Page 13

Lyrica shrieked, and right before impact, two strong hands grabbed her around the waist, whirled her around, and planted her back on the bed. She blinked, the blood rushing through her ears. What had just happened?

“Sorry,” Vero said, backing away, hands up, his blue eyes wide. “I was havin g a nightmare.”

“You woke up in the nick of time.” She sat, still foggy, her heart galloping. She might have broken her neck if she had smashed into the wall. Thank goodness he’d awakened to grab her. “We must’ve fallen asleep.” She blinked sleep from her eyes, the bed solid bene ath her thighs.

He stood near the door as if wanting distance between them. “My apologies. I was concussed.”

Amusement tickled her. “One might consider that statem ent insulting.”

He cocked his head as if considering her words. “No insult meant.”

Sometimes he was adorable. Her eyes focused and her mouth went dry. At some point in the night, he’d shucked his jeans and shirt, leaving him in faded gray boxers. He was all muscle. One hundred percent. She swallowed.

“Are you all right?”

No. Nope. Not even an iota all right. A body like that didn’t exist in her world. Males like him didn’t, either. When he moved, she could actually see the play of muscle beneath his skin. A part of her wanted to jump him, but it’d be like purposefully smashing herself against a boulder. His form was more solid than the building. Tendrils of heat climbed into her face, and she forced her brain to work. “What was your ni ghtmare about?”

His face went carefully bl ank. “Nothing.”

“That’s not good enough.” She sprang to her feet. “If you’re going to toss me across a room, I’d lik e to know why.”

“It won’t happen again,” he said. She took a step toward him and tripped over one of his monstrous boots, crash ing toward the ground. He caught her again, lifting her up against his hard chest. The doo r slammed open.

“What’s the screaming about?” Paxton Phoenix stood in the doorway wearing only boxers, bruises still visible down his chest. “I have the twins on Hope. Wha t’s happening?”

“Nothing,” Vero said grimly, dropping her in Paxton’s arms and forcing him to catch her. “Here. Take her bac k to her room.”

Pain slashed along Lyrica’s arms. Paxton growled, and Lyrica gasped as her skin met his. Paxton immediately reacted and tossed her back on the bed, shaking out his arms. An ugly red rash sprang up.

“Oh, shit.” Vero turned toward Lyrica, where her shoulder showed a similar rash. “I’m sorry. I completely forgot about the m ating allergy.”

“No kidding,” Paxton muttered, rubbing his arm. “Are you okay?” he asked Lyrica.

The skin on her arms felt like red ants had enjoyed her for breakfast, but the pain slowly began to ebb. “Yeah. You know, I’d heard about the rash mated immortals get when they touch a member of the opposite sex, bu t that’s real.”

“Of course it’s real,” Vero said. “Why would we l ie about that?”

She glared at him. “You all have enough secre ts. Who knows?”

To her surprise, he nodded . “Good point.”

Paxton’s gaze narrowed as he looked at Lyrica, then at Vero, t hen at the bed.

“Nothing happened,” Lyrica said in a rush. But wait a minute, why did she care what he thought? Heat flared into her face. She shouldn’t have said anything. She was a grown-ass woman who could sleep with whome ver she wanted.

“Right,” Paxton said, taking a step back. “I misundersto od the shriek?”

Vero’s eyes flared as his gaze dropped to her bare arms. “No. This was my fault. I’ m responsible.”

Lyrica’s chin dropped. “You’re not respo nsible for me.”

“I am. My brain was concussed, and you have a soothing scent. And voice. And touch,” he said thoughtfully. “I remember rolling over and not allowing you to leave.”

Paxton’s jaw tightened.

“No,” Lyrica said. “I could’ve easily left if I wanted.” She hadn’t protested, and every cell in her body promised that if she had, he would’ve let her go. “I stay ed on purpose.”

“Why?” Ver o asked softly.

