Claimed

Chapter 14

Dage took a deep breath, waiting for the wall screen in his private conference room to clear. The vulnerability inherent in the aboveground lab weighed on him. His mate should be at the underground headquarters up in the mountains. Only the need to cure the virus kept her here. Her intelligence was a resource they needed, but he had no intention of failing when it came to her safety.

He’d left her sleeping peacefully in their bed a mere hour ago, and only the heavy mantle of duty kept him from returning to her side to cuddle her close in a way she’d been denied as a child. He channeled his fury at the dead man into a focused calm to deal with the matter at hand. While he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, he hated diplomacy and would rather take the demons on hand-to-hand.

Chalton punched in keys next to him. A pop sounded and the screen filled with the image of a large man dressed in the black uniform of the demon military. “Suri.”

“Dage.” A base growl emerged from the demon due to an odd configuration of vocal cords. “You having any fun being king?” Shiny silver triangles decorated his left shoulder, showing his rank as leader. The leader.

“Shit, no.” Dage forced a smile for his old friend. “You?”

“No.” Suri’s eyes flicked from green to yellow and then back again. He’d cut his hair short for once. Preparing for war? “I heard you found your mate. Congratulations.”

Irony ran through the demon’s words and Dage raised an eyebrow. “Thank you. I take it you’re still looking?”

Suri shook his head, silver hair shining under overhead lights. “You should know better, Kayrs. You just exposed your jugular.” He stepped closer to the camera. “A mate is a weakness a military leader can’t afford.”

“A valid viewpoint, to be sure.” Dage paused for a moment. The demon had better not be threatening his mate. “Of course, I just became all the more deadly. Something to protect and all that.”

Suri nodded, the light glinting off his shiny decorations. “Yes. Rumor has it Franco wanted your mate, and yet he’s still breathing.”

Dage laughed. “Franco’s currently the least of my worries.”

Suri nodded. “Even so, I’m surprised your peace lasted this long.”

“As am I.” Dage met the demon’s gaze squarely. “You and I were once great friends.” They still were, as far as he was concerned.

“Yes. Until one of your highest ranking officers stole my brother’s mate.” Anger sizzled in those eyes.

Dage rubbed his chin. “Will that wound ever heal?” For the love of Pete, eons had passed.

“No.” Suri gave a short shake of his head. “Not until Caleb Donovan’s remains are providing the earth with fuel.”

Exasperation swept through Dage but he kept his face bland. “You’ve been fighting Caleb’s forces for a hundred years. We stayed out of the feud because you both asked us to remain neutral.” Though at the moment he wished he would’ve locked the two stubborn men in a room and let them duke it out. For good.

Suri’s eyes narrowed. “You are no longer neutral. You chose a side yesterday.”

Dage lifted an eyebrow. “No. We are gathering our forces and putting our allies in place. Are you aware of the Kurjan virus?”

Suri lifted a shoulder. “I have heard rumors.”

The guy knew more than rumors. He was as connected as Dage. “Have you considered how it would impact your mates? Your family? Your allies?”

Fire crackled along the demon’s skin for a moment. “It would not impact us.”

“You sure about that?” The demons had thirty-two chromosomes and their mates twenty-eight. How could their twenty-seventh chromosomes be safe? He made a mental note to speak with Emma. If Suri was right, maybe a cure or antidote existed within the demon mates.

“Yes.” A red flush spread across Suri’s broad face. “Although we’ve declared war, as a gesture of friendship, I’ll give you one week to denounce Caleb and his forces as an ally, Kayrs.”

“And then what?”

Suri smiled slowly. “We take you out.”

The screen faded to black. Now Dage had to destroy one friend in order to keep another one. His diplomacy skills seemed rusty, though the damn demons loved a good fight, maybe even needed one, to keep their mental faculties focused.

He ran a rough hand through his hair, his gaze on the blank wall. A beep at the door had him nodding to Chalton.

Janie skipped inside, leaping for his lap. “Hi Uncle Dage.” The scents of baby powder and innocence filled the room.

