He paused. “You know.”
She shook her head, and for the first time that day, real fear filled her eyes. “You can’t take on Suri by yourself.”
“I’m the only one who can,” Zane said gently.
Dage gestured to a soldier. “Please escort Felicity to a room.” He turned to Felicity. “I hope you’ll join my mate and me for dinner tonight, once Janie is home. Perhaps we can come up with a plan together to deal with your brother.”
Felicity stilled, her worried glance turning to Zane.
He nodded. “Go with the soldier, Mom. Sam and Logan will be here soon.”
She turned with obvious reluctance to follow the armed man.
Zane relaxed his stance and finally lowered his hands, waiting until his mother was out of earshot. “You don’t need to say it. I understand.” The last thing he wanted to hear was how Dage would skin Felicity alive if Janie wasn’t returned home.
Dage slowly nodded. “Good enough. I like your mother.”Although I will kill her.The last part of the sentence remained unsaid but fully expressed.
Zane didn’t know whether or not the king was bluffing and had no intention of finding out. He glanced at the brewing storm clouds. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“I’m going with you,” Dage said.
“No.” Zane kept his gaze level and his stance nonthreatening. “Janie and I need to have a quick, private conversation before I bring her back. Shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes.”
“About what?” Garrett asked, crossing his arms.
“The wordprivateshould’ve clued you in that it’s none of your business,” Zane said levelly. Whether the Realm vampires liked it or not, Janie was now his mate and his responsibility.His.
Talen stepped forward, his face hard, his muscles tense. “One of us is going with you. So choose.”
Zane faced Janie’s father, awareness dawning as to how frightened the man must’ve been. Janie was a human, and a fragile one at that. The idea of somebody taking her from Zane sliced deep into his soul, and he couldn’t imagine the hell Talen had been feeling. “I’m sorry,” Zane said. “I’d never hurt Janie, but you didn’t know that.”
“Decide,” Talen said through gritted teeth.
Zane swallowed. He could take somebody with him just to provide some reassurance to the Kayrs family. But they all weighed a fucking ton, and his strength wasn’t at full power, considering he’d already jumped twice. “Fine. The kid weighs the least. I’ll take him.”
Garrett stepped forward.
Talen stopped him with a hand on his arm, keeping his gaze on Zane.
Zane waited for Talen to refuse to allow his son to leave with Zane as well. The vampire couldn’t want two of his children in Zane’s hands.
Talen flashed dangerous fangs. “Don’t kill him until Janie is safe.”
Garrett nodded and stepped forward to grasp Zane’s arm. “No problem.”
Zane grinned. Janie came from an amazing family, to be sure. “You ever transport, kid?”
“No.” Determination filled Garrett’s odd gray eyes.
“Hold on to your lunch.” With a shifting of time and space, Zane jerked them out of the pan and into the fire.
Chapter 14
They landed near the fireplace, and Zane had to stagger back to lean against the worn rocks. “Do you have boulders in your pockets?” he growled at the young vampire, releasing his arm.
Garrett slowly looked around, his gaze finding his sister as she stood near the kitchen. “Janie. Are you all right?” Both menace and relief echoed in the vampire’s low tone.
Janie nodded and jumped into her brother’s arms with a sigh of relief.
