that’s all.”
“Are you immortal?”
“Close enough.” He sat back and studied her. “I’ve lived long enough to have lost loved ones.” Rubbing a hand across his chin, he cleared his throat. “Your file mentioned Janie’s father—I’m sorry you lost Simon. Is the wound still fresh?”
Cara’s breath caught in her throat, and she shrugged. “I miss him. We were good friends, and I think Janie would’ve loved him.”
Talen cocked his head to the side. “You were mere friends?”
Smoothing her napkin on her lap, Cara nodded. “Yes. We dated for a bit, but I never expected love or marriage in my life.” Her mind scrambled for anything else to talk about. “You said earlier you were a protector for your kind.”
“I am. As are my brothers.” Talen crossed his arms across his chest, a thoughtful expression sliding across the strong planes of his face.
“What does that mean?” She needed to find Janie.
“I guess you’d call us the ruling family. My eldest brother Dage would be considered a king in many civilizations.”
“If you’re in the so-called royal family, how are you a protector?” She placed her napkin on her bowl. “I mean, if your title means what it implies?”
“It does. Even when protecting impossible humans.” Talen snorted in amusement. “But as the royal family, we’re the first to fight when necessary. The five of us have trained since childhood. It’s our duty as the royal family to be the first to defend. The first to die, if need be.”
Cara took in his solemn gaze with a puzzled frown.
“I know.” Talen agreed with her look. “Your people wouldn’t fight with each other so often if the ones deciding to fight were the first ones to bleed. Your society has a ways to go, if you don’t blow yourselves up first.”
The superior look on his face rankled her temper. Her baby was with the protectors. The first to die, if necessary. It was unacceptable. “And where are you based?”
“You’ll learn all about our home when we get there, Cara.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” The absurd reality hit her like a wrecking ball. The man before her was pure danger and every survival instinct she had screeched for her to run. “Get my daughter here, now.” She rose to her feet, her eyes darting to the knife block on the counter and back.
Chapter 7
“T ry it.” His voice softened dangerously as he relaxed back in his chair. The rain beat a soft hum against the cozy cabin in direct opposition to the now tense energy swirling around.
She thought about it, she really did—the image of the blade piercing his immortal chest, the absolute surprise on his face as one of his prey plunged the knife deep, wiping that infuriating arrogance away. But the man still had Janie.
Cara took a full breath and used her most reasonable tone. “This isn’t going to work, Talen. I’ve changed my mind. Janie and I will be fine on our own.”
“We’re married, Cara. You and Janie will never be on your own again.” He spoke slowly, as if making sure she heard and understood each word.
“We’ll get unmarried, Talen. I’m not joking. Even your barbaric race must have some sort of annulment process. I want one.”
“Barbaric?” Talen raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Maybe. But only those who haven’t mated are granted what you’d call an annulment, Cara.”
“Good. We haven’t mated.” She blushed until her cheeks ached.
“We will mate tonight, wife.” His eyes flared hot and golden.
“No.” She lifted her chin and ignored the skittering in her lower stomach.
“Cara,” he leaned forward in his chair, “before this night has ended you will have no doubt you’ve been mated.” Intent surrounded him. Then it slammed into her. Damn those faulty empathic shields—maybe she should’ve been working on the damn skill instead of pretending it didn’t exist.
“Not a chance.” Her body hummed to agree while her mind screamed run. “Besides, you said
you
“Are you immortal?”
“Close enough.” He sat back and studied her. “I’ve lived long enough to have lost loved ones.” Rubbing a hand across his chin, he cleared his throat. “Your file mentioned Janie’s father—I’m sorry you lost Simon. Is the wound still fresh?”
Cara’s breath caught in her throat, and she shrugged. “I miss him. We were good friends, and I think Janie would’ve loved him.”
Talen cocked his head to the side. “You were mere friends?”
Smoothing her napkin on her lap, Cara nodded. “Yes. We dated for a bit, but I never expected love or marriage in my life.” Her mind scrambled for anything else to talk about. “You said earlier you were a protector for your kind.”
“I am. As are my brothers.” Talen crossed his arms across his chest, a thoughtful expression sliding across the strong planes of his face.
“What does that mean?” She needed to find Janie.
“I guess you’d call us the ruling family. My eldest brother Dage would be considered a king in many civilizations.”
“If you’re in the so-called royal family, how are you a protector?” She placed her napkin on her bowl. “I mean, if your title means what it implies?”
“It does. Even when protecting impossible humans.” Talen snorted in amusement. “But as the royal family, we’re the first to fight when necessary. The five of us have trained since childhood. It’s our duty as the royal family to be the first to defend. The first to die, if need be.”
Cara took in his solemn gaze with a puzzled frown.
“I know.” Talen agreed with her look. “Your people wouldn’t fight with each other so often if the ones deciding to fight were the first ones to bleed. Your society has a ways to go, if you don’t blow yourselves up first.”
The superior look on his face rankled her temper. Her baby was with the protectors. The first to die, if necessary. It was unacceptable. “And where are you based?”
“You’ll learn all about our home when we get there, Cara.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” The absurd reality hit her like a wrecking ball. The man before her was pure danger and every survival instinct she had screeched for her to run. “Get my daughter here, now.” She rose to her feet, her eyes darting to the knife block on the counter and back.
Chapter 7
“T ry it.” His voice softened dangerously as he relaxed back in his chair. The rain beat a soft hum against the cozy cabin in direct opposition to the now tense energy swirling around.
She thought about it, she really did—the image of the blade piercing his immortal chest, the absolute surprise on his face as one of his prey plunged the knife deep, wiping that infuriating arrogance away. But the man still had Janie.
Cara took a full breath and used her most reasonable tone. “This isn’t going to work, Talen. I’ve changed my mind. Janie and I will be fine on our own.”
“We’re married, Cara. You and Janie will never be on your own again.” He spoke slowly, as if making sure she heard and understood each word.
“We’ll get unmarried, Talen. I’m not joking. Even your barbaric race must have some sort of annulment process. I want one.”
“Barbaric?” Talen raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “Maybe. But only those who haven’t mated are granted what you’d call an annulment, Cara.”
“Good. We haven’t mated.” She blushed until her cheeks ached.
“We will mate tonight, wife.” His eyes flared hot and golden.
“No.” She lifted her chin and ignored the skittering in her lower stomach.
“Cara,” he leaned forward in his chair, “before this night has ended you will have no doubt you’ve been mated.” Intent surrounded him. Then it slammed into her. Damn those faulty empathic shields—maybe she should’ve been working on the damn skill instead of pretending it didn’t exist.
“Not a chance.” Her body hummed to agree while her mind screamed run. “Besides, you said
you
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