Cara coughed. “No, I mean about the mating. The actual process.”
Good. Science and biology. Janie stilled. She’d never really thought about it. “Well, other than being a little tired from all the teleporting, I don’t feel much different. What happens now?”
Emma leaned forward. “Your human chromosomal pairs will combine to form several more until you’re immortal, and you might even gain Zane’s gift to teleport.” She frowned and tucked a piece of dark hair behind her ears. “Vampire mates reach twenty-seven chromosomal pairs, but we have no idea how many demon mates reach. You’re unique since Zane is so different. There’s a chance you’ll get enough to be impervious to Virus-27, since it attacks at the twenty-seventh and winds down.” She stood. “I need to take your blood.”
It was just a matter of time until Emma pulled out a needle. Janie nodded. “I know. But first, I really need to see Zane.” To make sure his head was still attached to his body.
The door opened and Garrett strode inside with Logan on his heels. “Are you all right?” Garrett asked, just as Logan piped up, “Where’s my brother?”
Janie eyed the two young soldiers. “Are you two done hitting each other?”
“Yes,” they both muttered.
“I’m fine, and I’m trying to find Zane right now.” Janie frowned. “I’m surprised Dad allowed Logan out of custody.”
Garrett shrugged. “No weapons, and he’s supposed to stay with me. Sam is with their mom.” He grinned at the demon. “Logan can’t teleport.”
“Yet,” Logan groused. “I may be able to soon, while you’ll never be able to move your weak body through dimensions.”
Garrett punched him in the arm. “Shut up.”
“You shut up.”
Janie shook her head. After trying to kill each other earlier, they now seemed the best of friends. Males made no sense. “I need to see Zane.”
Logan cleared his throat. “My mother would like to meet you as well.”
The spit dried up in Janie’s throat. Zane’s mother would like to meet her, of course. She tried to swallow. What if Zane’s mother didn’t like her? She slowly nodded. “I’d love to meet her.” The lie must’ve been unconvincing, because Emma chuckled.
Logan grinned, looking like a young and carefree Zane. “My mom will love you.”
Sure, why not? It wasn’t like Janie’s dad had just caved in Zane’s head. “Where is Dad?” she asked Cara.
Cara stood. “He’s planning strategy in the war room with Uncle Conn.”
Janie nodded. So far, she’d done a pretty crappy job of fulfilling her destiny and saving people. The peace talks had dwindled, and war had broken out in full force across the world. “Any hope for the peace talks?”
“No,” Garrett said quietly. “The demons and Kurjans are still allies.”
“That’ll end once the Kurjans discover Janie mated Zane,” Logan said just as quietly. A flush covered his high cheekbones, and he shuffled his feet. “Though I’m sure that’s not why it happened.”
Garrett cut him a hard look. “I said not to talk about it.”
“We weren’t. We were talking war and strategy,” Logan said. He nodded toward the door. “Come on. You said you’d show me the new weapons that disintegrate flesh.”
Garrett smiled. “Yeah, and we have some new ground missiles that are just as awesome. Let’s head out to the northern tree line.” Chattering away, the two young soldiers loped out of the lodge.
Janie’s shoulders went back. A lot of people would assume her mating was a political union, and that was just fine. Only she and Zane had been in that bed, and she believed him when he’d promised he hadn’t planned the marking. Although, it wasn’t as if he’d declared any deep, abiding love for her. She turned toward the door. “I’m heading to the infirmary.”
Emma hustled by her side. “That’s perfect. Let’s swing by the lab first, and I’ll take some blood and do tests there so we can monitor how your chromosomal pairs react. I’m quite curious.”
Janie nodded and slipped her arm through her aunt’s. She turned to her mother. “Are you coming?”
“No. I’ll go head off your father and see what I can do.” Determination tilted Cara’s petite chin.
God, Janie loved the women in her family. Living with vampires took strength, brains, and courage. More than she’d ever realized. “Thanks, Mom.”
Cara patted her cheek and hustled by. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. This will all work out.” The words came out too brightly.
