Consumed

Chapter 24

Katie stared in shock at the queen, forcing her sharp canines to stay up. “That’s impossible.”

Worry filled Emma’s eyes along with an apology. “I can’t explain it.” She tapped her clipboard on her hand, leaning against the orange counter in the small third-level lab. Various machines buzzed near two microscopes behind her. “Your chromosomal pairs have already reached a normal twenty-eight for a shifter. So quickly, too.” A frown marred the queen’s pale skin. “But there’s no change whatsoever in Jordan’s blood.”

The lion lounged against the door frame, no expression on his battered face, a bandage wrapped around his wounded hand. “I don’t feel any different.”

Katie jumped off the examination table, crinkling the protective paper. “This doesn’t make any sense.” She yanked the neck of her shirt away to reveal the marking. Her tennis shoes slapped the tile, and she shoved the scent of bleach and cleanser away. “We mated.”

“Yes. Apparently that mating worked for you.” Emma frowned. “But not for Jordan. The virus impacts males differently than females, which we all knew.”

Anger and fear spiraled up from Katie’s stomach, almost choking her. The virus screwed everything up, even matings. “What are we going to do?” she whispered.

Jordan scrubbed both hands down his face. “I’ve set up a room where I can lock myself in—it’s the best chance I have.” He dropped his arms, eyes glowing an odd topaz. “Dage insisted the room be on the top floor—if my head begins to implode, I can hustle outside to the moon.”

His tone guaranteed he wouldn’t follow suit.

“Turning into a werewolf might be your only chance, Jordan.” Katie straightened her shoulders.

He shook his head. “No. There’s no way I’ll let myself become a beast determined to destroy.” His gaze cut hard. “I’ll destroy everything I once loved, Kate. That means you and our entire pride. You know how werewolves think.”

Unfortunately, she did know. They’d lived in her head for a decade. “I’ll stay with you.”

“No.” With a nod at Emma, he grabbed Katie’s arm and tugged her from the room. “You just became the leader of the feline nation. That calling comes before me.”

She halted, jerking him to a stop. “You’re okay with my leading?” Determination had her already planning to lead the nation should Jordan not make it through the full moon. But she hadn’t thought he’d agree.

“Yes.” Pride settled on his angled face. “You’re smart and you’re strong.”

“I’ll be challenged.”

“I taught you to fight.” His hands rubbed down her arms. “For so long I’ve worried about you—wanting to keep you safe. You can keep both you and my baby safe. Besides, there’s something ... different about you. I can sense it.”

Yeah. The werewolf virus and Jordan’s mark had set something to motion within her. Battle forces clashed in her brain, even now. She may be a bit on the crazy side, but she’d lead well. Warmth settled around her heart. “You trust me.” He no longer saw the little cub or the sickly woman. He actually saw her.

“I do.” His gaze gentled. “Though, I’m not really happy about Lance getting past all of us.”

Sadness wandered through Katie. The tiger had been a friend. One she trusted. “I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

Jordan cupped her cheek with his good hand. “I know. Make sure you don’t isolate yourself from people who care about you—don’t make my mistakes. Never be alone, sweetheart.”

“I won’t.” She pressed into his palm, seeking reassurance.

Jordan dropped a kiss on her nose and then released her. “I need to talk to Dage for a few minutes—why don’t you check on Janie and meet me in our quarters?”

“Okay.” Leaning up to brush a kiss along his lips, her mind scrambled for a way to save him. There had to be something she could do—if nothing else, she’d throw the damn man to the moon to keep him alive.

Her mind continued to make plans as she meandered down to the infirmary. Janie sat in the bed, munching on a taco. Garrett flanked her side, his gaze on his big sister.

Katie forced a smile. “Aren’t you supposed to eat Jell-O while in a hospital bed?”

Janie grinned. “Garrett snuck me one of Max’s tacos—they’re the best.”

Garrett nodded, lumbering to stand. “I’ll go find a soda for you while Mom and Dad are in the main lab with Aunt Emma.” His metallic gray gaze landed on Katie. “You’ll stay with her until I get back.”

