Fated (30 page)

Reason barely overcame anger, and she turned back to the papers in front of her. She needed to find a way to protect herself from the virus right now; she’d deal with Talen later.

Her mind continued to spin until a migraine loomed over her head. The computer finished updating with a sharp beep. Finally. She typed in her e-mail account, hoping Emma had fled and was checking in.

A familiar return address came up, and she gasped at the message sent the day before. Emma must be all right. She opened the message with bated breath, and her stomach hit the floor as a picture of her sister unfolded on the screen. Emma sat bound in a chair with a furious glare on her face and a bruise on her cheek.

A phone number scrolled under the photograph.

Cara’s hands shook as she quickly dialed the number—with all of Talen’s security, the phone lines must be secured. She hoped.

A deep voice answered the phone. “Hello, sotie.”

Damn it. “I’m not your mate, Lorcan.” Her heart started pounding.

“You will be.” The sound of papers shuffling came across the line. “Thank you for calling.”

“Where’s my sister?”

“Ah, your sister. I have to tell you, I would’ve thought you were the pain in the ass sister after our last meeting, but I would’ve been wrong.” A bone chilling laugh slithered across the line, and a hard fear took residence in her stomach. “I’m quite pleased I have the more mellow sister.”

“Where is she?” Cara’s knuckles turned white on the phone.

“She’s perfectly fine, Cara. I have no desire to hurt the sister of my sotie and would very much like to let her go. Believe me.” His voice intensified, apparently her sister was
being difficult. “I will gladly trade her for you. As soon as possible.”

Cara didn’t need Janie’s psychic abilities to know he lied. There was no way the Kurjans would let a woman with enhanced abilities go free—if Emma hadn’t been mated yet, it was a matter of time. “Fine, Lorcan. Let me talk to my sister and ensure she’s all right—if so, I’ll trade myself for her.”

A frustrated sigh came over the phone. “Very well.”

Muted voices filled the silence, but Cara couldn’t make out the individual words until a door opened. Then, “I’m not talking to anyone, you asshole,” came clearly across the line.

“Emma?” Cara stood to her feet.

“Damn it. Cara? Whatever you do,
do not
listen to this prick. He’s a fucking freak …” Her sister gave a muffled cry, and a door slammed.

“I swear on the prophets, I am going to kill that bitch if she stays here much longer.” Lorcan’s shrill voice sent chills down her spine.

“No, don’t,” Cara whispered, her heart thundering and her feet tingling with the need to run. God, she needed Talen. She may be seriously pissed at him, but there was no question she needed his help here.

“Only you can stop me, sotie. Our trace has revealed you’re in the western United States, but, unfortunately, I can’t pinpoint your location closer than that. Apparently the vampires have upped their technology as well. Where are you dear?”

She couldn’t tell him. If the Kurjans had any idea where the vampires’ headquarters were, they’d attack. Even for her sister she wouldn’t do that, and her mind ran through the possibilities. “Where are you, Lorcan?”

“At one of my temporary strongholds in the west. We moved here as we tracked your movements.”

Please let them be either in Utah or Nevada. The vampires should be at both facilities by now. “Good. I’ll come to you. Just tell me where.”

“I’d rather come and get you.”

“I’m sure. But that isn’t going to happen.” She kept her voice calm and resolved even while her stomach clenched. “I will meet you anywhere you wish, but I will not tell you my location.”

Silence filled the line for a moment. “You can’t protect your former mate from me forever, Cara.”

“Talen is more than capable of taking care of himself.” Even she could hear the bitterness in her voice.

“Ah,” Lorcan’s satisfied tone nearly made her gag, “You have seen the true colors of the vampires, have you?”

“I am not having this discussion with you, Lorcan. Do you wish to meet up or not?” God, how was she going to save not only Emma but herself?

“Yes, I am in Wheatland, Cara. I’m warning you, should the vampires find me and attack, I will kill your sister—with great pain. And Cara, I’ll enjoy myself.”

She believed him. The truth echoed in his voice; he would sacrifice a potential mate in this instance. “Where the hell is Wheatland?”

He sighed. “The human educational system truly has failed you. Wheatland is in eastern Wyoming.”

Damn it. The vampires were nowhere near. It would take them at least three hours to reach Wyoming. “I need some time.”

