Nick turned his rigid attention on Zane, who nodded and winked. He’d never hurt his buddy’s woman. Any woman, really. Nick gave him a look that clearly said he’d be expecting an explanation later.
Moira stood, her gaze on the table. “Um, we could practice shielding by twisting quantum physics. Kane and I have been working on something similar in the lab for years, and perhaps our research could help Zane when the moment comes.” She sneezed. Her eyes widened, and she swayed. All color slid from her face, and even her lips lost their pretty pink. Her eyelids fluttered shut.
Talen reached her just as she started to go down. “What the hell?” he asked, lifting her high.
Dage jumped to his feet, quickly reaching the door to swing it wide open. “Somebody call Conn and tell him to meet us at the infirmary.”
Zane stepped out of the way and turned toward Nick. “Do witches just faint?”
“No.” Nick watched the vampires disappear with their sister-in-law. “Witches rarely become ill, as far as I know. This can’t be good.”
Zane shared a look with Sam. He might not understand what was going on, but every battle instinct he owned all but screamed to get ready for hell to descend.
It always did.
Janie finished examining the little girl’s ears and handed her a lollipop. “Your ear infection is all gone, Sasha,” she said, winking at the girl’s mother. “But no swimming for another week.”
Sad brown eyes twinkled up from a pretty heart-shaped face. “A whole week?” Sasha asked, her bottom lip pouting.
Janie pretended to consider the question. Feline shifters sure knew how to pout, now didn’t they? “Well, how about two days?”
“Yay!” Sasha jumped up and hugged Janie. “You’re the best.” She turned and ran from the room, her pink tennis shoes squeaking.
Her mother sighed and pushed away unruly blond hair from her face. “That girl.” She hugged Janie as well. “Thanks for taking such good care of her. She’ll only come and see you, and she usually listens to you. Bye.” Moments later, she’d hurried after her daughter.
Janie smiled. “I love that kid,” she said to her aunt across the empty examination tables in the lab.
Emma kept her eyes nearly attached to a microscope at the far end. “Uh huh.”
Janie tossed the rags in the garbage and inhaled the scent of lemon bleach. “And, as I was saying, there’s a new vampire law being discussed that will prohibit the queen of the Realm from working in a lab coat.”
“Definitely,” Emma said, leaning over to scribble on a note chart.
“But your mate, the king extraordinaire, has decreed that the queen can work nude. You like being naked, right?” Janie turned and leaned back against the counter, arms crossed.
“Sure.” Emma jotted something else down and then stiffened, standing to turn. “What?”
Janie chuckled. “Nothing. Just making sure you were paying attention.”
Emma rolled deep blue eyes. “Very funny.” She glanced around as if surprised to find the lab empty. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
Janie had wondered how long it would take the woman who’d known her since birth to make sure all was well. “I figured.”
Emma nodded. “How are you doing with finally having met and mated Zane?”
Talk about a loaded question. Janie shrugged, more than willing to share with her aunt. “I’m overwhelmed and happy and kind of worried.”
Emma smiled. “Sounds like you just mated a vampire.”
“A demon vampire blend, actually.” Janie studied her aunt with new eyes. The adults in her life had always seemed so sure of themselves and so happy, but now that she was an adult, she wondered. “I bet mating Uncle Dage wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.”
“More like a stroll through a hurricane.” Emma rolled her neck. “Vampires are overbearing, overprotective, and waaaay over possessive, and it takes a while to mellow them out.”
Janie snorted. “You’re saying you’ve mellowed Uncle Dage?”
Emma coughed. “Not exactly, but once he figured out I can take care of myself, he backed off a little.” She rubbed her eye. “Is Zane giving you the caveman act?”
“Oh yeah.” But the sex was a nice side effect of his intensity, now wasn’t it?
