by J. D. Tyler
Then he leapt, was on her, sending them both crashing to the floor. Shouts sounded, the cavalry coming, but no one was going to stop him. Beryl grabbed at him, tried to shove him off her, but he lunged.
His big jaws closed on her neck and he sank his teeth deep. Her screech of pain was abruptly ended when he ripped out her throat. Heal that, you skank. He hung on until her body stopped twitching, then sat back on his haunches and let out a howl of victory.
This time, she really was dead.
But Rowan—
Shifting back to human form, he wiped his mouth and crawled to the small brown wolf’s motionless body. He was hardly aware of the rest of the team pouring into the hallway as he gathered his precious mate into his arms.
“Rowan? Wake up, baby. Open your eyes for me.”
“Aric!” Jax shouted. “What the fuck happened?”
“Beryl got loose somehow,” he choked out. Tears pricked his eyes. “She hit Sariel. Check on him, please.”
His friend went to do just that, and others joined him in tending to the Fae prince. Aric was worried about the guy, but his mate took top priority. She stirred some, and he could feel her breathing, lungs sawing in and out. Relief nearly undid him, but he tried to remain calm. For her.
Then her eyes opened and she blinked slowly. Her pink tongue poked out to tentatively lick his arm, and he laughed with profound joy. “My God, when she blasted you, I thought— Forget that. You’re okay. Shift back, honey. For me?”
It took several moments, but at last he had a lapful of gorgeous naked woman. Who just grinned weakly and tried to make a joke out of the whole thing.
“After little things like drug dealers and gangbangers, witches, demons, and all that other shit are going to take some adjustment.”
“You crazy woman,” he said hoarsely, kissing the top of her head. “Don’t do anything like that again.”
“Um, I’m on the team now, Red. Job hazard.”
“Damn. Well, promise you’ll be more careful.”
“Avoid magical blasts from the bitch witch. Check.”
“Well, not that bitch witch. I killed her.”
“Good,” she said fiercely. “Wait—how’s Sariel?”
“Let’s help you on with your clothes and I’ll check.”
Together, they got her dressed. She was still shaky, but insisted she was fine. He helped her limp over to where everyone surrounded the faery. Everyone but Kalen, who stood several yards away, his head hanging low, looking like he’d lost his best friend.
Aric turned his attention back to the prince. Melina, Mac, and Nick were crouched beside him, Melina holding a compress to his shoulder. Blood the color of a brilliant sapphire soaked the towel, and Aric’s own blood ran cold. How the fuck were they supposed to replace Fae blood?
Noah and Sam, the heavyset nurse, came around the corner fast, wheeling a stretcher. Nick and the nurses lifted Sariel on the count of three, placed him on it, and strapped him down.
“Let’s go!” Melina shouted. They set off at a rapid clip.
Nick turned to the Pack, leashing a barely controlled rage that Aric had never seen before. “Someone cover the witch’s body until we can deal with it.”
“I’ll dispose of it,” Kalen offered quietly. When no one objected, he turned Beryl’s body to ash. Then the ashes swirled and vanished.
“Good riddance,” someone muttered. Sounded like Jax.
Nick sighed. “Meeting in the conference room. Right fucking now.”
Aric felt sick. He should’ve been faster, blocked the shot meant for the prince. Now all they could do was pray that he would survive.
Before he headed off, Nick paused to look Rowan over. “Maybe you should get checked out?”
“No, no. I’m just sore and I’ll be bruised. Nothing that won’t heal.”
The boss nodded and walked off. The Pack trailed him, no one celebrating Beryl’s demise. A good, gentle being they’d come to think of as one of their own was fighting for his life.
In the conference room, someone shut the door behind them. No one bothered to sit as Nick began. “How the fuck did Beryl get out of Block T?” he asked, his voice low and ominously calm.
For a long moment, there was silence.
“I let her out,” Kalen admitted, voice catching. “God, I’m so sorry—”
“Why? Did she seduce you, or was it Malik?” There was no question that one of them must’ve gotten to the Sorcerer.
