Alpha Pack 1.5 - Black Magic (7 page)

you insist.”

“I do.”

“Fine. You’re just as bad as those macho wolves I’ve worked with for the past few years.”

“Are you saying I’m stubborn?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Speaking of wolves . . .” She hesitated. “Would you do something for me?”

“I’ll try.”

“Would you show me your panther?”

“That’s right, you’ve never seen him,” he said, as though just realizing it. “You really want to?”

The amazement in his tone puzzled her. Why wouldn’t she be interested?

“Of course I do. He’s a part of you.”

The naked joy in his expression as he smiled was almost her undoing. Had nobody ever said such a thing to this wonderful

man?

“Okay,” he said, sitting up. “Here goes.”

“Wait—you aren’t going to eat me, are you?”

“Honey, only my human half would do that,” he teased, heated gaze raking her body. “And we already know how much you

love it.”

Before she could form a retort, his form wavered. Began to reshape. Pale skin became sleek, black fur. His face reformed

into a squared muzzle full of sharp teeth, his ears pointed. Black fingernails became claws. A long tail twitched where none

had been before, and emerald eyes studied her intently.

Kalen was now a big, gorgeous black panther.

“You’re beautiful,” she said in awe, stroking his head.

He butted under her hand, his demand clear, and she laughed. She scratched his ears and he started purring loudly, flopping

onto his side. Eventually he rolled to his back, presenting her with his belly, which got a good scratching as well.

“Don’t think I’m going to spoil you like this all the time,” she said with mock sternness. “You’ll get lazy.”

Without warning, he morphed into a human man once more and lay there studying her, lips forming a smile. But the sadness

had returned to his eyes, making his expression appear wistful.

“No one has ever done that before,” he said quietly.

“Done what?”

“Asked me to change into my panther. Embraced him.
Accepted
me.” He looked away. “Nobody has ever cared. My parents

thought I was a freak when I was a kid and they learned I could do magic, but when they found out I’d learned to use my power

to shift into a panther? They threw me out on my ass. I was fourteen.”

Her heart clenched, aching for the lonely, hurt boy who’d grown into a lonely man. “I care. And you’re not a freak.”

“You’re a special woman, Mackenzie. Most people aren’t accepting, don’t have a good soul like you.”

The nightmare intruded again, the horrible stranger’s accusation, and she found herself asking, “What about
your
soul? I believe it’s good and kind.”

He fell silent for so long, she thought he didn’t want to talk anymore. Then his voice drifted in the darkness.

“I’ll tell you a secret.” He paused. “I don’t like to be touched. Or I didn’t before tonight.”

She stilled. “Before me?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you?”
Please, dear Lord, don’t let it be what I’m thinking.

“I don’t have a good soul, honey. I sold myself to survive, to anyone who wanted me,” he whispered. “I had no job skills,

wasn’t legal to work even if I had any, and I had to eat. So I did the only thing I knew how, and I did it well.”

So it
was
what she’d been thinking. No, worse. The self-loathing in his voice scared her more than anything. Because a powerful enemy, like the man in her nightmare, could take that hatred and twist Kalen into his own image. Into a man who would do evil things.

She gripped his hand. “You were just a kid. You were tossed from your home as a minor, a crime in any state. You got

caught in the same trap as any number of homeless teens, and didn’t know where to turn. Who to trust. Your parents should’ve

been thrown in jail. Give yourself a break.”

“Really? Well, this Boy Scout fucked you without a condom,” he said harshly. “Still think I’m good?”

Shit. The baldly stated fact hit her hard, scared her a little, but she squared her shoulders. “I’m a doctor and I let you. That

doesn’t exactly make me a Girl Scout.”

“What if I’m not clean?”

“You are. I refuse to believe the man who made such sweet love to me would knowingly endanger my health. Besides, from

our studies at the Institute, we’ve learned that shifters can’t pass or catch human diseases, and the males can’t impregnate those

who aren’t their Bondmates.”

“You’re gorgeous when you’re fierce.” Reaching out, he toyed with a curly lock of her hair.

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” He sighed, dropping his hand. “Mackenzie, you might know about the physiology of the wolves, but you know

nothing about me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Honey, I’m not like the others in the Pack,” he explained patiently. “I wasn’t turned like they were. I’m a Sorcerer first, and

I learned to use that power to shift into my panther. I’m totally different from them.”

She stared at him in comprehension. “You’re right,” she breathed. “I should’ve realized that.”

“For what it’s worth, though, I
am
clean. I get tested every six months.”

“And I’m on the pill.”

That one seemed to startle him for a moment, but he recovered and nodded. “That’s good.”

“Now what?”

He stared at her, regret etched on his face.
Oh, no. Here it comes
.

He did his best to let her down easy. “Mackenzie, I’ve been alone forever, it seems. I don’t know what a relationship is, at

least not a healthy one. I’m bankrupt
here
,” he said, placing a fist over his heart. “I’ve got nothing to offer anyone. Not right

now. Maybe not ever.”

It hurt. More than it should, considering the short time she’d known him. In fact, the very real agony of his rejection took her

totally by surprise. This was why coworkers should
never
sleep together. How in the hell was she supposed to face him after

this, on a daily basis?