“Hi.” He settled her into place, the need to protect her nearly overwhelming him for a moment.

She clasped a blue bear, known as Mr. Mullet, in her small hands. “This room is like the other communication room in the mountain.”

“Yep.” The mountain—where the little girl should probably be safely ensconced. The main fortress was impenetrable, unlike their current facilities.

“Who were you talkin’ to?” Her deep blue eyes, so curious and trusting, focused on his.

“An old friend named Suri.” One he may have to kill.

Janie scrunched her face in a frown. “Guy with yellow eyes? Sometimes?”

The king breathed deep, pushing down his concern. “Yes, that’s him. Have you dreamed about Suri?” Dage could protect his niece from any outside force, but no shield existed for the visions.

“Yep.” She patted Mr. Mullet’s blue hair. “But it’s always kinda foggy around him, like he’s not sure which way to go. Were you trying to tell him which way to go?”

“Yes, I was.” But the path the demon had chosen would lead to bloodshed for them all. So much for Dage’s diplomatic training. He didn’t think the demons would mount an attack on him, but Caleb’s forces were fair game. Now he was honor bound to jump into the fray. “What are you doing wandering around, little one?”

She rolled her eyes in an expression so like her aunt’s he had to grin. “I’m almost five, Uncle Dage.”

Dage nodded. “Yes, I understand your birthday is coming up. I already gave you a pony. What are you fishing for here?”

“Fishing?” Eyes that reminded him of the clearest blue lake in the Himalaya Mountains widened on his. “What do you mean, fishing? I don’t wanna go fishing.”

“Right. Hinting. What are you hinting at? I mean, what do you want for your birthday?”

She pursed her tiny lips. “I want my baby brother to be okay.”

Emotions commingled and swam through the king until he couldn’t differentiate between fear, pain, and pride. “I want your baby brother to be okay, too.” Dage paused, sorting to find the right words. “Have you seen anything in your head?”

“No.” She buried her nose in the bear’s fur, her voice becoming muffled. “He’s kinda foggy, too.”

Well, damn. That wasn’t good. “Your mama and your brother are strong people, Janie. We have to trust in that.”

She lifted her head, a delicate eyebrow arching. “No we don’t. We have to make it right.”

The little girl was more like Emma than he’d thought. “We’re doing our best, sweetheart.”

“No.” She frowned. “I mean, who’s Mowra?”

“Mowra? You mean Moira?”

Janie shrugged. “Yeah. Who is she?”

Dage sat to attention, a tingling snapping at his neck. “Ah, why?”

“I saw her in my dreams last night.” Janie began to play with a button on Dage’s silk shirt.

Why? Had yet another one of his brother’s women been infected with the virus? What would the tiny bug do to a witch? He needed Conn to contact his mate. “Moira is ... ah, she’s married to Uncle Conn, honey.” How was Dage going to explain that one in preschool language?

Janie blew out a bubble. “Why isn’t she here?”

“Basically, she’s been studying at a far away school.” That should appease the child’s curiosity.

“Studying what?”

“Well, magic.” Cara couldn’t be mad if he taught Janie about witches and magic, could she? He didn’t want to tick one of the Paulsen women off, that was for sure.

“Oh, okay. Where?”

“Across the ocean in Ireland.”

“Is she done?”

“Er, yes.” So much for appeasing Janie’s curiosity.

“Why isn’t she with Uncle Conn, then?”

“Ah, well, you should really talk to Uncle Conn about that, sweetheart.” There. Served his brother right.

A peal echoed in his earpiece. He tapped once. “Dage.”

“There’s a problem. I’ll meet you in conference room two,” Talen said.

“Two minutes.” Dage threw Janie into the air, catching the giggling child and striding toward the door. He handed her off to Max, who stood just outside. “Take Giggles here to her mother, please.”

Janie smiled and gave him a little wave. “I also want an Xbox, Uncle Dage.”

