Her eyes darkened. Then she reached out and took him in both hands.
Fire ripped up his spine. He wasn’t going to last long. Moving forward, he climbed up her body to press a kiss against her moist neck.
Grabbing both her hands, he held them immobile at the side of her head. “Ready for round three?”
Her knees widened while her legs encircled him, ankles crossing at his butt. “More than ready.”
His heart pounded hard.
A determined shove forward, and he embedded in her, balls deep. Heat swallowed him. She was so tight his eyes almost rolled back in his head. “You’re perfect.”
She blinked in surprise.
Odd. The woman wasn’t used to compliments. Even with his body raging for relief, his mind wondered at the fact. The woman was perfect. How could she not know it? “I’ve lived for more than three centuries, and you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Her eyes widened, and a shy smile played with her lips. “You confuse me.”
“I do my best.” He couldn’t help the answering smile. “Keep your hands where I’ve put them.”
Releasing her palms, he grabbed the back of her thigh with his unmarked hand and withdrew, plunging back in. The exquisite friction almost put him over the edge. He pressed the palm with the marking against the sheets. The animal within him, the one he never let loose, howled in protest. The hunger to mate clawed with rough nails through his entire being.
Ignoring the animal, Kane plunged out and back in. Holding her thigh, holding her open, he began to pound with a ferocity he’d never succumbed to. Faster, harder . . . the only thing in existence was that pinnacle he needed to reach. With Amber. Only Amber.
Her thighs tightened and she gasped.
He shifted his angle to slide over her clit, and she exploded around him.
The waves crashing through her gripped his shaft so hard he saw stars. Increasing his speed, he raced for the end and broke, coming with a low growl.
The need to mark her—to mate her—shot fire through his arm. Coming down, taking a deep breath, he glanced at his hand. The mark pounded in angry pain.
The branding was darker than ever.
CHAPTER 17
For once in Kane’s life, the lab failed to provide him with a sense of purpose. What was the fucking purpose? He’d spent years trying to cure Virus-27 with limited success. Mates were still vulnerable. Witches were afraid. And now, the one species he’d been able to save was in danger from faulty vials.
The brand on his palm burned with jagged demand and had for several days. The marking burned when he trained Amber, when he touched her, when he sensed her. Hell, it burned even when he was just thinking about her.
“Fuck.” He threw a beaker across the lab, closing his eyes as glass smashed near the open window.
Walter the monkey screeched from his high-end cage. Then he frowned, much too serious for a monkey.
“Sorry.” Kane had escaped from the earth to his largest lab so he could open the windows and smell the ocean. Aboveground he always seemed to get more accomplished.
Not today.
Today completely sucked.
Not only had he left the earth, he’d left a sleeping beauty in his bed once again. She’d moved right into his quarters because he’d pretty much insisted on it. An innocent, softhearted beauty he had planned to use against demons.
He felt Dage’s anger and worry before hearing the king arrive. Shit. Now Kane couldn’t even control his empathic abilities? No. Absolutely not. Shoving his face into calm lines, Kane turned to face his brother.
Dage took a deep breath. “The demons have Hilde.”
A roaring filled Kane’s ears. He swallowed hard. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Dage frowned, pacing to the window to stare at the ocean. “Satellite pictures are hours old, but there was some fight between the demons and Kurjans at the wolf compound in Utah.”
Kane scrubbed both hands down his face. “What the hell?”
“I don’t know. Best guess? Whoever is messing with the inoculations tipped the Kurjans off about Hilde. How the demons got involved, I have no clue. But there was a bloody fight and the Kurjans lost.” Dage leaned against the wall, facing Kane. “Talen is in the armory suiting up—we need to go.”
“We have someplace to go?” Now that was finally some good news.
“Yes. We traced their movements to the Mexico border—it looks like a temporary stronghold. They won’t keep Hilde there for long.”
“Let’s go, then.” The idea of storming any demon stronghold had adrenaline ripping through Kane’s veins. “I wish Conn were still here.” Conn had taken off for Ireland already.
“Yes. He’s halfway across the ocean by now.”
The question lurking in the king’s silver eyes had Kane’s chin lifting. “Amber is not going.”
“Your call.” Dage headed for the door.
Kane ignored the relief shooting through his veins. “Is Talen trying to bring Terrent up via phone?”
“Terrent isn’t at the wolf compound.” Dage headed into the hallway. “The Council went after a hoard of werewolves outside of Seattle yesterday morning.” As the head of the Bane’s Council, the group responsible for killing all werewolves, Terrent was always on the move. “The Kurjans probably knew he’d taken off before they attacked.”
Kane hustled behind his brother through headquarters to a room hidden behind a blank wall. Sliding the door open, he took the cement stairs down to a tunnel that led to the underground labyrinth.
Dage shot into the darkness. “Are you sure you don’t want Amber to come with us? We should test her skills.”
“No. I’ll mate her and get her skills.” The words emerged from Kane’s mouth before his brain caught their meaning. With a short nod, he acknowledged mating was the only way to both protect Amber and find Jase.
Dage stopped in the dark tunnel. “That’s quite a decision.” He didn’t turn around.
“Yes, it is. And it’s my decision.” Kane’s steps slowed.
The king shook his head and resumed jogging. The clomp of his boots echoed through the rocks. “Are you going to lie to yourself that you feel nothing? That branding Amber is all about duty?”
“No. I like her—a lot. She’ll make a good mate.” And a good mother to their children someday. The thought of Amber swollen with his son made Kane’s heart skip a beat. Pleasure filled him. “I’d like your support in this.”
“You always have my support.” Dage shoved open a door to reveal an armory sporting every type of weapon imaginable. “Even when you’re being an obtuse dumbass.” He stalked inside and stopped cold.
Kane barely kept from running into his back. “What?” He stepped to the side.
Amber and Emma stood near Talen wearing identical “don’t fuck with me” expressions on their faces.
Emma glared at Dage. “You’re the king—you don’t need to go fight demons. That’s why you have soldiers.”
Kane ignored the argument. It was an old one, and Dage always put himself in danger if he asked soldiers to fight. As the royal family, they were the first to go if necessary. He eyed Amber. “I’ll bring back your grandmother.”
Amber paled, her gaze wandering along the myriad of swords lining the west wall. “I’m going with you.”
“No.” Out of the air, Kane snatched the bulletproof vest Talen threw, quickly securing the Kevlar over his head. “You don’t have enough training.”
“And yet, I’m the best you’ve got.” She reached for a smaller vest hanging on a hook. “Either tell me how to wear this thing, or I’ll go without a vest.”
Talen shuffled his feet. “We could use her help.” He glanced at Dage for support.