He’d almost phrased the sentence as a request. Katie lifted an eyebrow.

The boy shuffled his feet, a blush winding over his high cheekbones. “Please, Aunt Katie?”

There was the kid she adored. She was so not ready for him to turn into a Kayrs male. “Of course, sweetie pie.”

Rolling his eyes at the endearment, he loped from the room.

Katie dragged a chair next to the bed. Her injuries had almost healed, even the slashes that had needed stitches. But her limbs felt heavy. “How are you?”

“Good.” The terrible bruise along Janie’s face had faded to a light purple. Chalk one up for vampire blood. “I saw Zane in my dream.”

Great. Just freakin’ great. Katie sighed.

Janie finished her taco, licking sauce off her fingers. “He gave me blood so I’d live.” A satisfied smile lifted her lips. “In fact, he got in a big fight with that Kurjan soldier, Kalin. Though the dream world almost collapsed.” A frown made her wince.

Katie shook her head. “Garrett gave you blood, sweetie. Garrett’s blood saved you.”

“Okay.” Janie smiled, clearly unwilling to debate the issue. “Garrett’s being so nice. I wonder how long it will last.”

“Probably a couple of days.” Katie smoothed the bedcovers. She glanced at the wall clock. Night would fall shortly. The bite mark in her neck started to pound as if trying to tell her something.

Janie eyed the clock. She cleared her throat, adjusting the pillows behind her back. Sadness filled her incredible blue eyes. “I heard Aunt Emma tell Mom Jordan hasn’t changed from marking you.”

“Yeah. But I think there’s still time.” If she kept saying the words, they’d come true.

“Me, too.” Janie plucked at a thread from her blanket. “I’m sorry I didn’t see any of this happening. The visions can’t be forced.”

“I know.” Katie tilted her head. “You can’t feel guilty about that, sweetie.”

The girl blinked. “Maybe if I tried harder to understand the visions, and to control them, I’d be better at it. What if all of this is my fault?”

Katie slid her hand over Janie’s. “None of this is your fault.” Her mind reeled with a way to reassure her friend. “Dage gets visions, right?”

“Sure. He’s the king.”

“Can he control his visions?” Katie smoothed her other hand over the blanket.

Janie wrinkled her nose. “No. But ... I’m the prophesied girl.” A small grin lifted her lips. “Good guys, bad guys, even middle-of-the-road guys ... they all saw me coming.” She kept her voice light, but her shoulders drooped.

Katie sat back. She’d had no idea the burden the girl carried every day. “None of them matter. You matter.” She tightened her hold. “The world is not on your shoulders.”

“Yeah, it is.” Wisdom way beyond her years filtered along the girl’s battered face. “I see the choices. And I see the results. What I don’t see ... are which choices lead to which results.” Tears shone in her eyes. “What if I make the wrong choice?”

“Be more specific.” Katie frowned. She needed to warn Cara about this.

“Can’t.”

Okay. Katie could help. “Listen, Janie. Choices are hard. We take chances, and we take risks. Go with your gut ... with what you’ve learned from your family and friends.” She had to get going but couldn’t leave Janie without some wisdom. “My mating Jordan was a huge risk, and I followed my heart. Now I can shift again.” The joy had turned bittersweet. Shifting without Jordan around held very little appeal. Though the mating would save Jordan, too. It had to.

“Hmm.” Janie pursed her lips. “You made the right choice.”

“Yes. And you’ll make the right choices as they come along ... you need faith.”

Janie nodded. “Okay, I understand.” Her smile curved. “So your teeth came back in.”

“Yeah.” Katie allowed the sharp points to descend. “Unlike your brother, I can control mine.”

“I heard that.” Garrett tripped into the room holding a soda. “I raided Uncle Dage’s grape energy-drink fridge.”

Janie widened her eyes. “I’m not taking the fall for that.”

“I think you’re safe.” Katie stood and leaned over to brush a kiss on the girl’s head. “I’ll be back.”

