As she passed out, the last thing she saw was Adare’s eyes turning from black to silver.

* * * *

Adare hefted his unconscious mate over his shoulder and rushed for the door as Benny helped Karma up with the child in her arms. They ran outside, where Logan was setting down one of the two fighter copters, with Quade shooting out the other side.

Garrett leaned over, holding out a hand. “We have about two minutes until reinforcements arrive,” he yelled.

Adare took his hand and jumped into the helicopter, sitting in the middle as Garrett leaped into the front seat and Ivar came in hot on the other side with Ronan on his six, firing wildly behind him. Adare settled Grace on his lap, cradling her. “Grace? Wake up.”

Benny climbed in and turned to reach for the woman and child.

Karma shoved the little girl toward Benny, and he grasped the child, pivoting and handing her to Ivar. Then he turned back and grasped the woman’s arm, pulling her in.

She brought her elbow down on his wounded arm, and he released her. She fell back into the snow, rolled, and turned to run back toward the lodge, her skirt catching in the ice.

“No,” Benny growled, grasping the side of the craft and preparing to jump out.

Bullets winged the side of the helicopter, hitting him, and he fell back in. Adare bunched his body over Grace’s to protect her, while Ivar did the same with the child.

Logan lifted the stick and the copter rose high and fast, while Ronan fired out the side at the Kurjan soldiers. They skimmed over the treetops, and once they reached the other helicopter, Garrett and Ronan jumped out to take it. “See you at our headquarters,” Logan called out, lifting his craft again into the stormy sky. “They’ll pick up Faith at your cabin and bring her, so we can strategize from there.”

It’d be nice to have them all in one place. It had been too long.

Adare reached down and lifted Benny to the seat beside him, leaning across the healing male to shut the door. Ivar shut his door and settled with his legs out and the tiny blond human on his lap, sucking her thumb.

“You okay?” Adare asked Benny.

“No.” Blood poured from most of Benny’s body, but he flipped his hand over to reveal a mating mark, R for his last name, clearly black beneath all the blood.

Adare jerked. “H-how?” He frowned, looking at Benny’s battered and bewildered face.

Benny shook his head and lifted both shoulders, scattering snow and blood. “I don’t know. I mean, she’s mated, right?”

Adare could only nod. It was unheard of, really. “Did you touch any other unmated female? Any female at all?”

“No.”

“Was there one around somewhere?” It didn’t take touch. Maybe there had been an enhanced female close and Benny’s body had reacted?