“Not her. Malik.”
You could have heard a pin drop.
Nick’s gaze was hard. “He gained control of your mind long enough to make you let her out?”
“Yes, sir,” Kalen whispered. “I think Beryl spelled me, back at the house where we caught her. My defenses are… crumbling. I can’t keep him out for very long at a time.”
“Jesus,” Aric said with a shudder. He wouldn’t want some Unseelie creep fucking around in his brain.
Nick cursed viciously, rubbed his eyes. “Okay. We’ll figure this out. At least now we have Malik’s human name—Evan Kerrigan. Grant is tracking him down, gathering intel. With any luck we’ll have his location and a complete profile soon.”
Just then there was a knock, and Mac stepped inside. Her gaze went briefly to Kalen, and Aric saw real agony there, quickly covered as she addressed the group.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we knew you’d want word of Sariel. We believe he’ll recover.” Sounds of relief went around the room. “But he was already weakened from some health issues stemming from being in our world, so healing will take time. He’s stable, though, so I wanted to pass the good news along.”
“Thank you, Mac.” Nick gave her a tired smile.
She returned it and left. Without looking at Kalen again, who stared with longing at the place where she’d just been.
Nick spoke to the group again. “All right. I need to speak to Kalen. We’ll adjourn for now and discuss this mess later.”
Nick led a shaken Kalen out, and Aric didn’t envy him the coming meeting. The Sorcerer was in for a long session, no doubt. Aric wondered what this would mean for his future in the Pack. He liked the kid. Hoped like hell things would turn out okay for him.
Selfishly. Because if the Sorcerer turned on the Pack, gave himself to the control of the Unseelie king…
They were screwed, down to the last man.
A hand settled on his shoulder, rubbing him gently. “What do you say we go for a run, and escape for a while?” Rowan suggested. “Just you and me?”
“I think that sounds like a fantastic idea.”
Smiling, he took her hand and led the way out of the building, across the field to the trailhead. This once, he was going to break Nick’s rule. Because he needed to run with his mate. Make love in the sunshine.
Outside, they shifted and took off for the woods. Letting their wolves loose, they ran for miles before finally slowing near a stream. They padded over and took a long drink, slaking their thirst. Then he nipped playfully at her rear end, yipping as she nipped back and started chasing him. For several minutes they simply allowed themselves to be free, just a pair of wolf mates frolicking in the sun-dappled afternoon, splashing in the water.
God, they needed this time together. To just be. So they took it, playing until Aric shifted, laughing, and gathered his mate into his arms.
“Shift, baby.”
She did, and he was suddenly holding an armful of beautiful, naked woman. Skin slick, water droplets clinging to her hair. She smiled at him and his breath caught in his throat. Rowan was everything he’d ever wanted and never allowed himself to believe he deserved.
Until now.
“I love you,” he said, cupping her cheek.
Her lips parted and her eyes sparkled as she took his face in her hands. “I love you, too. So damned much.”
Then there was no need for words. Scooping her up, he carried his precious burden to a grassy spot beyond the bank and set her down carefully. She held out her arms and he wen
t into them gratefully, pressing her down, covering her sweet body with his. He captured her lips, kissed her senseless while he plucked at a nipple, already pert from their romp in the stream.
“Make love to me,” she gasped.
“That’s what I’m doing, baby. It’s what I’ll do for the rest of my life,” he whispered.
Then he moved between her legs, pressed his cock into her moist heat. Slid home, and began to move in a slow, sensual rhythm. In and out, making sweet love to his mate.
And that’s what it was. Love.
The pressure began to build, spreading that delicious ache through his balls and to every nerve ending. His entire world narrowed to the two of them, connected in a ritual older than time. Only one thing remained that they hadn’t done, and it was something he wanted badly.
“Bite me,” he panted, increasing his strokes. “Claim me! I’m so close, and I want to come when you do.”