Dage entered the conference room still chuckling at the little minx. He lost his grin as he took in the frowning faces around the table. The scent of wild strawberries lingered in the air. “Lily? You should be lying down.”

“I’m feeling better.” She gave a delicate shrug, appearing beyond fragile sandwiched between Conn and Talen.

Jase dodged inside right behind Dage. “What’s going on?”

Talen pushed back from the table. “The Kurjans kidnapped Prophets Milner and Guiles. They’ve demanded an exchange for Lily.”

Dage frowned, shifting his gaze to the prophet. “They contacted you directly?”

She nodded. “Prophet Milner sent me an e-mail through a secured server. Even he doesn’t know where I am.”

Modern technology at work. For a moment Dage longed for the good old days when he controlled the flow of any and all information. He turned toward Talen. “Did you trace the e-mail?”

“No.” Talen pounded on a keyboard and a land map lit up one wall. “It’s secured. But we traced Milner’s movements and discovered he and Guiles were taken from Portland as they left the colloquium.”

“Their guards?”

“All dead”—Talen tapped twice and the screen zoomed in to show a series of buildings sprawled over about a mile—“which is why we didn’t know they were taken until an hour ago.” He stood. “This is where I think they are in central Idaho.”

“Why?”

“The Kurjans started preparing this facility about a year ago—I’ve had my eye on it. Just this weekend the number of guards quadrupled.”

“Is Franco there?” Dage grabbed a band from his pocket, yanked his hair out of his face, and tied it back with the band. He needed the location of the current Kurjan ruler to take him out. The fiend had planned to mate with Emma, thus sealing his fate.

Talen shook his head. “I don’t think so. Last my sources knew he was still in Canada.”

Dage kept silent for a moment, ticking off scenarios in his head. “Think it’s a trap?”

“Yep.” Talen nodded. “More than likely.”

Lily sat forward. “I don’t understand.”

Dage began cataloguing weapons in his head and turned toward her. “The Kurjans must know you’re with us. They also know we wouldn’t trade you.” He frowned. “What were Prophet Milner’s instructions?”

“He said to tell you I was going home and to call my guards to escort me.” Lily drummed her fingertips on the table. “Do you think they know I’ve been infected?”

“Yes,” Dage said. “The waiter would’ve watched to make sure you drank the tea.” Of course the Kurjans wanted Lily. They’d want to study her reaction as well as trace the progression of the virus—until they injected her with the catalyst.

“But”—Lily’s face drained what little color remained—“it’s a good plan. I mean, if I ordered the prophet guards to take me home, you wouldn’t stop me.”

The hell he wouldn’t. “Of course not,” Dage said smoothly. “Okay. Talen, you have ten minutes to devise a plan. You, Jase, Conn, Caleb, and I are the only ones going from here. Everyone else remains on high alert.”

Talen gave a short nod. “In case the trap is for us to leave.”

“Yes. Find Caleb and ask how fast his men can get to the Idaho compound. The Kurjans won’t be expecting them. Meet in the south armory in ten minutes.” Dage pivoted on his heel and stalked out of the room, jogging back down the hall to his private conference room to play the game.

Chalton looked up, a question in his gaze.

“Contact Franco.”

Without batting an eyelash, Chalton typed in a series of codes and waited for a moment before a dark figure slowly formed on the large screen. Amethyst eyes set in a stark white face glared across the distance. “What could you possibly want to discuss?”

Dage grinned. The prick was in Canada. “Hello Franco. Rumor has it you stepped up as ruler when my brother sliced Lorcan’s head off.” No reason to be cordial.

“Yes. My cousin will be sorely missed.” Franco flicked fiery red hair tipped with black ends over his shoulder.

“I’m sure. He kidnapped the wrong woman.” The moron had thought to mate with Cara, which had ensured his death by Talen’s hand.

Franco shrugged. “You stole my mate from the helicopter, Kayrs. I guess that means I kill you.” Blood swirled odd patterns in those bizarre eyes.

The urge to end the Kurjan ruler’s life spiked through Dage’s blood at the mention of Emma.

