She rubbed her temples. “I think the smoke from the earlier fires is bugging my head.”
“I’ll need gas soon. We can buy aspirin.” Talen kept an eye on the rearview mirror while passing a school bus. “My head hurts a little, too.” He grinned. “Maybe we’re getting the flu.”
She laughed and wrapped her arms around her shins while resting her chin on her knees. “Very funny.” They couldn’t catch normal illnesses.
At her laugh, appreciation lit his rugged features. Good. He was finally relaxing.
She cleared her throat. “Maybe this is a good time to discuss this way-overprotective attitude of yours and how you need to tone it down now that the war is over.”
Talen slowed down until he could pass a bunch of teenagers with inner tubes in a compact red truck. “I understand your need to work, but why in public? One of our laws is staying off the human radar, you know?”
“Yes, but I could teach for a while publicly.” Cara turned to look through the rearview mirror at the teens. It was way too cold for inner-tubing, and they should be in school.
“They’re fine. Playing hooky, most likely.” Talen sped up until the truck was out of sight, easily reading her concerns, as usual.
Smoke filtered through the trees and soon thickened until the sun was an odd red orb through the mist.
Talen punched a bunch of buttons on the dash. “Dage?” Talen asked. “How close are we to forest fires?”
A crackle sounded, and then the King’s face took shape in the center consol. “How’s the trip?”
“Great,” Talen said, squinting. “I’m getting concerned about the fires, though. What can you see?”
“The ones around you have been contained, according to the news.” Dage clacked keys in the background.
Talen shook his head. “I don’t think the fire is contained. Bring up satellite.”
“Just a sec. I have to hack into a different one.” More keys clattered. “All right. It appears there are fires to your east and west . . . smaller but gathering speed, I think. Stick to the river road you’re on, and stay near the water.”
“My head is hurting a little, and so is Cara’s. Do you see any threats?” Talen asked grimly, his hands tightening on the wheel until his knuckles appeared white.
“I’m not sure. There are several trucks, vans, and campers going in both directions on your road, and nothing stands out,” Dage said.
“I’m sure it’s just the smoke,” Talen said.
Dage chuckled. “You just don’t know how to relax. Give it a shot.” The screen went black as the king disconnected the call.
“Everyone keeps telling me to relax,” Talen muttered.
Yeah. There was a reason for that. Cara hid a smile. “We can take it easy after we deliver these.” She looked in the backseat, where the cooler containing the tissue samples was nestled safely. The samples were from people who had taken a mutated virus to negate the immortal mating bond that bound them to just one lover. “I’m curious about these samples. Is it possible to really negate a mating bond of a living couple?”
“No.” Talen grinned then, a flash of white against his bronze face. “I don’t see what the big deal is. If somebody is your mate, then they’re your mate, bond or not. Besides . . . we have no proof that a mating bond can be negated when both mates are still alive.”
True. The only ones that had been negated were ones in which a mate had died some time ago. “I’m sure there will be a test subject soon,” she murmured.
“I doubt it.”
“Why not? Humans get divorced all the time. Negating a mating bond is the same thing in the immortal world,” she mused.
He shook his head. “Matings are forever, or at least during life. I think the bond is too strong to completely break while both parties are alive.”
Perhaps. “Maybe I should give it a shot and see,” she teased.
His grin widened. “Try it.” The warning rumble of the words belied his smile.
She swallowed. There had to be a quick retort that showed her spirit but didn’t push the irritated vampire too far. “Bite me.” Nope. That wasn’t it.
“I fully plan to.”
Her abdomen heated, and she instinctively touched the bite mark along her neck—her mating mark. She also wore the Kayrs marking, an intricate design with a K in the middle, on her butt from the mating. “Maybe I’ll bite you this time.”
“Baby, you can bite me any time.”