“I think you’re wrong.”

“Maybe. But I don’t know where this can go, this attraction between us.”

“You didn’t have problem figuring that out a few minutes ago,” she snapped. His expression shut down and she immediately

regretted her words. She’d carelessly struck at the part of himself that he loathed the most, and she couldn’t take it back.

He nodded. “I deserved that. Let’s just leave it be for a while.”

Like for the next century or so
, she heard in his voice.

“All right.”

No one has ever done that before. Asked me to change into my panther. Embraced him. Accepted me.

And she’d ruined everything by pushing him too hard, too fast. This lonely man who didn’t have a clue how to love, or

accept love in return.

Miserable, she curled on her side, facing away from him. This time, he didn’t hold her in his arms, comfort her like before.

And her pride wouldn’t allow her to beg.

When the cold light of dawn broke through the curtains, Mackenzie hadn’t slept at all.

A banging noise had Kalen bolting upright in bed, scanning for the source. He didn’t have long to wonder who was on the other

side.

“Kalen? Mac?” Nick called. “Open up!”

“Jesus,” he muttered. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he yelled back. “Just a minute!”

Mackenzie was already up, and came out of the bathroom dressed in her jeans and his T-shirt. They carefully avoided eye

contact as Kalen pulled on his jeans, boots, and his duster. Christ, how had things fallen apart so fast? They’d made beautiful

love, the likes of which Kalen had never hoped to experience in his lifetime. Normally, he hated physical contact—especially

sex—but with Mackenzie, holding her close, being inside her . . .

God, it had been heaven. So different from having sex just to survive. And yeah, he’d been scared afterward, but what guy

wouldn’t be who’d walked in his shoes?

He was a complete novice when it came to relationships and he was only trying to be honest, not give her the total brush-off.

But obviously she hadn’t taken his words at face value—that he needed time.

And she’d given up without a fight, or even a single word of protest.

So maybe it was better this way. He didn’t deserve someone as fine as Mackenzie anyhow.

Stalking to the door, he yanked it open to find Nick, Jax, Zan, and Ryon on the other side. The first two were scowling and

the other two just looked tired.

“Tell me what the fuck happened,” Nick growled. “We’ve been looking for you two all goddamned night long.”

Jax leaned against the doorjamb. “We about had heart failure when we tracked the SUV to the Grizzly, only to find the tire

slashed and the back panel clawed to hell, drops of blood on the ground, and Mac’s car nowhere to be found.”

“We were attacked,” Kalen said, exhaustion hitting him hard. “Coming out of the Grizzly, by one of those things like you had

in Block T before it died. I killed it, and disposed of the body. We tried to call on our way back, but the cell phone service

was out.”

“It was out on our end too, but that doesn’t explain why you didn’t just come home,” Nick said, still pissy. Now he glanced

between Kalen and Mackenzie, as the obvious suspicion dawned on his face.

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Kalen defended. “We were heading back when I sensed that there was another one, or

something equally as bad, between us and the compound. Like it was waiting for us. So we turned around and headed for the

motel, and I placed wards around the room so it couldn’t locate us.”

Nick studied him and Mackenzie for a long moment. Then he turned to his three men. “I need for you guys to wait in the SUV

while I talk to these two alone.”

The boss knew there was more to say. Stuff Kalen didn’t want the rest of the team to know, yet. Nick waited until he’d moved inside and closed the door before speaking.

“Now tell me the rest.”

“Someone is communicating with Mackenzie telepathically,” Kalen said. “We don’t know who or what he is—hell, he might

not even be human. But he spoke to Mackenzie for the first time in the car, after she was scratched by that creature. He said I

wouldn’t be able to hide from him for long. Then she had a nightmare about him last night in which he urged her to join him.”

“Doing what?”

“We don’t know. But he said I would join him too, or else. That’s the gist of it, that he wants her and me. In the dream, when

she resisted, he attacked her.”

“I have a feeling it’s
you
he wants,” Nick said. He swiped a hand down his face. “He’s striking at you through her. Fuck.”

Mackenzie sucked in a sharp breath. “No.”

“That’s what it seems like.”

Nick sighed. “Let’s head back. There isn’t anything we can do here, and I’ll feel better when we’re all back at the

compound. It’s much safer there.”

“Okay. Can I have a minute with her?”

That look returned. The one that communicated he knew what the minute was probably about. But he nodded. “I’ll be in the

SUV with the others.”

“Thanks.” Once Nick was gone, Kalen steeled himself, facing Mackenzie squarely. “I have something extremely important to

give to you, and I need for you to wear it.”

She frowned. “What is it?”

“This.” Reaching for the clasp of the silver chain holding his Sorcerer’s pentagram pendant, Kalen did the one thing he’d

been warned never, ever to do.

He gave his protection to the woman who’d stolen his heart.

Moving behind her, he placed the pendant over hers, where it belonged, now and always. Then he fastened the chain and

turned her to face him again.

“Your pendant? Kalen, I can’t—”

“You can, and you will,” he said softly. “This was a gift to me from my grandmother. A really special one. She—”