“Are you sure?” She hesitated, but he saw the light of excitement in her eyes.
“God, yes!”
Gathering her close, he pressed her face to the curve of his neck and shoulder. Her hot little tongue lapped at the spot for a few seconds—
And then she struck.
Her fangs sunk deeply into his flesh. A moment of bright, searing pain was quickly replaced by a bolt of ecstasy so intense he almost passed out.
“Ahhh!” His shout echoed through the treetops. His balls tightened and his cock exploded, and he came hard enough to see stars. His body shuddered as he emptied himself forever, vaguely aware that she was convulsing around him as well. After a few minutes, he came down to earth, still holding her close.
“Oh my God, that was amazing,” he said breathlessly, kissing her soundly. “Can we do that again sometime? Not today, because coming that hard again in the same day might kill me!”
She giggled, burrowing into his chest. “Sure. But only if you promise to bite me first.”
“Damn, who knew that biting thing was some sort of super sex stimulant?”
“If the other guys knew, they’d all be out scouring the countryside for their mates.”
Grinning, he pulled out carefully and rolled to his back, taking her with him. She snuggled in and rested her head on his chest, making him feel about ten feet tall.
“I hope they all find their mates,” he said, squeezing her tight. “Because nothing on earth compares to this.”
“I agree. I believe a person can overcome anything, with someone special by her side. Someone made just for her.”
“Or him.” He kissed the top of her head. “Finding you sure proved that to me.”
“I love you, wolf.”
“I love you more, my baby.”
They remained there in their private glen for a long while. To heck with rules, just for today.
Yes, there was a storm coming. And it threatened to consume them all in its fury.
But for now, he planned to spend every spare second loving his tough, beautiful mate.
Starting right now.
Turn the page for an exciting preview
of the next book in the Alpha Pack series,
BLACK MOON
Coming in December 2012 from Signet Eclipse
Kalen Black stood apart from his team, awash in guilt, impotent in his shame.
Right this second the Alpha Pack’s beloved resident Fae prince, Sariel, might be dying. On top of that, Beryl had nearly killed Aric’s mate before Aric ripped out the witch’s throat—and thereby put an end to any information they might have gained from her.
The danger surrounding them all increased daily. Hourly. A traitor walked among Kalen’s friends and colleagues, slowly drowning in the darkness clogging his lungs. Overtaking his soul.
And it’s all my fucking fault…because the traitor is me.
In the aftermath of Beryl’s attack, as Aric tended to Rowan and the prince was rushed to the infirmary, Kalen hung his head. He tried to find comfort in the fact that Rowan was all right, but it didn’t work. He wanted the earth to swallow him.
Then it got worse.
Nick Westfall, the Pack’s commander, ushered everyone into the conference room and demanded, “How the fuck did Beryl get out of Block T?”
“I let her out.” His voice caught. “God, I’m so sorry—”
“Why?”
Kalen died a thousand deaths during the questions that followed his confession and the truthful answers he supplied. In Kalen’s wretched lifetime he’d suffered abuse and humiliation. Isolation. Starvation. More horrors than most people ever had to face.
But none of those matched the pain of almost achieving his dreams of a home, a job, a family of sorts, and, most of all, acceptance among those who were as different as he was. Almost. Before Malik, King of the Unseelie and Sariel’s evil sire, had decided that Kalen Black was exactly the sort of powerful ally he needed in his quest to rule the world.
And that he’d begin by taking over the sorcerer’s mind. One evil suggestion at a time.
Facing them all, Kalen admitted that Malik had invaded his mind. Manipulated him into doing his bidding and letting Beryl out of her cell, where her goal, or rather Malik’s, was apparently for her to kill Sariel. Though the spell wasn’t Kalen’s fault, and he hadn’t known that Beryl would try to murder the Fae prince, it hardly mattered. He was to blame. He should’ve been stronger.
Even without the protection of his silver pentagram pendant. The one he’d given to Dr. Mackenzie Grant weeks ago and made her swear never to remove.
