TAKI'S POV
Groaning, I finished signing the last of the legal papers while Jane happily colored pictures of ponies beside me. My brother Dage owed me big time for appointing him liaison to this agency. The metal building housing the secret U.S. Marshal base hoarded heat like a miser with gold, and I wanted to get out of here. The third floor was even more stifling than the lower ones with the sparse conference room. I was anxious to get my new family home and claim my mate.
Suddenly, my watch blinked an insistent green. I pushed a small button on the side.
"Why the hell do we have you traveling away from the pick-up spot at a quick rate?" Although I phrased it as a question, my brother's deep voice sounded more irritated than curious.
"What?" My heart thumped.
"We. Have. You. Moving. Away." His voice went from irritated to pissed in a heartbeat. He was well known for disliking surprises.
"Fuck." I jumped to my feet and picked up a startled Jane, running for the elevator. The door slid open, and I wasn't surprised to see Nicholas unconscious on the floor. I dodged inside as the director swiped a card over a small window before leaning down to make sure Nicholas was still breathing.
I didn't spare a glance at the fallen man. An odd clenching of my gut caused my breath to hitch and a ringing sound to fill my ears. Fear? Brittle pine filled my nostrils, and my eyes started to burn.
"Are you on the tarmac?" I asked my brother, a rage building in my gut.
"Of course," He growled. "Where the fuck are you?"
"In the elevator, heading down. I'm not wearing my cuff; my wife has it on." I held Jane close as the elevator moved slowly—too damn slowly—down several floors. I should've taken the stairs.
There was a silent pause, then, "Wife?"
"Yeah, wife," I confirmed as I ran from the elevator, straight at my brother in the secured landing site, the small child held safely in my arms. I passed him, jumping aboard the open side hatch of the sleek blue vessel. My brother pivoted and followed, setting himself in the pilot's seat next to me, punching buttons before he even sat down.
"Ready for takeoff," He said while the engine quietly roared to life. The military vessel had been tweaked a bit by our brother Ray.
"What the hell?" He muttered at me while expertly maneuvering the small craft into the air. I had never appreciated my brother's ability to jump into action as much as I did right now. Or my brother Ray's ability to take any vehicle and alter it to fit our needs.
"Here she is." My mind focused into the cold state of killing as a small blip moved over the radar. Jane's quiet sob against my chest had me schooling my face into a bland expression. I lifted her chin with one gentle finger, smiling at her tear-filled blue eyes.
"It's all right, sweetheart. We're going to get your mummy back." The wide eyes on me held a humbling amount of both fear and trust. I felt an age-old male instinct to draw blood. Someone had taken what was mine. I pushed any thought of Clara being hurt to the back of his mind and started to coldly plan for her abductors to die.
He nodded at Jane. "This must be the child you were to acquire?"
"Hi." Jane snuggled closer to my chest. "You've been in my dreams." She said to him.
He turned his full attention on the little girl, his grin of recognition matching hers. "You've been in mine, too."
"Except for your eyes, you look a lot like Taki," she said shyly.
"Nah." He focused his silver eyes and flashed twin dimples at the little girl. "I'm a lot better looking."
"My daughter, Jane." I wasn't surprised my new daughter apparently understood the private joke he shared with fate. "Jane, this is your Uncle Dage."
Dage's metallic eyes met mine before he looked back at the small, fragile female. "My niece," he said solemnly and with acceptance, as if only he heard the sound of fate clicking into place. I thought it was loud enough that even humans could decipher its tenor.
He turned a full smile on me. "You were
only gone for a day."
"I know."
"So, brother, I never said you had to marry her." He said as he lifted a brow.
"Someone had to." I said with my jaw firm. "You know it was the only way to keep her safe."
"Yeah, but why you?" He challenged as his fingers moved deftly over the control panel.
"Because, she's mine," I answered with a finality that had him grinning in acceptance. Then I flipped over his palm to reveal the intricate design.
His eyes widened. "The marking."
"Yep," I said smugly. "Definitely mine."