She blinked. “I felt safe.” Vulnerable and shaky, she shrugged her chilled shoulders. “I’m not used to feel ing…protected.”

Paxton leaned against the doorjamb and pinched the top of his nose. “Because the Kurjans kidnapped you.”

She shook her head. “Even before that. My dad and I were often alone, and he traveled a lot for work, often leaving me with my great-aunt. We were robbed twice.” As they both straightened, she held up a hand. “We weren’t home either time, but it wa s still scary.”

“I’m sure,” Vero murmured.

She inhaled slowly, counted to four, then breathed out to calm herself. “I can take care of myself, gentlemen.” Yet being bracketed by a guy strong enough to bench-press a school bus certainly led to a feeling of safety. Maybe she could understand some of the mates wanting to stay. But not her. She had a job to do, then she’d return to h er normal life.

Why that didn’t fill her with relief, she’d fi gure out later.

“Again, this is my fault, and I apologize sincerely.” Vero looked alert, as if expecting an attack from every direction. “We fell asleep, and I had a nightmare. Nearly b roke her neck.”

“What?” Paxton asked, stepping bac k inside again.

Vero shook his head. “I had a nightmare. I struck out and tossed her ac ross the room.”

“But he caught me,” Lyrica said defensively. Why in the world was she defending him? What was wrong with her? Oh yeah, she just woke up careening through the room. Anybody could be a little off after that. Taking a deep breath, she settled herself. Her gaze instantly caught on the two brothers and their spectacular bodies. They had the same frame. Badass, muscled, and dangerous.

“What was the nightmare about? ” Paxton asked.

Vero glowered at his brother. “Nothing. It’s just an old nightma re. Let it go.”

“No ,” Paxton said.

Vero sighed. “Listen, we just got done beating the shit out of each other. We can go outside again if you want, but I’m not talking about the nightmare.”

Lyrica scooted back and pulled the covers over her legs against the chill in the room. She needed thicker yoga pants. “It helps to talk about it. I used to have nightmares. The more you talk about it, the more you rewrite them in your brain.” Plus, she wanted to understand. What would make a warrior like Vero throw her a cross the room?

“Was it that bad?” Paxton asked. “I still have nightmares from my childhood.”

Vero’s eyebrows rose.

Lyrica looked at the Kurjan leader, surprised that he’d sh ared that much.

“It was stupid,” Vero said. “I told you about Karma, right?”

Lyrica nodded, her mind spinning and her stomach suddenly cramping. “You said she acted as a mother figure to you.”

“Yes. Her mate had died a century or more earlier, and she did her best to look after many of the children.” Vero shook his head. “But when I was younger, maybe around, I don’t know, ten years old, my uncle wanted her. He often tortured her by yanking on her skirts or threatening to hurt me if she didn’t foll ow his orders.”

The anger in his eyes sprang awareness through Lyrica’s body. Like any prey would feel when a predator stood nearby. For the first time, she could actually see the warrior Jonathan had warned her about. “What happened?” she whispered.

Vero’s blue eyes went flat. Dead. Empty. “My uncle couldn’t touch her because she’d been mated, but I think he planned for her to take the virus that might negate the mating bond. Well, before a soldier from the Realm kidnapped her.”

Paxton’s dark brows drew down. “That soldier saved Karma. Since her mate had died centuries ago, she took the virus and negated the bond. It worked for her. She’s now happily mated to a vampire-demon hybrid, Vero. I think they have their third or fourth k id on the way.”

“So you say. But you never really know, do you? I remember when Benjamin Reese kidnapped her, after my uncles had tortured him for days. If you ask me, he let them capture him just so he could get ahold of her,” Vero muttered. “At least he came back for the twin human girls she’d adopted. I hope they’re safe. The Kurjans get a bad rap, but the vampires and demons have kidnapped just as many females through the yea rs as we have.”

“So, the nightmare?” Paxton asked softly, obviously not risi ng to the bait.

