Rebecca Zanetti: Shadowed

“Yes.” He handed the manila folder to Viv.

Brenna glanced at the folder. “What file?”

Viv met her gaze. “Your medical records.”

A ball of dread slammed into Brenna’s stomach. “Excuse me?”

Viv sighed. “Did you really think we wouldn’t notice your deteriorating health?”

Panic wanted to rise to the surface. “My medical records are private,” said Brenna.

“Bollocks.” Red spun across Viv’s high cheekbones. “Not only are we family and should’ve been told, but I’m also your boss. The council needs to be aware if you’re too ill to work.”

“I’m perfectly fine.” A very rare temper tickled at the base of Brenna’s neck.

“No, you’re not. The planekite has been slowly poisoning you from the inside for a decade.” Fury and helplessness filled Viv’s eyes. “The blood treatments aren’t working any longer.”

So much for living in denial for another week. Brenna flashed back to the moment ten years previous when a male witch who’d kidnapped her poured the vile concoction down her throat. The liquid had burned like acid, firing her veins into pinpricks of pain. Her limbs had weakened, and her blood had thickened in an effort to expel the poison.

In that moment, she’d known the planekite would kill her. The only question was when.

Yanking herself back to the present, she plastered on her best dignitary expression. “Replacing my blood with clean blood worked for the first eight years, but the poison has leaked into my tissues and muscles now,” she murmured. Planekite harmed witches, and most of it had been destroyed or locked away by armed guards to be used in research. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be an antidote to the poison. “I’ll submit my resignation tonight.” Then she frowned and glanced at Jase. “Why are you reading my medical records?”

No expression crossed his face. “I’m your cure.”

The world narrowed. Wait a minute. Brenna angled away from him. “Excuse me?”

Viv’s shoulders went back. “I contacted the king and requested an arranged mating between you and a member of the Kayrs royal family. Jase has kindly agreed.”

A roaring filled Brenna’s head. She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Her head jerked in a shaky motion. Mating meant sex. Crazy, dangerous, vampire sex. “Mate?”

Viv leaned forward. “The doctors think you have less than six months to live, so mating is your only option.”

Well, that was true. Mating an immortal would give Brenna the male’s health and gifts by altering not only her chromosomal pairs but her immune system. She’d be able to counter the planekite—probably. “Why a vampire?” She didn’t look at Jase as she asked the question.

Viv cleared her throat. “Unfortunately, you can’t mate a witch because the planekite will also poison your mate. You need another immortal. We’re at war with the demons and Kurjans, so that leaves either a shifter or a vampire. A vampire is better than an animal.”

Jase’s eyebrow rose. “Thank you.”

Viv sniffed. “You know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” An ominous tone filtered through his words. “Please leave us, Councilwoman Northcutt. I’d like to speak with Brenna. Alone.”

For the first time, indecision wavered across Viv’s face. Even so, she gracefully stood. “If you do mate, then we need to discuss the winter solstice.”

Brenna shook her head. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Not at all.” Viv glided toward the door. “There’s more to the issue than you know.”

Brenna blinked. She’d worry about the solstice later. “Aunt Viv? Do my parents know about the illness?” Her mother was on the council, and her parents were on a monthlong cruise.

“No. You need to call them tonight.” Viv slipped into the hallway, and the door closed.

Brenna took a deep breath, her gaze turning on the vampire. Her heart slammed against her ribs hard enough to bruise. He was damaged, and he was dangerous. Even so, heat uncoiled in her abdomen at the thought of becoming his. Her body flared to life, but her mind screamed caution. “My answer is no.”

He held himself perfectly still, somehow on alert and in perfect control. In fact, the man barely seemed to breathe. “If you don’t mate, you’ll die.”

“That’s my problem.” She shook her head. “Besides, why would you want to mate me? All of your brothers have mated for love, and look how much stronger they’ve become.”

Shadows cascaded over Jase’s face to be ruthlessly smoothed out. “I don’t want love.”

Awareness pricked up her back. “What do you want?” she asked quietly.

“Revenge.” His copper eyes morphed into an angry, sizzling green and then back again.

She’d wondered about his secondary color—the eye color that emerged when a vampire was angry or aroused. “I see. If we mate, you’ll get my skills.”

“Yes.”

She shook her head. “I don’t have skills to use against demons.”

“You’re a witch with a strong command of quantum physics.” Jase leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Being able to alter matter will come in handy when fighting demons.” Vulnerability flashed in his eyes for the tiniest of seconds. “Besides, your skills will help me regain mine.”

“Regain yours?” She bit her lip, memories swamping her. Jase used to command the elements. “You can’t control the elements any longer?”

“No.” His angled jaw hardened.

She flashed back to a Realm picnic twenty years ago when the Kayrs brothers had competed fiercely in an obstacle course that would’ve killed most humans. Jase and his brother Talen had ended up trying to tackle each other on a rope stretched over a river. They’d crashed into the water, both swearing and throwing punches.

Jase had waved his hand, and a wall of ice had risen from the rushing water. Talen had broken his hand trying to punch through.

Then, in typical Kayrs fashion, they’d laughed their asses off. Jase had been charming, fun, and free, and she’d instantly been in love. In fact, she’d angled close to him at dinner that night, and he’d tried to teach her how to control the air. That was when she could still create fire, so she’d popped his oxygen molecules.

His sexy smile had stayed with her for years.

She returned to the present, wondering when he’d last smiled. Her heart clutched. What the demons must’ve done to him to destroy his gifts with the elements. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want your sympathy.”

Her head jerked up. “No. You just want to mate me, brand me like an animal, and then use my gifts.”

“That’s exactly what I want.” No apology, no expression sat on his face. But the anger, the fury sizzled just beneath the surface. Fully alive. Fully deadly.

As a trained witch, one who had once been dangerous before becoming ill, she recognized a predator. Jase was all predator. Training whispered for her to keep the danger in sight. Even so, an odd, feminine instinct unfolded within her. The need to help—the need to heal. Could she help him? “I won’t be used.”

“We’ll both be used, sweetheart.” The endearment mocked them both. “But we’ll get what we want.”

She stood, no longer able to sit and discuss revenge and forever. “What is it I want, Jase?”

“You want to live.” He unfolded his length, standing at least a foot and a half taller than she. Reaching out, he ran his finger down the side of her face. “You used to like me, Brenna Dunne.”

The gentle touch slid right under her defenses and zinged around, warming her abdomen. Her breath quickened. Vulnerability and need battled through her at his obvious manipulation. “I don’t know you anymore.”