Calm, serious, always thinking, Kane didn’t flinch. The man had taken a full grown grizzly down once while seriously wounded, but even then reason had directed his moves. “It’s time for science, not warfare, brother.”
“Ah yes, science. Your god, right Kane?”
Silver sparks shot through Kane’s violet eyes and his jaw snapped shut. “My god? They’re using science—my life, our future—to harm my family. You’re fucking crazy if you think I’ll allow this to continue.”
Dage sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“No. Get it out so you can think.” Kane rubbed a hand along a clean shaven jaw. Square and hard, just like their father’s had been. Though his clear, intellectual mind came from their brilliant mother.
“You’re the thinker.” Dage dropped into a chair, his body weary, his soul pissed.
Kane gave a slight tip of his lip in what amounted to a full grin for him. “No. You’re the thinker, Talen’s the planner, Conn’s the soldier, and I’m the scientist.”
“And Jase?” Dage lifted an eyebrow. “What about our youngest brother?”
Kane gave a half nod. “Well, that’s the question, now isn’t it? Jase has more power in his little finger than the rest of us put together. Maybe the time has come to use him.” Kane cleared his throat, his gaze firm. “Maybe it’s time to forgive yourself and stop protecting him.”
Dage shot to his feet. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Kane sighed. “We’re at war. We need Jase to fight.”
Son of a bitch. Kane spent a little time overseas and became a damn psychologist? “Jase will fight. I took him on the raid to rescue Katie and Maggie from the Kurjan facility a couple weeks ago.” The two shifters had been kidnapped by the Kurjans as experimental subjects for the Kurjan virus. While he was too late to protect Maggie, Dage had arrived in time to prevent Katie from being infected at that time.
The room echoed with Kane’s low chuckle. “Don’t tell me. You positioned Jase behind Conn, the greatest soldier we’ve ever had? Wow. Dangerous, King.”
“I turned Jase into a killer while he was still a child.” The weight of that failure, his first as king, still ripped holes in any soul he may own. Memories of seeing his youngest brother bloodied and bruised, charging forward to kill the enemy often plagued the king’s dreams. Nightmares based in a reality he’d created.
Kane shook his head. “Jase was fifteen. The Kurjans had slaughtered our parents and we were at war.” A broad hand clasped Dage’s shoulder when Kane moved forward. “Letting Jase fight wounded you. If you’d denied him the right to avenge his parents, you would’ve destroyed him. You made the only possible decision.”
Jase’s carefree attitude rarely dropped, but when it did the killer Dage had created showed its face. Cold and merciless, it shaped a teenager into a dangerous warrior. Not the fun-loving brother most of the Realm thought they knew. “Why hasn’t he said anything?”
Kane shrugged. “We’ve been at peace for several centuries, and it’s not like you’ve kept him from training. And he’s Jase. You’re his brother and you’re still hurting about this. He won’t push it until he needs to.”
Man, Dage had missed Kane. Talk about putting things into perspective. “Do you really think he’s that powerful? I mean, the whole little finger comment?”
Kane grinned. “Yeah. But don’t tell him that.”
“No way in hell.” A beep sounded in Dage’s communicator and he gave Kane a nod. “The lab is ready. Keep in mind I don’t want Emma anywhere near the basement level.”
“No worries. I won’t tell her we’ve secured a werewolf if you don’t want her to know.”
Dage nodded. “She can know, just not go near it. I’m assuming the Bane’s Council hasn’t been informed?”
“No.” Kane sighed. “We captured the werewolf outside Paris without informing the council. Not knowing is probably safer for them at this time—no difficult moral choices to make.”
“Terent won’t view the situation in such a way.”
“No. Terent will want to draw blood.” Kane grinned. “Yours or mine.”
Dage hoped his friendship with the wolf would survive the next few years. “True.” He stood. “Who captured the werewolf, Kane?”
Kane raised an eyebrow. “I did.”
Dage had already known the answer. “By yourself?”
“Sure.”
Most people believed royalty did nothing but attend parties and write laws. “How scientific is that, Kane?”
His brother grinned. “Jase isn’t the only one you trained. The need to fight pumps through all our veins.”
Not a sentiment Dage could fault. “I’ll go get Emma.”
“Can’t wait to meet your mate, Dage.” Kane blinked twice and the scattered papers rose from the floor to settle into neat piles on the table. “I’ll see you at the lab.” He gave a curt nod and strode out of the room.
On the other side of the large building, Janie clutched her stuffed bear in her arms and snuggled down under her new comforter with running unicorns chasing butterflies on it. She liked the residence place but not as much as her house on the lake. Talen’s house. Her new daddy. He was scared for Janie’s mama, and she didn’t know how to help. She counted lilies in her head until finally slipping into her favorest dream world.
Trees made out of chocolate swayed in a breeze smelling of strawberries. She bit her lip. Even in her dream, her arm hurt. She’d told Mama it was okay, but the bullet burn really ached. She needed to be brave for when Zane arrived.
She sensed him a couple seconds before he jogged out of the trees, his dark hair loose around his big shoulders. He’d just turned eleven and cool muscles had started showing up in his arms. Steeling her shoulders, she instantly burst into tears.
Zane ran across the meadow in seconds, dropping to his knees next to her. “Janie Belle?” He’d given her the name the first time they met, declaring Janet Isabella too grown up for his new pal.
Sobbing, she moved into him, her head resting under his chin. He let her cry it out, patting her back, making soothing sounds like a big bear. She gave a final hiccup. “I got shot.”
Zane gently pulled back, his green eyes turning almost black. “Someone shot you?” His gaze flashed to the large bandage on her arm. “The king let you get hurt?” The bumpy muscles still holding her shook like they were chilly.
“It wasn’t Uncle Dage’s fault.” Janie wiped her nose on her sleeve with its pretty pink butterflies. “The bullet just burned me.”
A really cool vein popped out in Zane’s neck and began to pound. He was mad.
“Don’t be mad. I’m okay, Zane.” She sniffed.
The vein froze when Zane shifted his focus to the tree line. He released her and stood up. “Let him in.”
“Who?” Janie opened her eyes wide. Zane was getting better at feeling their visitor. For so long she had been the one to keep him out of her dreams. Kalin.
“You know who. He’s trying to get in.” Zane put his hands on his hips. “Let him. Now.”
Her lip trembled. “You’re only eleven, Zane. You’re not a grown-up.” He couldn’t boss her around, even if they were bestest of friends.
“You’re only four. That makes me in charge.” He didn’t turn back to her.
“I’ll be five next week.” She lifted her chin, pleased she’d been able to remind him of her birthday without just saying it. Six years difference wasn’t a whole lot.