“Katie? Good luck.” Janie’s face held an adult look much too old for her age.

Luck? Yeah, that’d be good. They were certainly due some decent luck. With a nod, Katie hurried from the room. She wanted to scream ... to cry. Instead, she lifted her head like the leader she was about to become, and went in search of her mate.

Shoving open the door to his quarters, she stopped short.

Candles. Thousands of candles covered every surface, their flickering lights casting an ethereal glow over the stark room. Soft music played from a stereo in the counter.

Her breath in her throat, her mind whirling, she stepped into one of her favorite fantasies. The man she’d cast as the hero in every wish stepped out of the bedroom, bruised, battered, and sexier than any man had a right to be. Shirtless, wearing faded jeans and nothing else, even his bare feet were masculine.

She slowly took a step toward him. “You’re better than any dream I’ve ever had.”

His smile was slow. Sexy. Devastating. “You are every dream I’ve ever had.” He crooked a finger. “Come here.”

Her knees trembled. For the briefest of moments, the world narrowed to the two of them. The coming battle, the deadly moon, even the war ... all disappeared. She moved as if in a trance, reaching him, his scent of cinnamon and oak washing over her. His chest was wide, defined, and incredibly masculine. Those muscles tapered to a narrow waist that led to heaven. “I love you.”

His uninjured hand swept hair away from her face and then cupped her jaw. Smooth, warm, his lips wandered over hers as if they had all the time in the world. Leaving her breathless, he leaned back. “I love you.”

She looked in wonder at all the candles. “How did you do this?”

He shrugged. “Let’s just say the Kayrs women are romantics.” His thumb glided along her cheekbone. “I want to make love to you. Just in case.”

The words spiraled sorrow through her heart. She shoved sadness out, concentrating on the amazing male before her. “You up to it?”

His grin flashed. “I’ll do my best.”

She pressed both palms against his chest, sliding down over hard ridges. “I’ve wanted to touch you for so many years.” The idea that this was temporary made the moment hurt. “To be honest, I never really thought this would happen.” Dreams didn’t really come true. Not in their world.

Her shoulders shook slightly. This was real.

“From the day you turned twenty-one, I hoped this would happen.” He skimmed his fingers through her hair, cupping her scalp and lowering his mouth. “I tried not to want. But God, I did.” Gently, so gently, he kissed her, so much emotion packed into the touch tears pricked the backs of her eyes.

Flattening her palms, she leaned into him, letting him lead and take. Yet what he gave slid right in and locked around her heart.

Steady and languid, fire slid through her veins. Deeper than imaginable, stronger than possible, desire bloomed in every nerve. He was hers. No matter what happened, he ... was ... hers.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth, taking his time. Sliding her hands up over so much muscle and strength, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight, pressing against him.

He caressed down her side, stroking her ribs, reaching the hem of her T-shirt. Tugging the cotton up, he broke the kiss to slide the shirt over her head. The material fluttered to the floor. All five fingers on his healthy hand spread over her shoulder and collarbone. So hot. His gaze wandered to her plain cotton bra.

Those primal eyes flared.

She sucked in air. Weakness flushed through her, followed by feminine strength. Next to him, beneath his gaze, she felt all female. Strong and beautiful. Whole.

Levering on her toes, lifting her chin, she nipped his jaw ... and felt his smile. She levered back to see happiness in his eyes. Pleasure in the curve of his mouth.

He leaned down, nuzzling the tops of her breasts over the cotton. She gasped. Need turned to demand. Yanking the band from his hair, she plunged both hands in, tangling in the thick strands. “I love your hair.” From day one, the myriad of colors had intrigued her.

The bra slid open with a flick of his fingers. “I love ... these.” With a chuckle, he lowered his head, taking one nipple in his mouth. His good hand caressed down her hip, following the angle of her body.

She gave a strangled sigh at the scalding heat. Her knees buckled.

Jordan caught her, standing and swinging her into his arms as smooth as any dance. His mouth found hers as he strode toward the bedroom, passing through to gently place her on the bed. He tugged off her boots and socks before unsnapping her jeans. They disappeared along with her thong. His jeans followed suit.

