Cara rolled her eyes, shutting the refrigerator door. “Stop growling. Janie wanted to stay with Maggie tonight, and I figured she needed the normalcy of a girl’s night. Well, a fun night, considering Garrett went, too.”
“She should be here.” Rough, pissed, his voice caressed right down Cara’s spine as if his finger traced every vertebrae.
Desire slid through her veins like a good wine. “Our daughter is fine, Talen.” Cara flipped around, hands on hips. They’d faced a serious threat the previous night, now finally had a night alone, and the damn vampire wanted to pout? Not on her watch.
“Fine?” Talen shoved away from the table. “Janie has been in a coma, been threatened in a dream, and then threatened in reality by a Kurjan leader who breached my security.”
Cara sucked in air, searching for patience. Or maybe a bat. Yeah, she’d clock him on the head with a bat. “Yes. But you saved her from the Kurjan.” Pride filled Cara for a moment. “Or rather, our girl was in the process of saving herself. You’ve trained her well.”
Talen scrubbed both hands down his face. “When the werewolf grabbed her ...”
Cara shot the horrendous images out of her head. “Are you sure Kalin wasn’t at the bottom of the cliffs?” More than anything, she wanted the Kurjan leader dead. Dead and gone.
“He survived the fall.” Talen’s eyes burned a sharp green through the gold, a true sign of a vampire’s temper. “We scoured the rocks, the cliffs, even out to sea. Several werewolves were found and we finished them off. But, while no doubt he’s injured, Kalin lives.”
“I figured.” Kurjans were stronger than werewolves. Cara shook her head. “I want him dead, but I can’t help but feel sorry for the kid he was. I mean, when his father kidnapped me, I saw evil and crazy up close. Can you imagine being raised by someone like that?”
Talen grimaced. “You can’t go feeling sorry for the monster that’s coming after your family, mate. No matter how crazy his parent may have been.”
“I know.” And she’d kill Kalin herself if she ever got the chance. Protecting her babies had been her number-one priority since day one. That would never change. She focused on the one man who could make her forget her worries, even for just a little while. “Why are you so cranky? I thought talking with Conn would ease your mind.”
His massive shoulders rolled. “I should be there tomorrow—to get Jase.”
“The plan is good, right?”
“Yes.” Talen rubbed his chin, his gaze wandering down her form. “He’ll be home tomorrow. Hopefully without too much mental damage.” The words were calm, but an underlying current of concern lifted the consonants.
“Jase is strong. Smart and strong.” Cara kept her own fears out of her voice. “Plus, we’re all here for him when he gets back.”
Talen scowled. “I know.”
“Then quit your tantrum. Everything’s fine.”
“Tantrum?” He paused, irritation deepening the lines in his face.
Ah, there he was. “Yes. If you’re going to be such a big baby, I’m heading for girls’ night, too.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Heat rippled through her body. Her sex softened. “Oh yeah?” They both needed a distraction, and she knew just what would work. “We’ll see about that.” She lunged for the door, yelping when he caught her around the waist, lifting her.
Trying to struggle, shoving down gales of laughter, she bit his shoulder as he stalked toward the bedroom.
He chuckled. “Now I’m gonna bite you.”
Jordan found Katie in the playroom, shooting pool with Maggie and Janie. Garrett sat in the corner playing an old table of Pac-Man. It seemed the young vamp had decided to dog his sister’s every move to keep her safe. The poor thing would never date now.
Katie looked up, a smile spreading across her face.
Warmth settled in his heart, granting peace and a sense of family. Something he’d denied himself far too long. The woman had a strength he’d failed to see for too long, as well. Nobody else on earth could’ve kept him from jumping in to the moon’s warmth the previous night.
He nodded at Janie. “Are you all right?”
She smiled, pretty blue eyes sparkling. “Fantastic. No worries. I don’t even have a headache anymore.” She turned back to study the billiards on the table.
He cleared his throat, facing Maggie. “Terrent Vilks had to leave on an emergency in Canada but made a formal request for you to meet with the Bane’s Council at their headquarters next week.”
“No.” Katie jumped in front of Maggie. “She’s not going.”
Jordan had no intention of forcing Maggie anywhere. “I said I’d ask, but it’s up to Maggie. At some point, the request will probably turn into an order.” He grinned. “Apparently Terrent is rather, ah, irritated with you.”
Maggie blushed a deep red. “I couldn’t imagine why.”
Katie shuffled her feet. “Gee. Me, either.”
Jordan forced the smile off his face. “Really? Hmmm. I believe it has something to do with a missing helicopter and a grand scheme set into motion by my mate.”
“Don’t blame her—it was my fault,” Maggie snapped, tapping the bottom of her stick on the floor.
Katie groaned, rolling her eyes. “I was going for complete denial, Mags.”
“Oh.” Maggie gave a rueful smile. “My bad.”
Jordan tried to look stern. The humorous, unapologetic glances from the two female shifters pretty much guaranteed he’d missed the mark.
Dodging forward, he lifted Katie off the ground, cradling her. “We’re off to bed, mate of mine.” With a nod to Maggie and the kids, he squired his mate out of the room and down the hallway to their quarters. Going inside, he kicked the door shut with one boot. “Helicopter and kidnapping?”
Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, her gaze wandering the line of his neck. “We had to get Terrent out of here in case you turned into a werewolf. You would’ve done the same for me.”
True, and not something he could truly argue against. Now Terrent seemed more determined than ever to get Maggie within reach of the Bane’s Council. A fact Jordan would share with Katie on another day. Plus, they truly needed to find out why the demons wanted the little wolf shifter. “Your plan worked, sweetheart.”
“Of course our plan worked.” She toyed with the neckline on his T-shirt. Her claws shot out and ripped the cotton down the middle. “Oops.”
He shifted her to one arm, tugging her shirt over her head. “Double oops.”
Quick as any cat, she moved, straddling his waist. His hands settled on her butt, holding her against his suddenly raging erection. Slowly, with just enough pressure to drive them both insane, he slid her against his length, striding toward the bedroom.
Grabbing his face, she tugged him close and wandered along his lips. “I love you, Jordan. No matter what ... and I’m keeping you forever.”
He took her mouth in a hard kiss, deepening it, giving everything. Drawing back, he captured her tawny gaze. “I love you, too. Welcome home, kitten.”
Epilogue
Two years later
The doorbell pealed. An odd sound, considering Jordan had known his guests had arrived on the ranch the second they’d crossed the first fence, nearly three miles away. The lion leader loped to his feet, deserting his favorite leather chair and his momentary peace.
He leaned down, picking up two pink bunnies and a small tennis shoe on the way to the door. A homey fire crackled in the brick fireplace, while the television played some odd show with a purple dinosaur.