Red Awakening (Red Zone 2)

“There’s just one thing I need to do. From what you’ve told me, if the bat dies, you die, and that makes him your greatest weakness.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly, wondering if the shock had messed with her ability to understand what he’d been saying. They didn’t have time to go over this until she got it. They needed to get to the hub and destroy the building’s surveillance—and they needed to do it now.

“Okay, then. In that case, you can’t let the bat off your body. It’s too dangerous.” She took a deep, tremulous breath and pointed at the bat. “Get back on Mace this instant. We don’t have time to worry about you getting squished. We have enough to deal with.”

The bat stopped performing and hovered in front of Keiko, staring at her with the same look Mace imagined was on his face: one of utter shock.

Her finger shook as she pointed at the bat. “Shoo! Get back where you belong. Right this minute.”

The bat seemed confused, and then Mace felt it smile. She worry about me.

Mace glared at the bat. No, she doesn’t.

It wasn’t listening. It fluttered around Keiko’s head before settling on his shoulder, crawling under his shirt, and merging with him. It also flooded his mind with all the insects it’d eaten. Asshole.

Keiko’s eyes stayed glued to the path the bat had taken. Before Mace could guess what she’d do next, she stalked behind him, pulled down his shirt, and addressed the bat.

“You stay right there until we’re out of this mess, you hear?”

A strange, unfamiliar warmth seeped through him at her words, and he found his throat had tightened a little when he went to talk. “I don’t know why you’re bothering. I need to call it back out when we go downstairs. It has to cover the camera so I can get close to the security hub.”

“And then it goes straight back on you,” she ordered him and the bat.

I like her, the bat cooed.

This summed up his life. His other half wouldn’t listen to him, but he would listen to Keiko. Hoo-fucking-rah for him.

She came around to face him, and she was furious. “It is totally irresponsible of you to let the bat out when it makes you vulnerable. What were you thinking? All anyone needs to do to take you out is attack the bat. Don’t do it again.”

“I don’t exactly have a choice in the matter.” His lack of control over the bat, considering he had the smallest animal on his team, was humiliating.

“You’re bigger than he is. Take control. Stop putting the two of you in danger. I’m serious, Mace. This is stupid. You can’t let the bat off your body again.”

He shook his head and glared down at the angry woman. He was about to tell her what she could do with her orders when it occurred to him that she was trying to protect him. That she was angry at him for taking risks with his life. The wonder of it stole his words from him and left him shocked. Outside of his team and his sister, had anyone ever worried about his welfare? Even then, his team had no problem sending him into situations that risked his life. Which was fine—he was capable of taking care of himself and of everyone around him. Yet here he was, being stared down by a woman who barely made it to the middle of his chest and having her tell him that he mattered, too.

It was too much to process. How could he ever let her walk out of his life? The answer was he couldn’t. He would do everything he could to keep hold of her. She was it for him. He knew it. He belonged to her.

Mate, a smug voice purred in his brain. Our mate.

A sudden suspicion turned his legs to jelly, and he had to lock them in place to stop from falling on his ass. His bat sounded too smug. As though he’d done something to secure Keiko’s position in their lives. And Mace had a horrible feeling he knew what.

Did you bite Keiko? Out on the ledge?

She’s our mate, came the smug answer.

Did you bite her? Mace demanded.

Mate, the bat purred. Had to bite to get my mate.

Fuck.

He ran a hand through his hair when what he really wanted to do was roar. Striker’s snake had bitten Friday, and a tiny matching snake had developed on her skin. Was his bat trying to achieve the same thing with Keiko? He had to know. He reached for the neck of her chopped silver dress and pulled it down.

“Hey, what are you doing? Now isn’t the time to get frisky.” She batted his hand away.

But it was too late. He’d seen what he needed to see. There, on the back of her shoulder, were the telltale teeth marks of a small bat. The air left him, and Mace bent double. He’d never passed out in his life, and now wasn’t the time to start.

“Mace,” Keiko snapped. “Don’t make me slap you.”