“I needed to be able to yank him into the dreamworlds whether he liked it or not, and taking his blood gave me that power.” Why didn’t everybody understand she had a job to do? A fate to fulfill?
“You’re fucking kidding me.” Garrett launched himself from the table to tower over her, even though she was sitting on the tall bar. “You bit him. You took a Kurjan’s blood. You’re crazy.”
“Stop swearing.” God, if he told their father, Talen would have a heart attack. “I took Zane’s, too.”
Garrett stepped back, his face paling. “Tell me he didn’t take yours.”
Janie bit her lip.
“God damn it all to fucking hell.” Garrett scraped both hands down his face. “I should’ve killed him. Shit. I should’ve killed them both.”
Janie frowned. “Huh?”
“Zane rescued me from Kalin and the demons trying to take me.” Garrett’s shoulders settled.
Warmth flushed through Janie so quickly she swayed. Zane had put himself in danger to save her little brother? She hadn’t heard the full story yet. “Did Zane say anything about me?”
Garrett growled. “Yeah. He said to keep you the fuck out of the war.”
That sounded like Zane. “What did he smell like?”
Incredulousness flashed across Garrett’s face. “Like a guy who’d climbed in from the ocean. What else?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Any idea what he is besides vampire?”
“My guess is some sort of shifter. A graceful, dangerous type.” Garrett turned for the doorway.
“You can’t tell about the blood,” Janie said softly.
“I have to.” Garrett kept his broad back to her. When had he gotten so big?
“Why?” she whispered. “Knowing will only keep Dad up at night, and there’s nothing he can do about it.”
Garrett glanced over his shoulder, suddenly looking years older. “Fine. But you tell me every time you meet with either one of them, and what happens.”
She nodded, jumping down from the bar. “It’s a deal.”
Chapter 25
Brenna waved at her sister as she hustled into the main room of the lodge. “Garrett!” She scrambled around the sofa to grab the kid and hug him. “Thank God.”
He returned the hug with one hand, awkwardly patting her back. His other hand held a sandwich. “I’m fine, Aunt Brenna.”
“Good.” For the first time in days, she could finally breathe. She leaned back to study him. He’d been home for almost twenty-four hours and had been checked out head to toe by the doctors. His eyes were clear, and his body relaxed. He really was fine. She hugged him again.
He laughed.
Then she released him and wiped away a quick tear. Cara stood to her right, so she grabbed her in a hug.
Cara hugged back. “He’s really okay.”
“I know.” Brenna studied her friend. “Though you look fried.”
“It’s been a tough one.” Cara smiled over at her mate. “Talen can finally relax.”
Brenna grinned and spotted Jase over in the corner. A purple bruise lined his jaw, and dark circles cut under his eyes. She maneuvered around family to reach him. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” He ran a hand down her arm, a small smile playing on his face as he watched Garrett. “Twenty-four hours of hypnotism with Kane is like getting hit with bricks for three days.”
“You let Kane hypnotize you for that length of time?”
“Yeah. That was the only way to reach the trigger implanted by the demons—they thought I’d kill family on command.” Jase lost the smile.
“You wouldn’t.” She slipped her fingers through his, even though she knew she shouldn’t. “Did Kane find the trigger?”
“We think so. It’s a simple matter of deprograming, and since he understood the Latin commands, he thinks he got them. Of course, he wants to double-check several times over the next week.” Jase shrugged and glanced down. “I’ve missed you. How are things?”
“Good.” She cleared her throat. “I, ah, actually need to talk to you.”
“Okay.” Giving a nod to his brother, Jase led her outside and into the darkening night. They walked along the ocean cliffs toward his house.
Deep shadows played across the sea, and Brenna took a moment to appreciate the tones. She hadn’t painted in much too long. “I’m going home tomorrow morning.”
He stopped. “No, you aren’t.”
“Yes.” She lifted her head and wandered her fingertips along his bruise.
He closed his eyes and held still, as if the gentle touch could somehow heal him. “We already discussed this.”
“No. I tried to discuss, and you just ordered.”
“I need you to stay.” He opened his eyes and slid his hand under her chin. Lowering his head, he brushed her mouth with his.
His lips were firm and so warm. Her heart breaking, she opened her mouth. He swept in, gentle and demanding. Need spiraled inside her, encompassing every nerve ending. She sighed deep in her throat.
He released her to place soft kisses along her jaw to nip her ear lobe. “We can work this out, Bren.”
“I need to be with the Coven Nine during the solstice tomorrow night.” She tilted her head back to allow for better access.
“You don’t need to harness the power because you’re going to block it,” he murmured, tracing the shell of her ear.
Desire slammed through her to pound in her sex. As a witch, she could block any power from entering her body by creating imaginary but absolute shields. Shielding was the easy part. Allowing fire inside and then controlling it? That was the hard part. “I want to harness the power.” Who wouldn’t?
He leaned back. “That’s too dangerous and you know it.”
She shrugged. “I want to take the risk.”
He slid his hands down to grip her ass and tug her against him. His cock pulsed through his jeans, and her thighs softened. “Then Moira, Conn, and I will help you to harness it.”
The fact that he hadn’t just ordered her to shield herself warmed her heart. “You think I should give it a try?”
“I would. We can try training later. But it’ll be difficult to duplicate the kind of power that’s likely to come from the comet.” He grinned, and the charming Jase she used to know finally showed up.
She returned the smile. “I used to have such a crush on you.”
He licked his lips. “Really, now?”
“Yes.” Her cheeks heated.
“What did you fantasize about?” Teasing, the man was downright dangerous.
She laughed. “You name it.”
“I will.” He swept her up and strode along the cliffs toward his home. “Have you noticed we haven’t properly christened the bed?”
She snuggled closer into his chest, her hand over his heart. Was it possible their mating could actually work out? “I have noticed that. But, well, we’ve slept in the bed.”
“Ah, baby. Our bed won’t be properly christened until you scream my name in it at least three times.” He leaned down and captured her mouth, his tongue sweeping inside.
She broke away. “Three times? Not sure you have that in you, vampire.”
He laughed, the sound freer than it had sounded since they’d mated. “That sounds like a challenge.”