More candles lined the sparse furniture, their soft light flickering over the hard planes of his face.

The idea that he’d spent so much time on romance sent butterflies winging through her abdomen, and pain through her heart. There had to be a way they could stay together. Her eyes filled.

“No.” He gently shook his head, sliding a hand across her ribs. Her muscles shifted, and her skin puckered. “No sadness. Only us.”

He placed a soft kiss on her mound, his mouth traveling up her torso to wander around one breast. Playing, exploring, he kissed his way to her collarbone, nipping in several places. So many nerves lived under her skin—she’d had no idea. Her heart filled. She arched against him.

Chuckling, he slid up her jugular to her earlobe, where he bit.

The erotic pain had her eyelids fluttering shut. Then she moaned when he traced the shell of her ear, so lightly, as if memorizing every angle and hollow of her body. Gentle kisses landed on her closed lids, her nose, and her chin.

She opened her eyes to see absolute love, real and lasting, in his eyes. “I love you, Jordan.”

Jordan absorbed the words he’d needed to hear, wishing against fate they had more than this one moment. Not even an entire night, just a series of minutes, maybe an hour, to show her how very much she meant to him. Several lifetimes wouldn’t be long enough.

The idea that he could’ve spent the last ten years with her nearly broke his determination to go slow. For once, he’d show her slow. He’d show her love.

How could he have missed how perfect they were together? For so long, he’d kept himself apart from his people, even from his friends. But not Katie. From day one, she’d seen the man inside, and not the leader. She’d wormed her way right into his heart, into his life. Then when she’d become a woman, she’d become an insightful and caring cat.

She’d become the perfect mate for him. Kind, smart, and stronger than imaginable. She knew him. And for some inexplicable reason, she loved him anyway.

The claiming had been brutal. He wouldn’t change a second of it, but she deserved more. More than he could give her. But for now, he’d leave her with a memory of being loved, of being everything. Because she was.

He slid up her jaw, marveling at the softness of the skin covering such fine muscle. A delicate warrior, to be sure. Finally, he found her mouth. His woman liked to kiss. Taking her mouth, he plunged deep, exploring her secrets. He had to learn as much as possible before moving on.

A low whimper escaped her.

Light caresses along her inner thigh had his little warrior trembling. Flattening his palm over her leg, he slid up and over her hip bone and back down her side. So much strength in such a delicate package.

Who would protect her?

Sure, she was tough and would make an excellent leader. But she was his woman, his mate. The most important calling he’d ever have would be to protect her and their offspring.

Her tongue swept inside his mouth, slowly learning him. Stealing his control.

The complete perfection of the moment ... hurt.

His fingers clenched into her butt. Slowly, he slid inside her. God, she was tight. Her body fought him, even as her legs wrapped around him. Taking several seconds, taking his time, he finally shoved all the way home. He released her mouth to lean back and exhale.

Then he stilled. She enclosed him in so much heat, a roaring filled his head. “You’re perfect.” And she was. Better than even fate could’ve created. She was something more.

She smiled. All woman, all mystery, so much love in her tawny eyes she took his breath away. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she arched against him.

His low groan drowned out her soft moan. In unison, they began to move. He slid out, and then back in, trying so hard to go slow. To torture them both. To leave her with memories to keep her warm on the cold nights ahead.

He grabbed her hand, pressing it beneath his, feeling a surge of satisfaction when she curled her fingers through his.

Increasing the speed of his thrusts, he watched in fascination as a dark blush stole from her breasts to her classic face. She sobbed his name.

“Open your eyes,” he whispered, waiting until she complied, then, “keep them open.” More than anything in the world, he wanted to watch her go over. See those amazing eyes glaze over with passion. For him.

Pounding faster, he angled just right.

Her cry shattered the peace, waves rippling through her body to clutch him. With a hoarse shout, he followed her into pure bliss.

Coming down, he smoothed a kiss over her gasping mouth. “I love you, Katie. Forever.”