Amusement ticked through her. She couldn’t help it. Why was everyone’s reaction the same? “I’ve been training since birth—I can handle a Kurjan.”
Dage’s gaze firmed. “Honey, he’s the leader of the Kurjan nation. You know, the people who sent that squad after you the other day?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so, Uncle Dage. The Kurjan nation is experiencing an internal war. I think some of the Kurjans are following Ulric and the Cyst, but I don’t think Drake is. It wouldn’t hurt to meet with him.”
“Wrong,” Paxton said, his voice a low growl.
“You always knew it would come down to this,” she said forcefully. “We have to negotiate peace between us and figure out why they’re taking enhanced females. Drake didn’t know anything about it.”
Paxton sat back and closed his eyes. “That’s insane. There is no way he doesn’t know what’s going on within his own nation.”
Hope looked toward her uncle. “We could choose the place, and I could be well covered. I think we should do it.”
“I’ll consider it,” Dage said.
Paxton sat straight up and looked at the king. “You have lost your mind.”
“Maybe.” Dage slightly turned his head, his eyes flashing blue and silver. They unfocused for a quick heartbeat and then mellowed. “I’ll go see what’s taking Emma so long.” He stalked toward the door like a predator out for a stroll.
That was interesting. Hope had seen that look on his face before. Mates could communicate telepathically after a while, and there was no doubt her aunt and uncle did so. Had he just gotten a message from her? If so, why?
“I’m not letting you go see Drake,” Paxton said softly, a thread of steel in his tone.
She looked at him, marveling once again at the stark planes of his face. She’d always known he’d be handsome, but she hadn’t had any idea of the raw sexuality that would be inherent in each line of his features. It was fascinating. “You couldn’t stop me if you wanted to,” she said.
“Humph.” He looked back toward the closed door.
Dage returned, walking smoothly with a smile on his face.
“You have good news?” Hope asked, perking up. Maybe the drugs were out of her system.
“I do.” Faster than a blur, Dage’s right hand rose, and something sharp pricked her neck. She heard Paxton growl, and then darkness consumed her.
Chapter Thirteen
Hope didn’t know how long she floated before cool air brushed her skin. Her body felt relaxed and very warm. She blinked several times, then opened her eyes to find herself in a hospital bed, not in Emma’s lab but in the actual hospital wing of headquarters. The bed was soft and comfortable, and heated blankets covered her. She stretched as her mind came slowly awake.
“What in the world?” She started to sit up.
“Hold on, hold on. I’ve got you,” her mother said as the head of the bed began to lift so she could sit. “How are you?” Janie asked, her blue eyes worried.
Hope blinked. Seeing her mother was like looking in the mirror, even though her mom was a quarter century older than she was. Janie had been human but became immortal when she mated Zane. She didn’t gain additional strength or speed, but she’d live forever, and she’d probably always look young—and she had serious psychic abilities. Probably stronger than Hope’s, or at least on a different frequency.
“Mom?” Hope pushed her hair out of her way. “Why am I in a hospital bed?”
The room was quiet, with the shades open to reveal the lake and the dark sky. Snow had fallen on the ice, covering the entire water mass. The moon shone down, making it look magical.
“I was sitting with Paxton,” she said slowly.
Janie leaned forward to rub her hand, where the silver ring he’d given her still rested. “I know. I need you to take a deep breath and tell me how you’re feeling.”
Hope did as she was told, inhaling slowly and calming her body. “Actually, I feel fine. I kind of had a weird headache for a while, but I figured it was just stress. It’s gone now.”
Janie nodded. “I bet.”
“Wait, what’s happening?” Hope looked around. “Where is Paxton?”
“He’s in the other room,” Janie said quietly.
The door opened, and Emma walked in, moving slowly, her tennis shoes squeaking on the sparkling clean tiles. “Hey there, sunshine. How are you feeling?” Her blue eyes matched Janie’s.
Hope looked from one to the other. “I think I’m fine.” Images filtered through her memory so fast she nearly gasped. “Wait a minute, did Uncle Dage shoot me with a tranquilizer?” How did any of this make sense? Was she dreaming now?
Emma snorted. “Yeah, he can be pretty quick when he wants.” Even though her voice was light, stress lines fanned from her eyes. “He did shoot you. I have to give it to him—even at his age, he’s unbeatable in speed.” Her smile didn’t reach her stunning blue eyes.
“What is going on?” Hope asked, still cradling her wounded arm to her chest.
Emma brightened. “It looks like the unknown compound from the Kurjan dart is dissolving in your bloodstream. So I’d give it a day, maybe two, just to be sure, and then you can take blood and heal that arm.”
Janie leaned forward. “Unless you can heal it yourself.”
“I’ve tried, Mom,” Hope said. “Nothing.” She hated to see the worry on her mother’s face, but she also wasn’t going to lie to her.
Janie patted her arm. “I’ve been mated for twenty-five years, and I still can’t really create healing cells.”
“Me either,” Emma said. “It could take hundreds of years to develop that ability. We’ll get there.”
“Yes,” Hope said, plucking at a loose thread on the blanket. “But you were both human enhanced females when you mated. I actually have vampire and demon as well as shifter blood in me. There’s probably some witch thrown in too.”
Emma read her tablet. “I suppose so.”
“Then why can’t I heal myself?” Hope asked. She shook her head. “We know why. It’s because I’m human. I’m actually human,” she said to her mom.
Janie winced. “I know. I spoke with Emma about it. And frankly, honey, it does make some sense. Every immortal being of mixed heritage only takes on the aspects of one species. There can only be one, and I guess your body went with human. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.”
“You mean I’ll mate an immortal and become immortal through him?” Hope grumbled. That was not the way she wanted to go.
“We don’t know that,” Emma interjected, her ever-present tablet in hand. She started pressing on buttons, looking up at the monitor above Hope’s head and then back at the tablet to make more notations. “You could just be slow to develop. Immortals live for thousands of years. Maybe you’re still in the infant stage. Maybe you’ll gain strength and speed and healing cells when you turn a 100 or 120 or 132. Who knows, honey? Just take a deep breath.”
“But what if I die?” Hope asked, voicing the question that was on everybody’s minds.