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.”