Talen clapped him on the back. Hard. “Welcome to the fucking club.”
Amber stretched her neck to check out the intricate marking on her lower back, her butt to the mirror. She’d dragged the full-length antique out of the bathroom and into the bedroom after taking a quick shower. “I have a tramp stamp,” she muttered. Though, the raised K in the middle of a Celtic knot did look kind of cool.
The brand still burned.
She slid her fingers along the fine lines, wincing as the tender skin protested. Yep. He’d marked her but good.
What in the world had she been thinking to allow such a thing? Sure, with the virus, she didn’t have to be tied to Kane forever. But maybe the virus was deadly. Being tied to Kane had to be better than being dead, right?
She smiled. He wouldn’t like that line of thinking. Not that she cared what he thought.
Except she did.
She cared what he thought a lot. Her heart had been more involved than even her body in the marking. What if he couldn’t love? Could she love him enough for them both?
Probably not. Besides. She deserved love, damn it. She deserved to be the most important person in the world to somebody. To a man. To the man who held her heart.
She shook her damp hair.
The vampire was her exact opposite and the last person she would’ve chosen to fall in love with. He ate meat, for goodness’ sake. And the guy probably sacrificed animals on a daily basis in the name of research. Well, even if he didn’t sacrifice animals, he would do so to cure Virus-27.
Of course, the virus was now a threat to her as well as to the other mates.
Mates.
She was a mate. The thought brought both irritation and an odd warming in her abdomen.
How soon would she have Kane’s abilities? He attacked with emotion, sending some kind of waves. Could she attack with the waves? She approached life so differently from Kane . . . maybe she wouldn’t ever be able to attack.
Where was her grandmother? How dare she put herself in danger on purpose?
The door slid open and all six-plus feet of Kane Kayrs sidled inside.
He was sweaty.
Amber’s heart thumped hard.
The vampire was naked to the waist, the strong muscles of his chest glistening. She swallowed. “You look like a romance novel cover.”
He barked a surprised laugh, dark gaze wandering over her nude body. “You look like my greatest fantasy coming to life.”
Now wasn’t that sweet?
Graceful steps forward and he brushed his fingers over the marking. “Beautiful,” he murmured, his voice hoarse.
Tendrils of instant need peaked her nipples and softened her sex. She took a step away from him, reaching for a silk robe he’d left for her earlier. Being naked around Kane was dangerous. She angled the mirror toward him, craning her neck to see.
He frowned. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.” Yep. He had a reflection.
Amusement curved his lip. “Stop believing silly legends.”
How the heck was she supposed to know? “Okay. So, what have you found out?”
“Nothing yet. We need to talk. Why don’t you go scout out breakfast in the kitchen while I take a quick shower?” He disappeared behind the bathroom door.
Why in the world did he make an order sound like a request? She knew a freakin’ order when she heard one.
Shaking off irritation, she padded barefoot through the rooms to the small kitchen. The appliances were top-notch, the counters granite, but the lack of a window made her shoulders twitch. She needed to get outside soon.
A round kitchen table sat to the side with bright yellow cushions. She’d bet every cent she owned that somebody else had chosen the cushions.
Opening the refrigerator, warmth flushed through her. He’d stocked up on organic tofu, nuts, and vegetables. Sometimes the hard-assed vampire could be such a sweetheart.
Maybe they could figure out a way to live together.
She frowned. Not without love.
Grabbing all the necessities, she had tofu omelets almost ready when he stalked into the kitchen.
The vampire wore loose sweats, his feet bare, his chest broad. Wet black hair curled at his nape, and his eyes had morphed to a dark violet bordering on black. His harsh features seemed even stronger than usual.
Her mouth went dry.
He glanced at the pan. “Yum.” The deep tenor of his voice lacked enthusiasm.
She grinned. “Sit down. You’ll love properly prepared tofu, I promise.”
“Uh-huh.” He slid gracefully into a chair, hunger on his face. But he wasn’t looking at the food.
Her hands shaking just enough to annoy her, she dished up two plates and carried them to the table. Then she grabbed the organic orange juice from the fridge and poured two glasses.
“Thanks for breakfast,” Kane said, his gaze on the tofu.
“Anytime. Stop staring and try your breakfast.”
He took a deep breath and then ate a small bite. “Hmm.” Eyebrows raising, he took another bite and then frowned. “This is good.”
“See? Tofu takes on the taste of anything else you cook with it, and I use a lot of spices.” She unfolded her napkin. Maybe she should replace all the eggs in headquarters with tofu. “You don’t know everything in the world, Kane.”
“Okay.” He dug in. They ate in silence for a while. Finally, he cleared his plate. “That was good. But I’m still going to eat meat.”
They’d see about that. “To each his own.” She finished half her plate, her stomach full. “What do we need to talk about?”
“Demons, your grandmother, and eternity.” Kane sat back, his gaze thoughtful.
She coughed on her orange juice, quickly swallowing. “That’s quite a list.”
He smiled, but his eyes remained focused. “I know.”
There should be a law about vampires having to wear shirts when talking about important matters. The hard lines of his very impressive chest kept distracting her from reality. Maybe that had been his intention.
She set down her glass. “Demons and my grandmother first.”
“Okay. We’re going to reactivate the tracker embedded in her foot soon, and then we’ll have to go quickly.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“I don’t think you should go.”
That was incredibly sweet. She shoved back from the table, the chair squeaking on the hard stone floor. “We mated so I could learn to attack.”
“Sometimes it takes years for mates to share a gift. Believe me, you’re no stronger today than yesterday.” He shook his head.
“Neither are you, then.”
“True.”
“So together we can use our skills and help save my grandmother, and maybe your brother.” She wouldn’t believe Jase was gone until she saw proof. There were too many uncertainties in war. “Besides, I’m the best shield you have against demons. You need me.”
“I do need you.” His eyes darkened.
Was he talking about just with the demons? Or was it something deeper?
He crossed corded arms. “The last two times you attacked demons, you nearly passed out.”
Logic was the only way to deal with this particular stubborn male. “You’re being an ass.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged, apparently unconcerned.
Logic, damn it. Logic. “I can shield myself, and if I remember correctly, I can help shield you. Maybe if I shield you, you’ll be able to attack and protect us and your brothers. If you’re attacking, the demons will concentrate on defense and not on making the brains of your brothers bleed.”
Kane’s nostrils flared. “That’s quite an image you created.”
“I find visuals help in arguments.” Man, now she was starting to talk like the guy.
He shook his head. “I can’t be worrying about you while also trying to keep Dage from going crazy.”