She grinned and tried to enjoy the moment while pretending the tension surrounding them had dissipated. But it hadn’t. Not really. Not for the first time, she wondered how much of Talen’s true nature he’d had to tamp down the last couple of decades as she’d fought the virus and he’d battled enemies in the war. They had two children together as well as one granddaughter, and sometimes she wasn’t sure she really knew him.
He leaned over and rubbed the frown lines between her eyes. “Stop fretting. Everything will be fine.”
Hmm. Apparently he knew her pretty damn well. “I love you, you know,” she said slowly.
“I know. You’re everything to me,” he said softly.
She nodded, fully secure of her place in his heart and his life. Yet they were still somehow . . . off.
“My brain has relaxed, so the fires must’ve died out. Right now, we need fuel.” He glanced in all the mirrors and then pulled into a quiet service station built with what appeared to be reclaimed wood. “Stay in the car.”
“Need restroom.” She opened the door, and he was by her side within a heartbeat. “Geez. We’re safe, Talen. No more war.”
“I know.” He grasped her arm and escorted her from the car to the building, keeping his body between hers and any threat from the road.
She tried—really hard if asked—to keep from rolling her eyes into the back of her head. “You have got to mellow out.”
“Humph.” He nodded to the elderly woman behind the counter before scanning the tidy store and dropping Cara at the women’s bathroom. “I’ll fill up the car.” He paused and then pushed open the door to quickly scout the one-stall room. “Okay.” Then he turned and stalked from the charming store.
Cara shook her head and used the facilities. After drying her hands, she wandered into the store and purchased soda and some potato chips from the wide-eyed woman behind the counter.
“You okay, honey?” The woman pushed back springy gray hair while also shoving up bifocals.
Cara grinned. “I’m fine. He’s just a little overprotective.”
The woman leaned in, bringing the scent of bottled roses with her. Her gaze swept Cara’s faded jeans and light blue sweater. “Are you some superstar or something?”
“No.” There was a time when dangerous enemies had had a bounty on her head, but now she was just a normal person. Well, a normal immortal person mated to one of the most powerful vampires in the world. “I used to have a stalker, and my, ah, husband still worries.”
“Ah, now. That’s sweet.” The woman’s bright red lipstick cracked as she smiled and placed the items in a bag. “He’s a handsome one, that he is.”
“Thanks.” Cara said, turning for the door and stepping into the slightly smoky air.
“Well, hello there,” said a deep voice.
She turned on the wooden porch to see a kid about twenty lounging in an old metal chair, his cowboy boots propped up on a green cooler. Shaggy hair cascaded out of a faded blue cap. He held an energy drink in one hand. “Excuse me?” she murmured.
“You are a sight for tired old eyes,” he said, his blond eyebrows wiggling and his eyes sparkling. A smile curved his full lips right above a little goatee.
It took her a second, it really did, for her to figure out he was hitting on her. Sometimes she forgot she only looked twenty-five. “You have got to be kidding me.” Geez. Her son was probably older than this kid. “Shouldn’t you be in college or at a job?”
He blinked and puffed out his chest. “Maybe I don’t have to work.”
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For goodness’ sake. She fought every instinct she had not to grab him by the ear and kick his butt to the road toward the employment office. “Somehow, I think you do.” Shaking her head, she started down the porch.
He jumped up and grabbed her arm.
“Oh honey,” she breathed just as her mate caught sight of them. “Those boots better be for running.”
Talen kept his focus on them while shoving the gas nozzle in place and then screwing on the gas cap. Then he moved through the smoke, his gaze hotter than the fire that seemed to be getting closer.
“Uh,” the kid said.
“Let. Go.” She should probably try to save the kid’s life. Being stupid shouldn’t end it.
He dropped her arm like it had shocked him. “That’s a big dude,” he whispered.
She slowly nodded.
“Is he fast?” the kid asked.
She nodded again. “Unfortunately.”
Talen reached the bottom of the steps, definitely the most dangerous thing the kid had ever seen.