“I’ll look forward to meeting up with you, as well as Kalin, if he doesn’t kill you first. Apparently he’s nuts.”

Franco grinned sharp canines. “Yes. The boy is crazier than a rabid dog.” True fondness colored the words. “He has such impressive plans for your niece.”

Rage threatened Dage’s clarity for a moment, and only by sheer force of will did he school his features into boredom. “He’ll die first.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Our oracles don’t seem to think so.” Franco nodded to someone off camera.

Nice try. Dage’s equipment was the best—he wouldn’t be located. “So, I thought I’d give you a chance to return my prophets. I doubt you want fate fucking with you.”

Franco clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “You’ve gone and lost your prophets? Not good, King.” He shook his head, red hair flying. “Not good at all.” Sharp nails flashed when he spread his fingers wide. “I don’t have them.”

Dage frowned. “Really. Then why ask for Prophet Sotheby to exchange herself for them?”

Franco’s nostrils flared. “Prophet Sotheby?” A deep flush slid crimson under his pasty skin. “Can you imagine the prophet as a Kurjan mate?” He sucked in air, a pleasured humming emitting from his throat.

“No.” What a pervert.

“Oh. Well, let me assure you I do not have your prophets.” Franco moved closer to the camera, his gaze intent. “If I did, they’d already be dead.” He shrugged. “After I’d tortured all of the information they possessed out of them, of course.”

“Last chance.” Dage would blow the Kurjan nation apart.

Franco smiled. “I’ve work to do, Kayrs. Bye.” The screen went black.

“I can’t wait to remove his head,” Dage muttered to Chalton. But first he had to reclaim the prophets.

He stalked out of the room and down a flight of stairs to the armory where he donned a bulletproof vest. Several knives quickly disappeared into various pockets. He lifted his head as Emma rushed into the room.

“You are not going.” She smacked her fists onto her hips, her voice shaking. Her anger increased the scent of spiced peaches always surrounding his mate.

He’d forgotten about his own shields. “I’ll be fine.” Grabbing a green gun off the table, he tucked it into his waist, his gaze remaining on her. She was entirely too pale.

“You think it’s a trap.” Fear filled her voice.

He knew it was a trap. “Probably not, love.”

“I’m in your fucking head,” she screamed, her pupils dilating to swallow the iris. “You know it’s a trap.”

Damn it. If he raised mental shields now he’d hurt her. Not physically, but even worse.

“Try it.” She lifted her head, her entire body vibrating with fury.

True appreciation swept through him. Damn but his mate was magnificent. “I promise I’ll return in one piece, Emma.” Her love shimmered with anger toward him, and he fought a primitive need to be inside her.

“You’re the king. You shouldn’t fight.”

She would try to use a human’s logic in her argument.

Dage focused on her thoughts. Fear of losing him. Hearing her say she loved him the other night had warmed his heart, feeling it from inside her body blessed his soul. “I am the king. Thus I must fight.” He took three steps forward to run a gentle finger down her smooth skin. “We’re leaving most of our troops here to protect you. The Kurjans won’t see Caleb’s force coming at them in Idaho, so even though it’s a trap, we’ll spring the prophets.” Her concern warmed him, but she needed to learn the risk of being Realm royalty. “I lead our troops, love. If they’re in danger, I’m in danger.” He dropped a fast kiss to her sweet mouth, raising his head to meet her gaze. “I promise, I’m damn good at my job.”

She rolled her eyes. “I do understand the weight of responsibility and how the walls can close in on a person. You need to show leadership, but how much of you putting yourself on the front lines is really an effort to escape?”

He started, his gaze focusing on the stubborn set of her chin. Escape? She thought he put his ass on the line to escape the office? “You think I’m evading duty?”

Her pretty blue eyes sparked. “Hell no. But I do think that in battle, when there’s one single goal, you can focus that energy, focus that soldier’s need for a moment, without having to take into account the entire world.” A slow sardonic smile slid across her face. “There really isn’t anyone else who could do the job as king, now is there?”