"Congratulations." Dage ran a hand over his face. "I'd begun to wonder if Ray's marking was a fluke, if the legends of natural marking were true. If it could happen without an arrangement and the vow."
"I think it's supposed to happen that way," I said. "The brand formed the second I touched Clara's arm. And it hurt like hell for a moment."
Dage grinned. "I'd wondered about that as well. Ray said his hand felt as if a burning spear pierced right through it." He punched a couple of buttons on the consol. "I'd hoped a couple of us would naturally find our mates."
"We all should, Dage. Living with a mate arranged via contract is no way to spend eternity, brother." My hand started to throb the closer we came to the vehicle holding my mate. "Plus, you wouldn't have been dreaming about the same woman for centuries if fate didn't have a plan for you." I said.
"Maybe," He replied. "Did you tell your mate everything?" He asked.
"Of course not." I responded.
"How did you lose her?" The life scan attached to the life cuff was strong and steady as it moved to the northwest. His grin disappeared as I caught him up on recent events. "We should both go."
"No." I snarled. "My wife. My fight. Plus, you must keep Jane safe."
"I'm coming with you." The little girl sat up with a haughty glare. "My mummy. My fight."
We both stifled our chuckles as our eyes met over Jane's head. Dage's gaze cleared like it did when a window to the future opened in his mind—his eyes narrowed and he cocked his head, listening to something only he could hear. Fucking psychic. He'd better predict good news this time.
Suddenly, a voice came in over the radio. "Dage, come in please." Strain hummed through the male's voice.
"Dage here, Charles. What's up?"
"There's a rapid smattering of activity over the com-lines. A contingent of Kurgans is moving toward our base in DC. They know we've acquired the females."
"Shit," Dage muttered under his breath as they caught up with a black SUV flinging clumps of dirt high into the air as it maneuvered between masses of tall pine trees. "Send reinforcements to DC. I'll arrive at headquarters within the day." He ordered.
He turned to me. "Her life signs look good—can you sense anything from her?"
"No. I haven't mated her yet." I spied the SUV below us. "Pull back a bit so they don't see us."
With a nod, he eased the controls up as Jane tapped on the display. "Is my mum in there?" She asked
I hugged her close, the scent of powder and innocence surrounding me. "Yes. She's fine, Jane." I replied to her question.
"I've scanned them." Dage pulled away a safe distance and I turned my attention to the onboard scanner. "A driver, three passengers, and a fifth person prone in the rear of the SUV."
My blood boiled at the image of my wife on her side, her hands tied before her. I quickly brought up an electronic map of the entire area. "The road leads here." I pointed to a deep, forested area about fifty miles to the north. I punched a few more buttons until a small lake with a few sparse cabins came into view.
"They have to be heading to one of these cabins. This one is the largest, probably their destination. There's a clearing." I pointed to a dubious clearing about a mile from the largest cabin. "Let me out here; I can make it to the cabin before they do." I said to Dage.
"All right." He increased our speed, and we veered sharply to the left toward the small clearing. "We can wait for an hour."
I frowned. "Too risky. Get Jane to safety and I'll head to Jordan's. We'll get transport there."
When he landed, I buckled Jane into the seat before I jumped out and grabbed a duffel bag. I donned a dark vest, inserted knives of various widths and lengths, then tucked my gun in the back of my dark jeans. Finally, I secured my thick hair with a rubber band.
I leaned forward, giving Jane my most reassuring smile. "It'll be alright, Jane. I'll bring your mom to you as soon as you and Dage take care of business."
The little girl threw both arms around my neck and effectively sliced my heart in two as she whispered, "Be careful, Daddy. I've been waiting a long time for you."
I rose, a lump in my throat as I handed my little girl over to my brother. "My child," he said, and with a nod, He responded, "My life." The vow was as old as our earliest ancestors, yet it was the first time one of us had a cause to give it.
I felt the future rushing in as my child placed her small hand in Dage's.
I turned away from my family, all semblance of the civilized man I had been wearing disappearing. My eyes heated to a fierce lava, my savage features warning nearby wildlife a true predator was in their midst. As a light rain started to fall, I ran toward the cabin to reclaim my mate.