Vero shrugged. “My uncle was harassing Karma as she served us dinner one night, and I got between them and told him to knock it off. He was twice my size, so he purposely shoved me into her, and we went down. Her arms were bare and so were mine, and the mating rash immediately sprang up. I pushed her away, but he had stuck his boot at the small of her back, keeping her in place. We touched for long enough that the rash burned us both and remained for several weeks.”

“What a dick ,” Lyrica said.

Vero chuckled, and his shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, he was. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing for myself that Karm a’s all right.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Paxton said. “No promises. She mated Benjamin Reese, and he lives by his own rules.”

“What does that mean?” Ver o asked curtly.

Paxton watched his brother carefully. “Benny’s a good guy, but some people thin k he’s insane.”

“What?” Vero burst out.

Paxton held up a large hand. “No, he isn’t. He’s actually quite brilliant, and he adores Karma. He doesn’t live within the Realm confines, though.” He relaxed again and leaned against the doorjamb. “I’m sure I could track him down. Well, maybe, if Benny wants to be tracked down.”

Lyrica gulped as her feet star ted to warm up.

“So,” Paxton said awkwardly, straightening and once again backing out of the room. “I’m sorry to hav e interrupted.”

“You didn’t,” Lyrica said. Darn it. Why did she keep protesting? She didn’t care what the Kurjan leader thought.

Vero’s shoulders went back. “I apologize and won’t let it happen again.” He gave her a shallow nod of his head. “There’s no excuse for my behavior, and I hope I didn’t frighten you too badly.”

Why did he always sound so formal? Well, most of the Kurjans did, actually. Lyrica cleared her throat. “You caught me before I could get hurt, and it’s all right. We all understand nightmares, and that sounds like a bad one.” How fast were his re flexes, anyway?

Paxton looked from Lyrica to Vero, an unidentifiable light in his sharp eyes. “I was hoping the speed dating had b een a success.”

“Good night, brother,” Ve ro said firmly.

“Okey doke.” Paxton shut the door, and his heavy footsteps sounded do wn the hallway.

Vero crossed his arms, the sinewed strength beneath his skin tightening like coiled steel, a quiet display of power just below the surface. “I assure you this lodge is as safe as can be. I have all entrances and exits covered with an additional set of guards rotating at irregular intervals. You should be able to sleep well.”

Was he kicking her out? It sure sounded like it. Although she should be heading back to her room. Yet something in her wanted to reassure him. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Vero. I chose to stay, and we both got some much -needed sleep.”

Vero’s lids half lowered, casting a shadow over his eyes that gave him the sharp, focused intensity of a hunter locking onto its target. “That short window has given me pause. If anybody tried to take you from me last night, I would’ve obliterated them.” He looked up at the ceiling and back down. “I had no involvement with kidnapping the females, so I don’t know if anybody had commitments to other males. We’ll need to shore up defenses as the men come for them.”

Obliterated? Wow. Her mouth gaped open and she quickly shut it. She absently tugged at a stray thread on the bedspread, her fingers twisting it in a quiet, restless motion. “I’ve spoken with all the kidnapped females, and nobody is married or committed. That can’t be a coincidence. My guess is that the Kurjans only kidnapped single females.” It m ade some sense.

“We’ll see. And I need more information about your ex. There’s no way he isn’t hunting you down, even if you think he ’s just an ex.”

She tried not to laugh. “No. I don’t think Mike is the type to hunt down a woman who broke up with him on the phone.”

“I don’ t believe you.”

She sat back, studying Vero’s hard f ace. “Why not?”

His searing blue gaze raked her, dark with raw, dangerous intensity. “Because if anyone took you from me, I’d burn the world to ash to find you—and I’d tear through the wreckage with bloody hands until not hing remained.”

She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs just stuttered, forgetting their job. “You mean, if we were dating?” Her voice trembled.

He blinked once. Slowly. “I think you should return to your room for the remainder of the night.”