“I’m sorry.” The kid backed up. “Really, really, really sorry.” He tripped and fell back into his chair, his boots swinging.
Talen sighed. “Jesus.” He rubbed one broad hand through his hair and studied the kid as if deciding whether or not to take a bite.
The kid audibly held his breath.
Cara gingerly stepped down. “He should probably go to school or get a job, right?”
Talen lifted an eyebrow.
The kid jumped to his feet. “I’ll go fill out an application for school right now. My granny’s been trying to get me to, but I’ve been lazy, and that just ended.” He was still chattering as he all but ran around the corner of the store and disappeared.
Talen looked down and to the side. “I only left you for two minutes.”
She smiled. “Yeah, but we just did a nice thing for his granny. She’ll be so proud he’s off his butt and going to college.”
“The next guy who touches you, I get to hit.” Talen took the bag from her and turned them both. “Scratch that. Nobody ever touches you again but me. Yeah. That’s the deal.” One hand at the small of her back offered constant support and protection. “You are far too beautiful for my own good.”
Now, that was sweet, especially since she wore no makeup and was in comfy clothes. Perhaps she should make more of an effort. She was taking immortality and young skin for granted. Good thing she’d brought sexy lingerie for the trip. “Just wait ’til you see what I brought to wear to bed.”
His stride hitched. “Can’t wait. It’ll look lovely on the floor since you won’t be wearing it long.”
Her nipples peaked. She grinned. “I don’t suppose you brought silk boxers or anything.”
He laughed and opened her door for her. “I don’t suppose I did.” Then his head lifted, and his nostrils flared like a wolf catching a scent. “Hell.” He grasped her arm and lifted her, shutting the door quickly.
Her head suddenly pounded. “Oh God.” She knew the feeling. She just knew it.
Fast strides had him around the car and inside, igniting the engine. “There are demons close.”
Chapter 3
Talen cursed to himself as he barreled onto the river road and punched the gas. A beat-up yellow Chevy careened around a bend behind him, gaining speed. Pain lanced into his temples a second before Cara cried out.
Demons had the ability to attack minds with both pain and horrible images. Through the years, Talen had gained a few mental shields, but certainly not enough.
He swerved the truck, ruining their line of sight. Even if there were four of them in the truck, all directing the attack, they wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long, especially over a distance.
Gunfire pattered into the asphalt, sending shards flying.
“Hell.” He swerved again, speeding up while also grabbing Cara’s head and shoving her down. She bent at the waist and he kept pushing until her knees were on the floor. “Stay down.”
She fought against his hold, drawing a green gun from the side compartment. “I can shoot.”
He swerved again, making it too difficult for the demons to continue the mind attack. The pain in his temples receded. “I know, but for now, stay there.” If the woman thought she was going to get up and engage in a firefight, she was fucking crazy.
Even now, the scent of her fear filled the SUV, and the animal inside him stretched to life. His fangs lengthened, and his heart rate slowed as his body prepared for battle. There was no more dangerous creature on the earth than a vampire defending his mate, so he allowed his primal instincts to take over.
Smoke billowed from the right, forcing him to take a sharp left turn and barrel over a narrow bridge.
The truck followed in his wake, a shooter half out the passenger-side window. The next round of bullets impacted the rear of the vehicle.
If they hit the tires, he was screwed.
Trees flew by outside, and soon, smoldering grass lined both sides of the road. The fire had swept through but seemed contained. Hopefully.
Talen punched in Dage’s number.
“What?” Dage drawled.
“We have demons on our asses. Get our location, and send backup. STAT.” Talen swerved again.
Dage instantly tapped in keys. “Shifters nearby to the north. They’re sending help. Are you sure it’s demons?”
“Yes,” Talen snapped.
“I’ve brought you up on satellite. Shit,” Dage said.
