Shadowed

Chapter 12

Alone in the big bed, Brenna pushed her glasses up her nose as she read the latest report from the Coven Nine regarding witches misusing magic. The problem seemed to be getting worse. She sighed and glanced around the empty bedroom as dawn slipped under the shades. While she’d never really thought about mating, if she had, this wouldn’t have been her dream.

For several hours, she’d tried to sleep. Finally, she’d given up and decided to get some work done.

The front door swished, and something fell inside.

She stiffened.

A low, male curse echoed before lumbering steps came down the hallway. Jase staggered into the bedroom.

“Good lord,” she murmured.

His clothes were ripped, and blood dotted his shirt. A purple bruise spread under his right eye. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She frowned. “Who hit you?”

“Got in a bar fight with a bunch of shifters.” He flashed rare dimples and awkwardly kicked off his boots. Then he swayed. “Don’t worry—nobody died.”

“Good to know.” She set down the reports. “Do you need help?”

He sagged against the wall. “I need more help than is possible.” His lips turned down. “We stopped at several bars on the way home, or I’d be sober by now.” Inching forward, he fell to his knees by the bed. “You’re so pretty, Bren.”

“You’re drunk.” She slid from the bed and grasped under his arms. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He stood, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Sometimes I feel like I’ll never be clean.” Stumbling into the bathroom, he allowed her to pull his shirt off. “You’re pretty.”

“So you said.” Jase was an affectionate drunk. Brenna smiled, warmth spreading through her. What in the world was she going to do with him? “Um, take off your jeans.”

His eyes darkened. “We’re mated. You take them off.” A hiccup took the edge off the order.

Aye, they were mated, and he needed help. She’d always been a nurturer, and being able to assist him filled her with pleasure. Even so, her hands shook as she unsnapped his jeans and shoved off his clothes. A dark purple bruise cut into his muscular thigh. “What happened?” she asked, running her fingers along the wound.

“Training yesterday. I fell.” He closed his eyes and hummed. “You have great hands.”

“Thank you.” She reached in and flipped on the shower faucet. Steam quickly rose. “Get in.” She nudged him in the back.

He slipped inside, groaning as steam swallowed him.

The doorbell rang. What in the world? She turned and padded through the house to open the door. Moira and Emma stood on the front porch, Moira in training gear and Emma in sweats. “It’s a little early.” Brenna motioned them toward the empty living room.

Moira swept inside. “I know. We don’t sleep much around here, especially when drunk vampires pass out on our floors.”

Emma tapped a manila file. “I was in the lab.”

As usual, apparently. Dread filled Brenna. She already knew the lab results. “Did Dage get drunk, too?”

“No. He spent all night negotiating a treaty between two shifter clans out of Iceland.” Emma pursed her lips. “There’s nowhere to sit.”

“Just tell me.” Brenna sighed, her gaze on Moira as her big sister tried to look stoic.

“There’s no change in your blood.” Emma handed the file to Brenna. “Your results are the same as the ones sent over from your doctors. The mating hasn’t slowed down the poison in your system.”

Moira grabbed her arm. “You just mated and need to give the cure time.”

“I agree,” Brenna lied and forced a smile for her sister. “I’m feeling better even if the blood results don’t show that.”

“Bollocks.” Moira pushed her. “Don’t placate me, you brat.”

“You’re the brat, Dailtín.” Brenna pushed back.

“Ladies”—Emma rolled her eyes—“knock it off and grow up.”

Moira snorted. “Look who’s talking. You called your sister a jackass the other night.”

The queen sniffed. “Cara was cheating at poker. She was being a jackass.”

“Using empathic abilities isn’t cheating,” Moira countered.

“You’re always on her side,” Emma huffed.

Brenna grinned. “You two sound just like sisters.”

Emma slipped an arm through Brenna’s. “We mated Kayrs men. We need a sisterhood—blood or not.”

Jase loped into the room, a towel loosely tied at his waist. He stopped cold at the gathering.

Brenna shoved down desire. A chest like that should never be hidden behind cotton. “Feel better?”

“I’m fine.” A shadow lined his jaw. Combined with the purple bruise, he looked like a rogue searching for a rumble.

A firm knock echoed on the door. Emma glanced at Moira. “Yours or mine?”

“Mine’s passed out on the floor,” Moira said, yanking open the door to reveal Dage. “Told you.”

The king appeared . . . ruffled. His eyes shone a dark silver, and his dark hair had escaped the band he always tied it in. Tension emanated from him so heavily the oxygen in the room diminished. His gaze met Jase’s.

Jase took a step back. His face hardened to blank granite. “What?”

The king didn’t move. “The Kurjans have our nephew.”

After being briefed by Dage, Jase stood in the armory and slammed a clip into his gun, his mind swirling. Not the Kurjans. An evil vampire race, they had white faces and a serious aversion to the sun. They’d also created Virus-27, a strong entry into germ warfare. Now they had Garrett, the fun-loving kid he’d helped to raise. While he understood the plan, he couldn’t figure out why they needed a damn plan. “What the fuck happened?”

Talen shook his head, tightening his bulletproof vest. “He and two of his buddies snuck out and partied in town all night. I don’t know if the Kurjans happened upon them, or if it was a calculated move.”

“It was a calculated move.” Jase grabbed two more knives. “Makes sense. Everyone knows our headquarters is here . . . figures the kids would head to town at some point.”

