She made a small sound of distress. “I need to be home to direct my team when the Kurjans attack. I wish Vero and Hunter would hurry.”
Paxton didn’t much like the idea of her being in the middle of a battle, but he certainly wanted to be there. “We still have time.” The Kurjans most likely wouldn’t attack until dark. Even though it was December, the sun was bright over northern Idaho this week because of the frigid temperatures. “They won’t attack while the sun is out, even though it doesn’t harm them the way it used to.”
She looked up, for a third time bumping his chin. Her eyes met his. “What about you? Does the sun weaken you?”
“I didn’t feel great when I was in it yesterday,” he admitted. “That’s something we’re going to have to watch. But perhaps since I lived most of my life in the sun, I will have some sort of defense.”
She traced the ridges of his abs with one finger, shooting fire through him. His cock hardened instantly, which was his default setting if he was anywhere near her. “Most of the Kurjans can be in the sun for up to four hours these days, so if you have a few more hours’ tolerance, you could be just fine. We’ll just watch it.” She kissed his chin.
“That sounds like a good plan.” He couldn’t believe that she was finally his. “Are you all right?” he asked softly. He’d awakened her two more times during the day, and he’d tried to be gentle, but that seemed not to be what either of them wanted.
“Yeah, I’m good,” she said, her eyes a mellow blue. “How about you?”
What a question. “I’ve never been this good,” he admitted. He pulled her body up his and held the back of her head, kissing her, unable to stop touching her.
A sound caught his attention, and he stiffened.
“What?” She looked toward the door.
He listened intently. “A helicopter, three clicks out.”
She scrambled off him, naked, whisker burn reddening her entire body. “We don’t have any clothes.”
He stood and tossed her the blanket. “If they’re allies, they brought clothing.” Hopefully allies were coming and not the enemy. He didn’t even know where they were right now. There weren’t any weapons in the small shack, and there was nowhere for him to hide her. He wrapped a hand-quilted blanket around his hips and strode toward the door. “Stay behind me, Hope.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Hope shook out the stiffness in her muscles in case she needed to fight. The door was open, and she huddled closer to Paxton’s broad back, seeking warmth. With him heating her front and the fire crackling behind her, she wasn’t feeling the arctic chill, even though the sun was about to dip behind the mountain. “Can you see who it is?”
“Not yet,” he said, his partially nude body tense and at the ready.
She gulped and tried to peer around him, but he was too big.
Slowly, his muscles relaxed. “It’s one of ours.”
Relief filled her so completely her legs felt weak. Then she turned and snatched the black sparkly book off the cot.
He stepped to the side, and she ducked under his arm, clutching the book and blanket to her chest. A Realm copter blew snow in every direction, and clumps of the white powder fell off the surrounding trees. The vehicle was silver and gleamed in the waning sunlight. It dropped perfectly and then went silent. The door and the back hatch opened.
Both Vero and Hunter jumped out.
“Oh, good,” Hope said. “They’re okay.” Her mind had been spinning, and she’d been trying not to worry.
“Excellent.” Paxton ducked and lifted her in his arms, striding out, wearing only the quilt hanging loose on his hips.
“You don’t have shoes,” she protested. “At least let them bring you boots.”
He ignored her. As he strode down the faint trail they’d created, the snow reached his thighs.
Libby poked her head out of the copter. She was dressed in combat gear, and her thick auburn hair was in twin pigtails. She smiled. “Thank God you two are all right.”
Paxton reached the craft and settled Hope inside. She tripped on the blanket, and Libby caught her, pulling her to the rear of the craft. “Here, I brought you clothes.” She handed over cargo pants, a black turtleneck, a bulletproof vest, combat boots, and some bright pink Ugg socks. “They’re your favorite,” she said. She hugged Hope, holding her close. “I was so scared when you were taken.”
“So was I,” Hope said.
“Whoa.” Libby yanked Hope forward and caught sight of her chest. Her head whipped around to stare at Paxton and then back to Hope. She grabbed her shoulders. “Oh my God, you guys mated.”
Heat blasted into Hope’s face, the blush so hot it burned her skin. “Yeah.”
Libby hugged her tight. “Oh, congratulations. It’s about freaking time.”
Paxton settled into the craft. The other two jumped in, and they shut the door. Hope looked around. Her entire team was there. The twins were piloting the craft, while Derrick and Libby were in the back, leaving plenty of room for Hunter, Vero, Paxton, and herself. Derrick tossed combat clothing toward Paxton.
“Is the Realm all right?” Hope asked, reaching for a shirt to tug over her head. “Headquarters hasn’t been attacked yet?”
“No, we got the warning from Hunter and Vero in plenty of time,” Derrick said. “We’re on the offensive. With Vero’s help, we traced the location of the camp where Ulric is. We’re going to take them instead.”
“We’re going on the offense,” Liam called out from the pilot seat.
“Hell yeah,” Collin joined in.
Hope gulped. She hadn’t intended on seeing battle so quickly after becoming mated, but it was her job. “All right, where are we right now?”
“Alaska,” Hunter said. “So we’re about two hours out from hitting the camp.”
“An hour,” Liam called back. “You wouldn’t believe how fast this baby goes. Collin tweaked it last week. We should get there at the same time as the Seven.”
Hope yanked the cargo pants beneath the blanket and pulled them up. It felt good to have clothes on, and even though the pink socks looked ridiculous, they were her favorite and they were warm. “The Seven are coming?”
“Yes,” Libby said soberly. “They don’t know the next time they’ll have Ulric’s location pinpointed, and this camp is not the main Kurjan headquarters, so half of their force is elsewhere. The compound is well armed from what we could tell by satellite, but we finally know where Ulric is based.”
Hope settled into battle mode. “Did they bring the three Keys?”
“No,” Derrick said. “They have the blood of the three Keys, combined with yours, which should be all that’s needed. Their presence isn’t required. They have the combined blood in bullets, they have it in bombs. They even have it in darts. If there’s a way to get the concoction into Ulric, we’re going to do it.”
She reached for the black scaly book. “I don’t think that’s it.” The book felt familiar in her hand.