Talen nodded. “I know.” The demons had certainly chosen their attack spot carefully. They were in one of the few places in the Pacific Northwest where the minerals in the rocks messed with the ability to transport, which Dage had. He couldn’t transport there and get Cara out. “The second I’m far enough north, I’ll tag you,” Talen barked.
“I’ll be ready to get there,” Dage said. “For now, stay low, and wait for backup.”
Cara kept silent on the floor, her blue eyes wide.
While Talen wanted to comfort her, he needed her alert and ready to flee just in case. “If I tell you to run, you do it.”
She shook her head. “If you’re staying to fight, so am I. It’s not like I’ve spent the last two decades on my butt, Talen.”
No. He’d made sure she trained to fight regularly, whenever she had the strength. But she was still an immortal human without any extra strength or speed. Against a cadre of demons, she’d have to be skilled as well as incredibly lucky. “I understand. Do as I tell you to do.” As the strategic leader for the entire Realm, his orders were obeyed, damn it.
She sniffed and held the gun on the seat, her entire body bunched to strike. “Can we outrun them?”
Only if the demons stopped shooting. Even as the thought crossed his mind, more bullets sprayed, and the back of the SUV lifted in the air. “Shit.” Talen jerked the wheel to the left, trying to keep from tumbling over the bank. “They hit a tire.”
The SUV rocked. Talen swerved, and his side of the vehicle crashed into a series of rocks fronting a forest. “Out. Move now.” In one smooth motion, he grabbed the cooler, grasped Cara, kicked open her door, and leaped from the vehicle.
Her feet had barely touched the ground when he had her around the hood and running into the smoke-filled forest, shielding her with his body in case the demons kept shooting. “Go, and I’ll catch up.” He pivoted and dropped to one knee, simultaneously whipping the gun out from his waist. The red truck screeched to a stop on the dirt road, and he plugged the windshield full of holes.
A scream echoed.
His fangs dropped, and he turned to run after his woman. He’d hit at least two targets, because he could smell their blood. But bullets would only slow them down and definitely not stop them.
The ground smoldered, and flames still licked along dead grass. He opened his senses and immediately found his mate moving quickly to the west, her sweet scent overlaid with fear. Every instinct he owned told him to turn around and take the demons out, but h
er safety came first.
He’d find seclusion and then go hunting.
The smoke impacted his vision, and up ahead, Cara coughed quietly.
He reached her in long strides and quickly ripped a piece off his shirt.
She frowned and leaned against the trunk of a pine tree, her eyes watering, her nose quivering.
There was no immediate heat around them, so hopefully the fires were just smoldering. Leaning forward, he gently tied the material around her head, masking her nose and mouth. “This should help filter a little bit.” Making sure it was tight, he leaned back. “You all right?”
She nodded, her eyes red. “Fine. Just don’t like smoke.”
There was his blue-eyed fighter. Fierce and stubborn, she’d battle furiously to live. He nodded toward a barely discernible trail through several cottonwoods. “Let’s head that way.” Hopefully the smoke would mask their scents until they reached backup, which should be coming from that direction.
“Okay.” She visibly shook out her shoulders and then launched herself into motion.
He strode into a jog, keeping track of her steps, his senses on full alert for any danger around them. The smoke screwed with his perceptions, too.
They ran for nearly an hour, winding along next to the river in case the fire descended upon them. Cara’s breath became labored, and her steps slowed until Talen could walk briskly and keep up. He directed her through another series of trails until they came to a cabin set against the hill.
She paused next to a blue spruce and leaned over, hands on her knees, her breath panting out.
He stilled and listened, using all his senses to track the area. Nothing.
Finally, she lifted up and jerked off the material around her face. Her eyes softened, and she eyed the cabin. “Our first time was in a cabin like that,” she whispered softly, her voice hoarse.
“I remember.” He studied her breathing and frowned at the slight wheeze from her chest. “’Twas the best day of my entire life.” And it was. He’d mated her in a cozy cabin after rescuing her from the enemy. The moment she’d become his, he’d become whole.