“You have two hours. Then I start cutting pieces of this obnoxious bitch off.”

So, she’d head north. She could stall Lorcan for the extra hour it took for the Kayrs brothers to show. “Fine. I’ll call this number when I reach Wheatland. And I will speak to my sister before I tell you where I am.”

“Of course. I look forward to seeing you again.” He clicked off.

C
ara stood still for a moment, her mind reeling with the possibilities, her gaze flying around Talen’s office. She had to save her sister, and she had to leave Janie to do so. Talen would make sure Janie was protected even if something happened to Cara. The bastard might have married Cara to breed her, but his affection for Janie was obvious. A deep voice wondered if the affection he showed for her was true as well. She told the voice to grow up, the files didn’t lie.

The voice told her to grow a pair and fight for what she wanted. Fight for the man and stop being a chicken shit. Damn voice.

Punching keys on the computer, she found the most direct route to Wheatland. Basically, head north for about one hundred forty miles. She could do that.

She calmed herself with several deep breaths, her gaze calculating as she scanned Talen’s office. She remembered the hidden room at Jordan’s and wondered where Talen would keep his weapons. Somewhere safe. Somewhere away from Janie. She ignored the wall of windows and concentrated tapping on the side walls. They sounded alike. Not hollow. With a frustrated sigh, she sat back down and drafted a quick note to Max and a longer one to Janie.

Exhaling all her doubts, she opened her mind to Talen. “You there, mate?”

“Yes. In the middle of something here, Cara.” A mental sigh came over loud and clear. “Emma’s not here.”

An image of a building nearly reduced to rubble filled her mind. “I know. I’m going to meet her in Wyoming.”

“No, you’re not.”
Rage and fear edged each word.

He had the audacity to tell her what to do? Seriously? Fury had her shields slipping for just a moment. “I don’t take orders from you, mate.” She sneered the last word.

Silence. Then, “I can explain the file, Cara.”

“Meet me in Wheatland, Talen. I’ll stall Lorcan until you get there.” She slammed down hard mental shields before he could reply. Boy was he going to be pissed.

She wondered at her ability to do what she was about to do. The option remained for her to wait until Talen arrived, but Lorcan had sounded serious about hurting Emma. In fact, he’d seemed almost eager to do so.

Plus, her sister was an incredibly strong psychic—she’d be waiting for Cara, knowing of her plan.

Taking a determined breath, she ran into the kitchen and grabbed two knives off the counter, one she tucked into her right sock, the other she kept in her hand. With a quick prayer for help, she jogged to the garage which she opened with a punch of a button. She stared bemused at the black Hummer and a sleek two-seater sports car. Hmm. Well, in for a dollar … Relief bombarded her as she found the keys in the ignition of the sports car, which purred to life like an awakened tiger, and she couldn’t help but compare its muted roar with Talen—both sleek, hungry, and promising unimaginable power. She couldn’t control either one of them.

She sped out of the garage, wondering how soon Talen could arrive in Wyoming. She punched her foot to the pedal and ignored her queasiness as the pretty pine trees blended into one long green blur outside. She reached Wheatland in just over two hours and wearily pulled into a Texaco outside of town to make her phone call. Her stomach revolted again,
probably from fear they’d inject her with the virus as soon as possible. She wondered if she should’ve waited for backup.

With a sigh, she parked next to the light blue telephone booth and stepped out of the car into the mellow spring air. She grasped the side of the sports car as the world spun around her, and with a deep breath she centered herself before walking slowly, carefully into the booth. She ran her credit card through the slot and punched in the number before she could change her mind, knowing they’d be able to trace the phone call and seeing no reason to lie about her whereabouts.

“Hello, Cara.” Lorcan’s satisfied tone made her want to gag.

“Put my sister on.” Her voice sounded calmer than she had hoped.

“Of course.”

A shuffling came over the line, then “Tell me you did not come to Wyoming.” Outrage rose her sister’s voice an octave.

“Hi, Emma. Good to talk to you, too,” Cara said wryly.

“Damn it—Cara, run! Now!” There was the sound of a scuffle, her sister swearing like a trucker, and then silence.

“As you could hear, your infuriating sister is just fine,” Lorcan hissed.