“No,” he breathed, his mind spinning. The woman was perceptive, that was for damn sure. Intrigue swept through him along with desire. Raw and pure.

She sighed. “You’re a great king. The fact that you’d rather be doing something else makes you even more impressive.” Reaching up, she ran one slender finger down the side of his face, making him want to shut his eyes and just feel. But he didn’t. He kept his gaze on his mate as she continued. “I’m just saying there may be a better way to escape strategy and diplomacy than letting the enemy shoot at you.”

His gaze dropped to her pink lips. “Is that so? Any ideas, love?” Damn but he planned to keep her. For eternity.

Her tongue darted out and wet her lips, forcing a low growl in his throat. He raised his head, fully expecting to see a pretty blush covering her face. Instead, the color drained away, leaving her skin a fragile eggshell. “Emma?”

“I, uh, don’t feel so well.” She paled even further and her chest hitched when her breath caught. She swayed and dropped toward the floor.

He caught her, standing for a moment staring at his unconscious mate. She was out cold, a vulnerable vein pulsing in her fragile neck. How could she be so strong and so delicate at the same time? Anger and fear mixed together until his hands shook. Guns hit the floor when he swept the table clear to set her down. A quick shake had her groaning into the silence.

“Ouch.” She lifted a shaking hand to her temple.

Dage inhaled through his nose, closed his eyes, and yanked the pain out of her head. The agony swirled in his skull for a moment before he tossed it away. “Better?”

She sat up. “Um, yeah.” A sudden cough racked her body. “I saw Prophet Milner in that place Talen showed you earlier.”

Dage raised an eyebrow. “You sat through my briefing?” She could already see out of his eyes? Pride filled the king.

She grinned. “Yep.”

He schooled his face into a frown. “Hmm. We’ll discuss boundaries later. What else did you see?”

She glanced up, apparently remembering. “They’re preparing for you to come. Guns, rockets, knives. So many weapons.”

He already knew it was a trap. “And?”

Her pretty blue eyes focused back on his face, her gaze running over his skin. “The plan is to follow you back here to find us. You should check the prophets for bugs.”

Dage nodded, his palms itching to touch every inch of her. “Already in the plans, love.” Relief swept him that the trap was away from his mate. The Kurjans should know better than to lay a trap for him. His men would reverse it in a heartbeat, snapping the teeth of death around their enemy. He leaned down and captured Emma’s mouth in a kiss. Then he helped her off the table. “Go kick the crap out of that virus. I’ll be home tonight.”

She faltered, then placed her hand against his arm. “I love you.”

Heat filled his heart and for a moment he couldn’t speak. “I love you, too.” Pure, raw need for her ripped through him

Talen stomped inside, and with a small smile, Emma left.

Dage tossed a vest toward his brother. “Emma had a vision. The trap awaits us in Idaho and for now, our mates are safe here.”

“Good. With Caleb’s forces meeting us, the trap will be on the Kurjans,” Talen said, shrugging into a vest.

Dage nodded and took a good look at his brother’s bleeding mouth. “What the hell?”

Talen secured the sides of the vest. “I had to throw Kane into a wall.”

“I take it he bounced back?”

Guns slammed into pockets as Talen nodded. “He hit me first actually. Wanted to go on the raid.”

“Don’t blame him. But I need him to deal with the virus.” Kane was a fine fighter. Cold, precise, and deadly. Right now they needed the scientist. Plus, Dage felt better having one of his brothers nearby protecting his mate.

“Yeah. I had to say please to get him to back off.”

Dage fought a smile. “Bet that hurt.”

“Yep.” Talen twirled a double edged knife in his hand before plunging the weapon into his cargo pants pocket. A trio of guns soon followed into various holders. “Ah, Cara’s getting worse. Weaker.”

Dage lifted his head. “That’s not good.”

“No.” Fierce determination etched across Talen’s face. His mask as a soldier. “Let’s go kill us some Kurjans.”

Now that was a plan.