Talen cleared his throat. “Maybe we shouldn’t go to the dinner tonight. I’m armed, but ...”
Cara shook her head. “Oh no, I am so going. I’m starving.” She tucked her arm through his and held out a hand to Janie. “Come on, sweetheart.”
Dage set the little girl on the floor. “We’ll be right behind you.” His gaze dared Emma to refuse.
Cara gave her a lopsided grin and tugged her family out the door. “See you at the ball.”
Emma inched toward the door. “Let’s go to the dinner, Dage.”
He shifted his weight, effectively blocking her way. “I thought we’d get a couple of things clear, love.”
Butterflies took flight in her stomach. “Like what?” She lifted her chin. Damn but that sandalwood scent made her want to tackle him to the floor and shred clothing until she reached his flesh.
His callused finger traced a path along her jaw and she had to quell the warmth in her core. “First, you need to understand it’s well-known you’re a probable mate—my mate.”
She drew breath in, counting slowly to five, fighting the urge to tap her pretty shoe on the plush maroon carpet. The idea of his naked skin slowly wafted away as temper slid in. “I choose my own destiny, Dage. Period.”
He nodded. “Of course. Tonight you’re going to choose to finish what we started in the cave.” Clasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he leaned down to brush her mouth with his. Once, twice, and then a third time.
She tightened her shoulders, fighting the need to grab him. Desire beat against her independence. Her mind ruled her body, not the other way around. Yet her hands drifted up his jacket, the soft fabric tickling her palms. Her knees trembled and she clutched his lapels, yanking him closer and taking his mouth. She slid her tongue in and explored. Mint and male exploded on her taste buds.
Independence be damned.
With a low rumble in his throat, Dage stepped in and deepened the kiss, one hand curving to cup her ass and tug her against a rock hard erection. He took control of the kiss smoothly, naturally. So easily. Bending her slightly, his tongue explored her mouth, his lips turning firm and demanding. She softened, accepting him. Her need to meet his passion, her need to please him was one she’d dissect and deal with later. For now she allowed desire to fill her mind, to fizzle her thoughts. Her hands slid to the buttons on his shirt and were instantly captured by his.
He released her mouth, raising his head. “Duty calls, love. We need to table this for later.”
She stared for a moment at his stunning face before taking an awkward step back. What in the hell was she thinking? Her knees trembled while her breath panted out.
He held out his arm and she took it still in a daze, shaking her head as he escorted her through the door and down the hallway. Tall, dangerous looking guards stood at attention every few yards against the oak paneling.
She fought to control her raging thoughts. “Dage, I don’t understand why you’re having this ball and symposium when you just went to war.”
He shortened his stride, eyeing her high heels. “We have the colloquium every ten years without fail so we can update each other, consolidate, and know our allies. We also need a Realm show of force—an in-your-face type of thing for the Kurjans.”
“What exactly is the Realm?” As she walked beside him her feet already ached in the three-inch designer heels—but they were so worth the pain.
“We’re like your United Nations. Several vampire nations, shape-shifters, and witches all belong.”
“You’re the King of the Realm?”
“Well, king of the vampires. We run the Realm, though I don’t have a say in individual shape-shifting clans or covens.”
“So you’re at war just because the Kurjans have been working on a virus for the mating gene?”
“That and Janie. They’ve prophesized our niece’s future with a psychotic little Kurjan named Kalin—and I won’t let that happen. Ever.” Dage paused to lean against the wall, tugging Emma to face him. “The virus also affects shifters.”
“Shifters?” Emma teetered on her heels before finding her balance. “Like Katie and Jordan?” Cara and Talen had stayed with the lion shifters when running from the Kurjans.
“Yes.” Dage’s eyebrow rose. “Have you met Katie yet?”
“No. But I spoke with her on the phone when Cara stayed with them.” Katie had done her best to explain the hierarchy of her lion shifting clans, but the organization was still a jumble in Emma’s head.
“Ah. Wasn’t that when you ran cross-country with the Kurjans on your tail?” A vein stood out in the king’s neck and the air shifted around him. Anger.
“Er. Yes.” She needed to retrieve her research in Montana. “I didn’t want to put Cara in any more danger, so ...”
“And once she told you about us?”
“About your family or the vampire race at large?” Emma had been shocked to discover the Kurjans, and then thankful beyond belief to find out the white-faced mutants had enemies strong enough to take them on. She thanked the fates every day Talen had found Cara and Janie before the Kurjans did.
“Both.” Dage’s grip on her arm tightened.
“Then I figured Cara was safe and I should continue to Montana.”
Dage pivoted, pinning Emma against the raised wallpaper. “I’m hoping you learned your lesson.”
Considering the blood-sucking bastards had captured her and nearly taken her to Canada to mate with their leader, then yeah. “I need to hide better next time.” She bit her lip against a grin.
Dage’s large hand ran down her back to cup her ass and gave a gentle squeeze, tugging her into male hardness.
Heat rushed through her. She fought to keep her voice calm. “You know, for a king, you’re rather improper sometimes.”
“You’ve never met the king, love.” He nipped her ear and her knees began to tremble. “It’s the man who has you.”
Heat pooled in her abdomen even as she shoved both hands into his hard abs and pushed. Neither of them moved an inch. “You said something about the virus affecting shifters as well as vampire mates?” Damn, she needed to get her hormones under control.
Dage inhaled, his shoulders moving with the effort. “Er, yes. We think the twenty-seventh chromosome of a shifter controls the shift or mandates the type of shifter.” He spoke against the column of her neck, his breath warm on her skin. “To be honest, we don’t know anything for sure.”
“Type of shifter?” Emma struggled for a moment to accept this new reality. “I don’t understand.”
Dage lifted his head. “Shifters are either canine, feline, or multi.”
Emma fought a shiver of pleasure when he grasped her hand. She shook off the sensation. For the love of Pete, she was holding hands with a vampire—another species on this earth, one far stronger than humans. True danger in a seriously sexy package. Focus. She needed to focus. “Multi?”
He wound his fingers through hers, instantly warming her palm. “Yes. Multi-shifters can change into any animal except for feline or canines.”
Geez. How was it possible for humans to have missed this? Emma’s rational mind began to organize the information. “What does the virus do to shifters?”
Dage shrugged. “We think the virus attacks the gene to change the shifter into a werewolf.”
Emma chewed her lip for a moment. “A werewolf?”
“Yes. Werewolves are pure animals who crave feeding and killing. They’re bound to a master with a single spell, no rational thought, no humanity.”
Well, that sucked. “How does one become a werewolf?”
“Humans become weres by being bitten by a werewolf. Before the virus, shifters were immune to such a bite.”
Emma shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why go to the trouble of creating a virus to turn shifters into werewolves? Why not just bite a bunch of humans?”