“Yes.” Cara agreed, a lump in her throat. How long Emma stayed fine was certainly up in the air.

“Where are you, Cara?”

“I’m at the Texaco east of town.”

“Ah, good. I will send men to retrieve you. And, if you are not with them when they return …” He let the threat hang across the line.

“I will be, Lorcan.” She had come this far, it was too late to back out.

“I look forward to starting our life together.” His eerie voice almost had a calming quality. Almost.

“I don’t suppose it matters that I don’t want a life with you?” Maybe she had misread him.

“Not in the slightest.” His laugh rivaled the scariest Halloween recording ever made. “But you should consider yourself lucky we can return you to human form and rid you of the vampire’s taint. Otherwise, I would just have to kill you.”

Cara’s mind reeled for an appropriate response. There wasn’t one. Dread pooled like dinosaur sludge in her gut as she thought of Talen, while he may have married her because she was a potential, he wouldn’t have killed her if things hadn’t worked out. There truly wasn’t a question of who the good guys were here.

“My sister had better be in one piece when I arrive, Lorcan.” She hung up the phone, grimacing at the pretty sports car. She’d better hide it before the Kurjans showed up.

Tucking the second knife into the small of her back, she sat on the yellow curb with her chin cradled in her hands when the shockingly white van pulled up. The gas station sprawled behind her with empty asphalted parking slots. There was little activity on the outskirts of town, and she figured she was on her own as she took in the silent vehicle. The windows were tinted almost black but she knew who, or rather what, lay inside waiting for her. Dread slid inside her stomach in even time with the van door opening; before she could peer into the darkened interior, the stench of evil rolled outside and her heart stopped. She stood and took one step forward.

She faltered on her next step as Talen’s voice wove strong and sure through her conscious while she stared into the darkness.
“Do not get into that van.”

“I don’t have a choice,” she thought back to him as strong as she could.

“Run into the sun away from the van, mate.”
Anger thickened his voice, and her heart jumped to life in response.

She shook her head, her thoughts swirling. She had to save Emma. She tried to send back a plea for Talen to take care of Janie should she not survive this. She took another step toward the van just as a cascading wave of pure fury rolled
through her brain to land in her heart, and with a cry, she saw blackness.

“Fuck. I think I short-circuited her brain,” Talen growled in anger from his seat in the modified helicopter.

“Seriously?” Dage turned in astonishment. “Do you know how rare that kind of connection is?”

Talen cut golden eyes at his brother. “Who cares? Now she’s out cold, and I can’t tell where she’s going.” He turned back to watch the landscape below them flash by. “And she ran from me. What kind of connection is that?”

“She went to save her sister, Talen.” Dage concentrated on flying the bird at a greater speed than he should. Jase and Conn muttered something to each other in the backseat.

“Well, that’s my fucking job, isn’t it Dage?” A fierce growl rode through the words.

“Actually, it’s my fucking job, brother. And don’t you forget it.” Dage’s tone matched Talen’s.

Talen swung pained eyes at Dage. “Do you really think Emma’s your mate?”

“I know it.” An absolute tone echoed through the earpieces.

“Well good fucking luck.”

“Thank you.” Now the tenor was dry. “And frankly, you’re more pissed at yourself than your mate.”

“Excuse me?”

“You should’ve told her about that damn file, Talen. Also, leaving her access to the computer and that account? Of course they’d contact her.”

“I was trying to keep her mind occupied while we searched for her sister.” In truth, he hadn’t been thinking. In fact, he hadn’t thought straight since he’d met the little scientist. “And you’re wrong.” Talen’s jaw snapped shut.

“About what?” Dage asked.

“I’m more pissed at my mate. A fact she will soon regret.”

Dage shook his head. “I’m pretty sure you don’t understand women.”

Talen shrugged. “I don’t care. But mine will understand me.”

Dage checked several gages. “We’re five minutes outside of Cheyenne. Has she regained consciousness?”

Talen closed his eyes to better concentrate before reopening them. “No. Not yet.” He turned his anxious gaze out the window.

Cara came awake in strong arms with a cry, but the arms were wrong—too long, too cold, and too unwelcome. She looked up into swirling purple eyes and nausea slammed into her.