“Yes.” This was going south and fast.
“Brent had been talking about withdrawing from the Realm,” Ella hissed.
“Which is why I challenged him.” Jordan lifted a shoulder. “What’s done is done. I’m meeting David to fight, and anyone else who wishes to challenge me can step on up afterward.” Enough of this crap. “If I don’t survive the virus, which you all know I have, then I’m endorsing Noah Chance as your new leader.”
Ella frowned. “I’d heard you’d taken a mate. She’d be first in line.”
“I have not taken a mate.” And he wouldn’t. Taking a mate would put a target on the woman’s back the second he died. He had to stay the hell away from Katie.
The tigress smiled. “Good. You know as well as I that our people won’t accept a lioness infected with the virus as a leader. Sad, but true.”
Jordan met her gaze, not blinking. He kept it, not looking away until Ella blushed and glanced down. He understood the danger to Katie if he mated her ... but no one was going to get away with threatening his woman.
Gerald glared through the camera. “I say we wait and see the result of the challenge currently before Jordan. If you win”—a snarl curled his lip—“I guarantee you’ll be challenged again. We’ll decide about Noah Chance if and when that issue becomes relevant.” With a nod off-camera, the screen went blank.
After a few more polite good-byes, and good wishes considering he was about to turn into a beast, Jordan stared at empty screens.
Kane finished tapping in keys and sat back. “What exactly did you and Conn do?”
Jordan pivoted to face the brother of his best friend. “You probably don’t want to know.”
Kane nodded. “Probably not.” He grabbed a gold Cross pen, twirling the metal through his fingers. “I figured you did what you had to do in a time of war. Feeling guilty or worrying about the decision now is a waste of time.”
“I’m not feeling guilty.”
“Bullshit.”
Irritation clenched Jordan’s hands into fists. “What are you, a mind reader?”
“Nope.” Kane stretched his long legs out, his eyes thoughtful, his fingers working the pen into a blur of gold. “Other minds are closed to me. Thank God.” He flipped the pen in the air, catching the device with his other hand and resuming the game. “Saw Katie earlier.”
Emotion flushed along Jordan’s skin.
Kane chuckled low. “She didn’t want to cover up the bite mark you gave her last night.”
Pleasure warmed Jordan’s chest right before dread shoved the warmth away. “She has a crush, and it’ll go away if I turn into a werewolf.”
Kane tucked the pen in his pocket. “You’re an idiot if you truly believe that.”
Jordan frowned. The scientist seemed to have several opinions when it came to emotion. Interesting. “You have a potential mate, Kane? I mean, any little human scientist you have in mind?” So far, Dage and Talen had mated scientists, while Conn mated a witch. Jordan didn’t see Kane with a witch.
“Hell, no.” Kane stretched to his feet. “I don’t have patience for emotion right now—I need to cure you of the virus.”
“That’d be nice.”
Conn slid into the room. “Your fight has come to you. Suit up, Jordan. Time to kick ass.”
Chapter 13
“ How did Bomant find us?” An hour after the fiasco of a feline teleconference, Jordan stretched his neck under a cloudy sky. Very weak light tumbled through the darkness from the moon. A rumbling roared in his gut, and he squelched all need.
“You’ll have to ask him.” Conn yanked a knife from his boot. “At least they set down a mile from headquarters.”
“We need to move headquarters.” Jordan tightened the band on his hair.
“No. There’s nowhere else to go.” Conn replaced the blade. “We chose the best defensive place in the country, and we’ll protect it even better.”
The ocean pounded down below while thick trees obscured the forest in every direction. “Interesting clearing they found.” Something creeped Jordan out about the place, but he couldn’t figure out what. Normal scrub brush lined the ground, the trees pine, the night cold.
He ignored the warning flaring at the base of his spine and eyed Katie, who stood quietly next to him. “You shouldn’t be here.” If there was any way to do this without her, he would’ve thought of it.
She tossed her head, gaze solidly on the three men across the small meadow who hadn’t shifted as of yet. “You have no choice.”
Duty and tradition made his temples ache. The rules dictated he needed a witness from his pride for the battle, and unfortunately, Katie was the only member within three states right now. He’d broken enough of their rules already—he couldn’t get out of this one. “Stay out of the way. If things go south, you head for the helicopter where Max is waiting.”
Katie tightened the bulletproof vest around her trim waist. “Don’t worry, Jordan. You get in trouble, I’m not saving your ass.”
Conn lifted an eyebrow, and Jordan shrugged. Apparently Katie was still pissed about the kiss. He’d warned her—she should’ve listened. Mating was too dangerous, and he refused to destroy her. Even in lion form, he’d be rough. In lion/werewolf form, he would tear her apart. Hopefully he’d scared her enough she wouldn’t challenge him again.
He straightened as the three lions stalked forward to stand in the center of the field. They were lighter colored than Jordan’s people—golden hair and flecked eyes. The one in the middle took another step toward him. “I’m David Bomant, and you tried to kill my brother.”
Conn settled his stance, gaze on the other shifters.
“Be ready for Brent to show up,” Jordan whispered. No way the crazy werewolf would miss his brother challenging Jordan. This meeting was as much a trap to catch Brent as a way to take out a challenger. Raising his voice, he stepped away from Katie. “Is that what Brent told you?” His voice carried across the quiet night.
David flashed sharp canines. “Yes. He told me you and the Kayrs next to you set a trap for him and struck from behind. Like cowards.”
“You’re an idiot,” Katie spat.
The cat turned his golden gaze on her. “Katie Smith—I have to tell you, my brother is looking forward to seeing you again. As far as he’s concerned, you’re the perfect mate for him, considering you’re part werewolf.”
“Then he needs to come and find me.” Katie’s snarl rivaled any lion still breathing. She stepped forward, and Jordan tensed. Ignoring him, she planted her feet. “I suppose you’re the asshole who’s been following me and snapping pictures?”
“Not exactly, though I did get my hands on them.” David grinned. “Although I gave most of the pictures to Brent, I have to admit, I kept a couple for myself. You know, for those lonely moments late at night when I needed inspiration.”
“You’re disgusting.” Katie yanked a knife from her boot. “Maybe after Jordan kills you, I’ll remove your tongue.”
Jordan eyed the angry woman. She seemed serious. The virus had messed with her temper a bit. Though something in her wildness just plain and simple turned him on.
David nodded to his friends, and they loped to the edge of the clearing. “My father was Kyle Bomant, and I’m here to take his rightful place.”
“I don’t give a shit who your father was.” Jordan stalked forward until only a foot separated them. He needed to keep far enough from Conn and Katie that his shifting wouldn’t knock them out. A breeze from the chilly ocean slammed into his face. “I had no clue your brother lived.”
“We’re aware of that.” David’s accent made him sound like more of a big city lawyer than a cat. Though he was well over six feet with a broad chest, as broad as Jordan’s. “It took nearly one hundred fifty years for him to heal and another hundred to train.”