After Kalen’s confession, he barely heard Nick’s brief comments to the team reminding them all that Malik was posing as a wealthy human by the name of Evan Kerrigan. When Mackenzie came into the room to report that it looked like Sariel would survive, he could feel nothing but self-loathing. His gaze settled on the beautiful doctor, hungrily devouring the woman he could never have again, never allow into his mind or heart. The woman he had to protect at all costs from Malik.
From himself.
“Thank you, Mac,” Nick said, bringing Kalen back to the present. She returned Nick’s smile and left.
Without once looking at me.
Nick went on. “All right. I need to speak to Kalen. We’ll adjourn for now and discuss this mess later.”
Nick nodded at Kalen, indicating he should follow. He trailed the commander, wondering if he could take the man in a fight. Nick was tall and muscular, strode with his broad shoulders back, head up, all easy grace and confidence. Yeah, this man had both power and skill. Kalen had seen him take on dozens of enraged Sluagh, the huge batlike creatures that were Malik’s drones. Just swat them down like they were flies, and spit on their carcasses. Nick didn’t need the gift of sorcery; with brute strength alone he could definitely dispose of Kalen.
Not that Kalen would defend himself. No, whatever the white wolf chose to dish out, he deserved.
In Nick’s office, the man closed the door and walked to his desk, parking his ass on the edge of it. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his short black hair threaded with silver at the temples, and crossed his arms. “Sit down.”
Kalen complied without comment and waited.
“Tell me exactly what happened before you were compelled to set Beryl free. Don’t leave anything out.”
That was not a scene he’d wanted to revisit. Ever.
But the steely look in Nick’s deep blue eyes said that Kalen wasn’t getting out of telling the truth. He took a deep breath. “I was in my quarters about an hour ago and the bastard started prying into my head again.” They both knew he was referring to Malik. “He told me that he’d never abandon me as everyone else in my life has done.”
“Smart,” Nick said, an edge of disgust to his tone. “He’s isolating the vulnerable cub from the pack, playing the caring mentor.”
“I’m not a cub.” His youth was a sore spot. Always had been, ever since he’d been kicked out of his home at the age of fourteen, nine very long years ago. A lifetime. He’d had to sc
rabble, and suffer, for every morsel that eased the hunger in his belly. For every night not spent in a dirty alley under a cardboard box.
He didn’t feel twenty-three—more like a hundred.
“Trust me—you are, despite all the power that Unseelie asshole is attempting to harness in you. I don’t say that as an insult,” Nick said seriously. “What I mean is that, in you, Malik has found a young Sorcerer on the cusp of becoming all he is meant to be. As strong as you are, Kalen, you’re nowhere near as powerful as you’ll be in a few years, then in a few decades. It’s like when the very first coach that ever saw Michael Jordan in action said, ‘My God, that kid is going to be the greatest player in the NBA one day.’”
In spite of himself, Kalen snorted a laugh.
“It’s true,” Nick went on. “Malik knows you’re a rising star and he wants you on his team. I can’t let that happen. Do you understand?”
A lump lodged in his throat. “Do you want me to leave after all? Or are you just going to take me out now and be done with it?”
“Finish telling me how Malik manipulated you earlier.”
It didn’t escape his notice that Nick hadn’t answered the question. “He promised me power, told me all I had to do to get it was surrender to him. I tried to fight it, but he was…very seductive.”
“In a sexual way?”
Kalen felt sick, and fought it down. “Yeah. The bastard touched me, and suddenly I wanted everything he was selling. God, Nick,” he choked out, “what’s wrong with me?”
The commander pushed away from his desk and walked over to stand by Kalen’s chair, gripping the young Sorcerer’s shoulder. “There’s not a damned thing wrong with you. Like the rest of us, you’re trying to get a foothold on fighting the Unseelie; only for you it’s worse because he’s taking a personal interest in recruiting you. That means he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. Creatures like him wield seduction like a weapon.”
