Hunted

Chapter 14

A bulletproof black Hummer met Moira and Conn at the private airport. Ignoring Moira’s wild hair and the scent of sex clinging to them, the driver stared straight ahead as he quickly squired them away.

She cleared her throat, tugging on the borrowed shirt Cara had left in the plane. Considering the number of outfits to choose from, Moira wondered just how often a Kayrs mate ended up with shredded jeans. A lingering sadness remained at the loss of her Irish clothing. She liked the hand-sewn perfection of the Irish silks.

Her emotions rioted worse than her hair. Something whispered in the back of her heart that she’d given everything to the vampire on the plane, and of her own volition.

He’d been quiet and thoughtful on the drive, increasing her anxiety. Connlan Kayrs being quiet foretold disaster.

The SUV stopped at a guarded gate of a private community, allowed to pass after the driver flashed a badge. Three streets of luxurious houses lined the way with the ocean at the far end, a lighter colored sea than the one in Ireland.

Conn settled back into the plush leather seat, his gaze on the tumultuous ocean. “We own all the homes in the community and the surrounding land. We have motion, heat, cold, and energy sensors around the perimeter. Our house is in the middle next to Dage’s with a gorgeous view of the sea.”

“Ah, that’s nice.” Was this the 1950s? Did the man expect her to plan a Tupperware party or host Bunco? “A subdivision?”

He lifted an eyebrow, a grin threatening on his full lips. “Yes. Now that some of us are taking mates, we need homes. Talen and I’ve been working on this plan for decades.”

“I’m assuming there’s an underground headquarters, if necessary?” Genius planning. The rocky cliffs provided ample protection in case of attack. Also, the vampires had shielded themselves from discovery. The Nine’s intel hadn’t revealed the location.

“Of course. Each home has direct access to headquarters.” The driver maneuvered through two more gates sporting armed guards and stopped the SUV before a cultured stone and brick main lodge. “We have offices, meeting rooms, a gym, and a private lab here.” Conn jumped out, extending a hand.

She accepted the help, sliding from the vehicle. The nearby ocean sent salt and brine to fill the air—heavier and somehow sweeter than the scent of her ocean at home. Nothing could’ve prevented the sigh that escaped her.

Conn shut the door and the driver drove off. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She needed time to think before they discussed their future. But the vampire wasn’t her only immediate concern. She bit her lip. “Anyone with half a brain knew the second the hundred years expired, you’d be trying to take me from Ireland.” Whether he truly wanted her or not, a Kayrs protected his mate. And she was beginning to hope that Conn did want her—a fact that delighted and scared the crap out of her.

“Yes.” His arm dropped around her shoulders, providing warmth and a new sense of security.

A sense far too tempting to sink right into with relief.

Even her mother had allowed her to leave the homeland with him. “Yet the council ordered me to your country ... with you ... and Daire let you take me from New York.”

Conn tugged her toward the solid oak door. “Yeah. I caught that, too.” His smile screamed sin. “I don’t suppose they thought to make it easy on me as a reward for following the treaty all these years?”

Her own smile felt raw. “The last thing the Nine wants to do is make it easy on you, Connlan.”

“I know. Well, I assume the reasoning was twofold. First, this is a clear sign the Nine isn’t going to withdraw from the Realm.”

She barely kept from shaking her head. Not true. This move might be the first strike in withdrawing from the Realm. “Are you sure?” The man should know by now she’d been raised in a political family and could see past the obvious.

“No. But I thought you might think so.”

Her hand on his arm stopped him from opening the door. He pivoted, giving her his full attention.

She lifted her gaze. “I’m not the naïve girl you mated, Conn.”

“I know.” One gentle knuckle ran down the side of her face. “I’ve seen you fight, sweetheart.”

Warmth filled her at the pride in his masculine voice. “You said the Nine’s reasoning might be twofold. What’s the second fold?”

“You’re the Seventh, Moira. They must want you protected.”

The door swung open and a little girl hurled herself at Conn. “Uncle Conn!”

He caught the rushing bundle, swinging the child around to smack loud kisses on her cheek. “I wondered if you’d be the welcoming committee, sweetheart.”

The five-year-old levered back, mahogany curls bobbing, and put both tiny hands against his cheeks. “I wanted to see you first before you got all mad.” Sparkling blue eyes turned their focus to Moira. “Hi, Aunt Mowra.”

What a stunning child. “Hi, Janie. It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person.” She’d been e-mailing and videoconferencing with her young niece for the last eight months. “Why is Conn going to get mad?” The little psychic owned the future.

The five-year-old smiled, showing a gap in her front teeth. “Not ’cause of you, Auntie. This time, anyways.”

