inside her and yanked her back. Shock filled her at not only the sudden pain, but with awareness that she had been wet and ready. The lioness within roared.
The man behind her slammed into her hard, fast, and relentless. Nothing could stop him. The knowledge, the certainty of that fact had her screaming through an orgasm so powerful her heart may have stopped for a moment. Yet he continued to pound, his hands digging into her hips, his body strong and full. The storm, the pelting rain, all ceased to exist.
Leaning over, his lips enclosed her shoulder.
She tensed, closing her eyes, heart galloping. Finally. Jordan was finally going to mark her.
He struck fast, fangs digging past muscle and tendons to embed in bone.