Wicked Bite (Realm Enforcers #5)(72)

"Bear," she said, her eyes sparkling. "So good to see you. I'm fine. Soon this babe will finally be here." She wrapped an arm around Dage's neck. "Nessa? It's very nice to meet you. As part of the agreement here, I need a test tube or five of your blood. Thanks."

"No," Bear said before Nessa could answer. "Ma'am."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You know I hate being called that. Come on. Nessa, you're a witch just mated to a shifter, and I'd love to track the changes in your blood as the mating completes on a chromosomal level. I'd really appreciate it."

Bear sighed. The queen was a world-class geneticist who worked around the clock. She wouldn't give up.

"Plus," Emma said, "since you can't throw fire but can heal wounded immortals, I'd love to compare your blood to others."

Nessa gasped. "How did you know that?"

"The. King," Dage bellowed.

Emma patted his arm. "Dage may have mentioned it. He also told me that one Apollo dart doesn't hurt you. Perhaps I could use your blood to find an antidote to planekite and Apollo. Just think about it, okay?"

The screen fuzzed out and went blank.

Nessa sighed and turned toward Bear. "So. I guess we should talk."





Chapter 23

Bear pushed away from the table and held out a hand to assist Nessa up. She took it and barely kept from jumping at the electrical jolt of anger that shot up her arm.

"Jasper-" Nessa started.

"Here's what's going to happen." Bear spoke over her. "Lucas? I want a full command center ready to go in one hour, dedicated to a sole mission: finding the manufacturer of the Apollo drug. Work with Jasper, but don't let any other witches into my private offices. I want Garrett and Logan involved and providing backup." He drew Nessa to the door. 

She cleared her throat. "Jasper?"

"I know what to do," Jasper responded.

Bear opened the door and partially turned. "The witches can continue patrolling the boundaries, but if one of them, and I mean just one of them, sets foot onto our land, I want you to blow him or her to bits. Got it?"

"Copy that," Lucas said, flashing his teeth.

"Bear," Nessa protested. "There are witches outside the garage right now."

Bear nodded. "Jasper? You have fifteen minutes to get those witches off territory, or I set bears on them." Without waiting for an answer, he manacled Nessa's hand and strode through the storage room.

She could either accompany him or let him drag her, so she quickened her steps. His command of the situation was a turn-on, but his bossiness with her was infuriating. His huge hand swallowed hers as he led her through the rec room and into the gray day, his boot steps sure and determined. The area was already empty of both witches and shifters. The snow had been replaced by freezing rain, and it pinged off concrete around them.

Once outside, she yanked her hand back, her body going cold. "I still need to call the shifter nations."

"Lucas will take care of that." Bear grasped her again, his head down, heading for the trail to the cabin. "You wanted to talk, we're going to talk."

Her pulse sped up. That was enough. She bunched her back leg and swung, hitting him in the back of the knee with a roundhouse. His leg buckled, but he didn't release her hand. His knee hit the pavement and he was right back up, stepping into her and throwing her over his shoulder. Her hair escaped its clip and cascaded down his back and past his butt.

He had not. He had not just done that.

Thank goodness her soldiers were out of sight. She levered herself back and punched him as hard as she could in the left kidney. He growled and turned on his boot, heading into his office. The door slammed shut behind him, and he plunked her on the desk, stepping between her legs and forcing her to catch herself with her elbows.

Fury engulfed her. She balanced on one elbow and hit him with a jab and an uppercut, nailing him in the mouth and neck. She punched again, and he grabbed her hand midstrike. Pain ripped up her arm.

"You done?" He released her.

"No." The stupid male had thrown her over his shoulder. Again. She secured her legs at the back of his waist and lunged up, wrapping her arms around his neck and yanking down his head, putting him in a capture hold.

He struggled, but she held on tight.

Then he stopped, his head turned, and she trapped him against her chest.

"Bear, we need to talk. I don't want to hurt you, but I bloody will." She emphasized her words by tightening her hold.

He breathed out against her, and his hands came up to clamp around her biceps.

She settled in. There was no way for him to break the hold. "You can't win this."

Slowly, methodically, he started to pull.