The door opened all the way and six and a half feet of hard muscled male stepped into the sun. “Welcome home, Moira.” The king extended a dozen yellow and white calla lilies. Their sweet scent hung in the air. He’d tied his thick black hair at the nape, throwing the hard angles of his face into focus.

Pleasure warmed Moira even as a tickle of unease wound through her from the word home. She accepted the fragrant flowers, burying her nose before lifting up and forcing a smile. “Thanks, Dage.”

Conn tucked Janie against his side. “Why am I about to be angry?”

Dage lifted an eyebrow at his niece. “Someone been predicting the future?”

Janie giggled. “Things gotta happen the way they gotta happen.”

“Profound words, little one.” Dage gestured them inside a spacious gathering room fronted by floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the churning gray Pacific Ocean. Couches and chairs sprawled in organized chaos around two pool tables and a massive brick fireplace, reminding Moira of Kell’s dining room. No table for eating, but a lot of area for playing.

“Everyone is off working right now, but we’ll have a family get-together later tonight.” Dage tugged Janie away from Conn, tossing her in the air before landing her next to Moira. “Show Moira the game room, Janie. Emma should be along to take Moira to the lab soon.” His eyes shot warm blue through the intense silver. “I, ah, should apologize now. My mate is rather, er, single-minded in her battle against Virus-27.”

Conn couldn’t help the chuckle rising in his throat. “That is the understatement of your reign, King.” He dropped a kiss on Moira’s smooth forehead. “Good luck, sweetheart. You’ll be donating some blood for the cause.” He rubbed his chin. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken any on the plane. Not that he regretted a second of their trip.

Moira frowned.

Janie took her hand with a happy hop. “You’re gonna love the new checker set Uncle Conn bought me. When he loses, he has to play tea party and wear an apron. He looks so good in the pink one.”

Moira laughed low and husky as Janie continued. “We have a whole room to play games, and there’s a television in there to watch movies. Oh, and you gotta see the new classroom my teacher Sarah set up. Sarah came home with Max ...” Her voice continued down the hall until they took a left turn.

Conn pivoted toward his brother. “Well?”

Dage smiled. “Let’s go down to the gym. You haven’t seen it yet.”

“I designed it.” Conn fought irritation and the need to punch his brother in the jaw. “Am I going to hit you?”

Dage shrugged, loping toward the stairwell and jogging down steps. “If you do, I’ll hit you back.”

Wouldn’t be the first time the two of them got into it. Last time Conn had had to break his own nose three times to fix it right. He followed Dage, fighting unease. He didn’t like being separated from his mate. A laughable fact considering they spent the first hundred years of their union on different continents.

Now she was right where he wanted her. A tickle at the back of his neck warned things weren’t so easy.

He followed his brother through a doorway leading to a room packed wall-to-wall with tumbling mats, adjacent to the gym. One of many in the community he’d designed. His ire rose at finding Jase and Talen waiting, sprawled on the floor with their backs against the wall.

Talen grinned. “Welcome home.” The second oldest and the strategic leader of the Realm, he nevertheless kept in close proximity to his pregnant mate, Cara. The fact that he was downstairs, away from Cara and their daughter Janie, didn’t bode well.

“What the hell’s going on?” Conn leaned a hand down and yanked Jase to his feet. “What happened to the training schedule?” He’d left Jase in charge of training their men while he’d gone after Moira.

“Nothing. The training is going well.” Jase’s lips tipped in a smart-ass grin, his maroon eyes remaining serious. An arctic breeze whipped through the room. The youngest of the brothers, Jase harnessed control of the elements in a manner none of them could explain. He scratched his chin. “Kane is in the middle of an experiment right now or he’d be down here to welcome his wayward brother home as well.”

Dage cleared his throat. “I’m getting married next month and all my brothers are standing up for me.”

Conn raised an eyebrow toward Talen. “Isn’t he supposed to ask us?”

Talen stood. “Sometimes he thinks he’s the leader.”

Dage settled his stance. “I wanted to get the brother stuff out of the way first, before I had to speak as the king. And I am the leader.”

This was going to be bad. Conn settled his own stance. “You ready to do the king stuff now?”

“Yes.” Dage’s silver eyes narrowed. “The war with the demons has heated up. We need to take the front line.”

Conn’s shoulders relaxed. He’d been expecting the order. While he didn’t want to head to the trenches so soon after getting Moira home, he understood the need for him to go. More unease crawled up his back. He hadn’t had time to properly train for mind-war with the demons. “I understand. When do I go?”

“You don’t.” Dage’s words hung in the air. “I’m sending Jase.”