Talen staggered and slapped a palm against the wall. “I knew,” he whispered. “I knew they were sneaking out and having fun, but they’re nineteen and smart.” Guilt washed down his face. “I’ve trained my son since he was old enough to walk, but he’s not ready for this.”

Nausea shot through Jase’s gut. He grabbed his brother’s arm. The other two kids had been found beaten and unconscious in an alley. Only Garrett had been taken. “We’ll get him back. Tonight.” If they didn’t, Garrett would never be the same. “I swear to God. We’ll get him.”

“You understand what the Kurjans want, right?” Talen asked.

“Yeah.” Jase steeled his shoulders. “They want Janie.” Janie was Talen’s adopted daughter, the key to the future for all immortal species. In fact, the current war had begun as the Kurjans and vampires fought to get to her first. As Garrett’s older sister, she’d probably give up her life in an instant to save him.

“Janie isn’t the prize—this time.” Kane charged into the room, already suited up. “They want Brenna.”

Jase paused. “Excuse me?”

Kane grabbed another gun to add to his impressive arsenal. “The Kurjans want your mate before the damn winter solstice.”

What the hell was it with Brenna and the solstice? Jase growled. “The demons and the Kurjans seriously believe that nonsense?”

“Isn’t nonsense.” Kane shook his head. “It’s quantum physics, string theory, and one incredibly powerful witch.”

“But she’s not.” Jase ran a rough hand through his hair. “Not yet. She’s barely strong enough to pass for human right now.”

“I know. But now that she has mated, when the comet gets closer, I’m hoping she’ll be able to harness incredible power.” Kane rubbed his chin. “If your mating finally takes hold.”

Jase lifted his head, focusing on his brother. “What exactly do you want from her?”

Kane’s eyes swirled black through the maroon. “I’m hoping she can cure the virus. Somehow untangle it from the chromosomes of the victims.”

Jase shook his head like a dog with a face full of water. “You’re telling me that this solstice crap is real? Not just another stupid witch myth?”

“It’s real.” The smartest, most scientific man on the planet nodded. “Very real.”

Well, shit. “Does she know the full truth?”

Kane shrugged. “I doubt it. Her family and the Coven Nine have done nothing but protect her from being different. I’m sure they would’ve started preparing her if she hadn’t gotten so ill.”

“So they don’t think she’ll be able to harness the power?” When had things gotten so damn unsteady?

“No.” Kane eyed his watch. “I spoke with Viv earlier, and they think Brenna’s pretty much done for. No power, no hope of recovery.” He glanced up, his gaze sympathetic. “I’d like to keep that from you, but that’s not what we do.”

“So why let me take her?” Jase frowned. Not that they could’ve stopped him. “If they think she’s dying, why let me bring her here?” Reality slapped him in the face. The fucking bastards. “It’s temporary. They only let me take her until after the solstice.”

Kane nodded. “That’s my guess. She’s in too much danger in Ireland—not only from her people, but from demons. This way, we keep her safe, and then they’ll demand she come home after the holidays.”

So she could die among her own people. Fury rippled through Jase. “She’s not dying, damn it.”

“Nobody is dying,” Talen said grimly, heading for the door. “Enough talk. Let’s go.”

Jase nodded, tucking one more knife in his vest. He followed his brother into the hallway, his breath catching at the agony on Cara’s face. The tiny blond woman stood next to Moira and Brenna in the hallway, looking even more pale and fragile than usual. Next to the hulking Talen, she looked downright miniature.

Talen placed his hand on her shoulder and lowered his face to within an inch of hers. “I’ll bring him back, mate. You have my word.”

She lifted her chin, blue eyes flashing. “Just don’t get shot.”

Talen grinned. “I promise.”

Brenna hurried forward, her gaze wary. “Apparently I’m in great demand.”

Jase steeled himself for the request.

It came in the form of a statement. “They want me . . . so I go.” She pushed her glasses up her nose. “I can still shoot a gun damn well.”

“I know.” His heart warmed at her bravery and then chilled at the thought of losing her. “You’re part of Plan B, little witch.”

She lifted both eyebrows. “Plan B?”

“Yes. The meet and exchange is in three hours. We’re storming their location first.” Jase fought the urge to hug her, considering the hardware he’d tucked into his combat gear. “If that fails, we’ll try a bait and switch.” But Plan A wouldn’t fail, because no way in hell would he allow Brenna to put herself in danger.

She frowned. “How do you know where Garrett is?”

Talen turned around. “After Jase was taken, we plugged everyone with trackers. We’ve tracked him.”

The Kurjans weren’t stupid. Jase nodded. “The trackers are still live, so the Kurjans haven’t figured it out. They will.”

Moira cocked a laser gun to tuck in a pants pocket. “Let’s go.” She turned and headed outside to the waiting helicopters.

Brenna frowned. “Moira gets to go.”

Jase gave in to temptation and dropped a kiss on the witch’s nose. “Moira’s trained for combat . . . and is at full strength. You get your strength back? You can come.” Maybe. Well, probably not. His time as a POW would more than likely keep him from allowing her to fight, but she didn’t need to know that right now.

“Hmmm.” She grabbed his face and tugged him down for a soft kiss on the lips. “Be safe, Jase.”

His heart lurched. He gave a short nod, his voice gone. When she released him, he turned and ran into the early morning.

Time to fight.