“Very well. Engage your video conference app.”
She did so, and he slowly took form on the screen. If anything, he looked even larger and more dangerous than before, and his eyes were a swirling purple. God, she couldn’t breathe.
He smiled, showing those bizarrely long canines. “Hello there. I’ve missed you.”
She blinked. “I doubt that.”
“I’ll prove it to you when you arrive.” He moved the phone to the side, and the camera caught the twins playing on a blanket with Yvonne sitting on a chair next to them, typing something onto a tablet.
Karma’s heart leapt. The girls looked healthy and seemed to be happily playing with some stuffed animals, although they were quiet. Even subdued. She steeled her shoulders. No matter what happened to her, they were what mattered.
Terre came back on the screen. “Start driving. Now.” He disengaged the call.
She set the phone down and rested her head on the steering wheel. This was too much, but she had no choice. Barely moving, she pressed a button on the dash, careful to keep her face hidden in case there were Kurjan cameras near.
“Hey, sweetheart. You did good,” Benny said through the speakers. “We’ll track you to the meeting spot, and then we’ll follow you from there to the camp. Just drive slow and keep your wits about you. You’re strong, and you’re smart. Those bastard Kurjans have no idea who they’re messing with.”
Tears gathered in her eyes at the kind words. At the moment, all she felt was terrified. For her girls, for the enhanced women, and even for herself. Just how strong was that? “Thank you for the last week, Benjamin,” she whispered, her throat clogging with those tears. “No matter what happens next, it was the best week of my life. I do love you. I always will.” Before he could answer, she disengaged the call and turned off the telecom system of the car.
Then she lifted her head and began driving, making sure to stay on the right side of the road and follow the speed limit. It wasn’t difficult. Why did the Kurjans only let males drive?
This was easy.
She followed the directions exactly, not seeing anyone flanking her from the forested creek side of the road. The Seven members, Mercy, and the grizzly shifters were out there somewhere, and the idea gave her some reassurance. But she had a job to do, and she would have to trust them all to do their own jobs.
The number-one priority was the twins.
Karma turned along the dirt road and drove until she reached a large clearing with mud-covered utility vehicles parked in a circle. The sun was meager, barely visible through the clouds, while rain continued to pummel the earth. The Kurjans would be at full strength, even without their new cure. She came to a stop and was instantly surrounded by vehicles.
Her door was ripped open, and Terre yanked her out.
She’d forgotten how tall he was.
“This way.” He barely looked at her while dragging her past several vehicles to the center, where two Cyst soldiers were rapidly removing a camouflaged tarp from a helicopter.
“No,” she said, struggling against him. If they got into the air, Benny would never find her. This could not happen. “Stop.”
The engines started up; two Kurjan soldiers sat in the front of the craft, already waiting. The rear door of the hatch opened, and her two girls stared out. Their hair was wild around their heads, and both of them had wide eyes and looked scared. “Mama!” Boone yelled.
Karma paused. Every moment in her life narrowed to that one second. Then she rushed forward. The girls. Terre lifted her inside, jumped up, and shut the hatch.
Soldiers and bears roared out of the surrounding forest. One bear barreled right into the helicopter and bounced back to land hard and roll. The copter rose straight into the rainy air as the warriors began firing laser guns and flashing knives. Then the helicopter turned and rose so fast she nearly had to shut her eyes. The girls rushed to her, both landing on her lap. She put her arms around them, holding tight, her heart finally settling.
Then she looked around.
Yvonne and Jaydon sat on the far bench, while she and the girls sat in the middle on the floor. Terre unfolded a seat from the wall across from the hatch and sat, staring at her in the dim light. “You made that more difficult than I had expected. When did the grizzly shifters get involved?”
She held her daughters closer, putting her hands on their heads and pressing them close while being careful not to let her rash touch any of their bare skin. “Yesterday,” she said, trying to remember the story. “The Seven discovered my call to you and knew where I was going, so they contacted the shifters—it’s their territory.”
Yvonne pushed her platinum-blond hair away from her stunning face. She was fairly young and definitely brilliant. It was truly a pity that she was spending her entire life waiting for Ulric. “You led us into a trap.”
Karma carefully rolled her eyes, making sure Terre saw her. “Right. Like the Kurjans can’t handle a few grizzly bears. I wasn’t worried about that.”
Terre’s chest puffed out. Then he looked closer at her. “What the hell happened to your skin?”
“It’s on fire,” she said, not lying a bit. “Apparently many females have a reaction to the virus that negates the mating bond, and believe me, it’s terrible. Supposedly the rash reacts much like the mating allergy and will infect any male that touches it for about two weeks. That’s what the queen said.”
“How convenient,” Yvonne drawled. “Isn’t that convenient?”
Sometimes Karma forgot how smart the woman was because she was so snide. “Not really,” she retorted. “It itches worse than you can even imagine.”
Terre leaned in and studied her face. “You lay with the hybrid. Why didn’t he get it?”
“I most certainly did not,” she said, heat filling her face at the lie. “He tried, but he was instantly infected with the rash. He deserved it.” She almost choked on the words this time. What she wouldn’t give to have Benjamin right there with her.
“Scan her,” Terre ordered.
Yvonne drew a square device from her bag and leaned over, scanning Karma from head to toe. “She’s clean. No tracking dust, either.”
Terre smiled. “Good. They didn’t want to keep you, either. The trap was about us.”
Karma shivered at the look in his eyes. The Seven and the Grizzlies hadn’t expected a helicopter. She truly was on her own now.
Chapter Thirty-Four
They weren’t at the main headquarters in Canada, but the settlement was certainly a permanent one. By the number of Cyst soldiers patrolling in the rainy night, Karma could only surmise it was the headquarters for the main Cyst contingent. “How long are we staying here?” she asked as she helped the girls from the helicopter.