Chapter 19

CLARA'S POV

I twisted my torso to stare at my right hip. My skin held the full imprint of fingers from a man's hand. A large hand. I swiveled to see the connected palm on the backside of my hip with the intricate black crest settled in the middle. Was that a K? It was the perfect imprint of Taki's hand as he had held me when he had bitten me. A marking on my ass?

"How?" I hissed as I poked at the imprint. It did not hurt. So it can not be a burn. But I remembered how hot his hand had been, though my focus had admittedly been elsewhere.

The front door crashed open, and my mouth opened in shock at Taki.

"You branded me?" Fury greater than I would have thought possible swept through me and made my voice hoarse. Rage quickened my breath and sprang the nerves along my skin to life.

I was going to kill him.

He paused as the wind threw hard pebbles of rain inside the cabin before he stalked inside and slammed the door shut. "Not now darling. Get dressed, quickly. We have a problem." He turned to peer outside the window, pushing a button on his watch.

"Dage, come in." His voice was low and controlled, but the sense of urgency in the air had me throwing on my clothing. I would kill him later.

"Dage here." Tension crackled across the line.

"Are you at headquarters?" He asked, as he peered into the drizzly grey day as I stared at his back.

"For a few more minutes. They have hit us in Texas, Canada, and Spain," came Dage's reply across the line.

"Shit. We're at war." Disgust coated Taki's voice. "I need you to pull up satellite for my location and tell me how many Kurgans are in the area."

"It is daytime. There shouldn't be any," Dage said as the sound of typing came across the line.

"Tell that to the one I just killed," He retorted. "Plus, it is raining. No sun in sight." He added.

"Crap. A squad of five is about two miles southeast of your location." Dage's voice sounded across the line.

He nodded. "I killed the scout."

Jesus. How many people had he killed? How often did he kill? Fear slumbered down my spine to settle below my ribs.

"I will send someone to you," Dage responded.

"No need. We will head your way. You take care of Texas."

I moved toward him with a soft sound of distress. He turned narrowed eyes on me. "Dage? How is my daughter?" His eyes held my wide ones captive.

A male snort echoed over the line. "She is now the proud owner of seven ponies. Though, she liked the one I gave her the most." Pleased pride came clearly across the miles. "Tell your mate Jane's safety is our highest priority. I am leaving Jake and Drake with her while I am in Texas." He replied.

Taki's brow furrowed in concern. "Drake? He will protect Jane with his life, but looking at him could give a sweet child like her nightmares for years." He said to Dage.

Dage chuckled. "Yes. Uncle Drake is currently learning how to make sprinkled iced cupcakes with your bewitching daughter." He said, referring to me.

"Cupcakes? He's the deadliest soldier I have trained—his frown is rumored to bring the devil." Taki said, shock evident on his face.

"She even has him wearing an apron," Dage said with a chuckle.

"What?" Taki grinned at me.

"It is blue with white flowers," Dage laughed out loud. "I will be in touch from Texas." The line went dead.

Taki turned amused eyes on me. "Apparently our daughter has enthralled our soldiers," he said with a wide smile.

My eyes filled with tears. "We have never been apart, Taki."

His gaze softened. "Then let us get to her, darling." He opened the door for me. A beat-up brown Chevy pickup with its engine running waited in the pelting rain.

After grabbing the plant, I ran through the deluge and jumped inside the truck to settle on a rough thunderbird blanket. I buckled my seat belt as Taki settled his large bulk and starting driving across the bumpy road toward the north. "We will keep heading northwest to meet some friends," he murmured as the windshield wipers worked at top speed to clear the window.

"What about the Kurgans?" I scrutinized the trees before peering out the back.

He shrugged. "They are a couple of miles behind us and at some point we should hit sunshine." He replied as turned toward me. "Can you sense them?"

"Of course not." What was he talking about?

"I think you can, Clara."

"That is ridiculous." I replied, ignoring the big rock in my stomach as I protested. "Whose truck is this?"

"I borrowed it from a neighbor."

"Ah," I suddenly remembered. "Who are Drake and Jake?"

"Jake is my youngest brother, and Drake is one of our soldiers. Jane can not be any safer than she is right now." He swore under his breath as he dodged falling branches from the pine trees surrounding us. "You can not ignore your abilities forever, mate."

I again ignored the subject. "You called her 'our daughter,'" I said softly, my eyes on the muddying road as lightning lit the sky before us.

"Of course," he said in surprise. "I meant what I said, Clara."

"Where is she?" The softness had steel beneath it.

"She is at our headquarters," he replied.

I let out an irritated hiss of breath. "Where, Taki?"

He was quiet for a moment. "In the mountains around Boulder."

"Boulder? Colorado?" I turned in surprise to his profile as a fierce wind beat against my window.

He nodded. "Yes. We like the mountains and the amount of sunshine ensures the Kurgans do not visit."

I thought a moment. "Boulder?" My voice rose as fury slammed into me. "You could not just take us there—I mean, without the ceremony?"