Black Moon (Alpha Pack #3)(9)

"I'll try." He didn't hold out much hope of it working, but it was worth a shot. "Is Nick having any luck tracking down 'Evan Kerrigan'?" That the Unseelie was walking among the unsuspecting public, posing as a wealthy entrepreneur, was a source of real fear for the team. Involving innocent humans in their battles was always a frightening prospect, to be avoided at all costs.

"Not yet. He and his contacts have to tread carefully so they don't raise his suspicions."

"I have a feeling he won't hide forever," Kalen speculated grimly. "If we don't get him under surveillance before he comes out to play, it's gonna be bad shit."

Hammer snorted. "A handful of us against an Unseelie king and his army of giant, rabid bats? No f**kin' problem-we got it handled."

Those "giant, rabid bats" being the Sluagh-fallen Seelie who'd given themselves to evil and lived to serve Malik. God, they were all going to get massacred. Unless Kalen could pull off a miracle.

There are no miracles, my boy. Only the path that you and I will forge together. Once you learn to embrace your power, accept me as your master, we'll rule the universe.

"You mean the dark side of my power," Kalen hissed. "I won't use it to hurt innocents."

You will, pet. You have no choice.

"Fuck you."

"Kalen?" Hammer leaned forward, looking worried. "Is it him?"

Feeling sick again, Kalen pushed from his seat. "I have to go. Thanks for the talk."

Without giving the other man a chance to reply, he strode for the door. In the hallway, he leaned his back against the wall, sucking in a lungful of air and releasing it slowly. Searching for calm.

"Are you okay?"

Mackenzie had followed him out, and she stood in front of him with her hands tucked in the pockets of her lab coat, blue eyes apprehensive. Christ, he didn't deserve the concern on her sweet face.

As he fumbled for an answer, he noted that her eyelids were reddened. A bit puffy. Her expression was strained, her body tense, and he immediately went on alert. "I've had better days, Doc. Now, same question back at you. What's wrong?"

Some emotion that might've been remorse, or sorrow, flashed across her features and was gone. "Seriously? What's right? See, I can be evasive, too."

There was an edge to her tone that was new for the normally happy, bubbly woman. His heart sank. "It's me," he said softly, moving from the wall to get closer, touch her cheek. "I put that look on your face. Baby, I'm so sorry-" She stepped back to avoid contact, and the action skewered his gut like a blade.

"No. You don't get to do that," she snapped. "You don't get to baby me and act like you give a damn. I'm not your problem, remember?"

The dagger in his gut twisted. "I never said you weren't my problem or that I didn't care. I didn't mean to imply I felt that way." Just the opposite, in fact.

She crossed her arms over her chest in a protective stance. "Seemed like it to me. Anyway, does that really change anything?"

He looked away, heart aching. "Maybe not. But either way, staying far away from me is the best thing for you to do right now."

"Why? Because of this Unseelie character, Malik? He's the one who tried to get into my head a few weeks ago and now he's after you, right?"

He snapped his gaze back to hers. "Where did you hear his name?"

She glared at him. "I keep my ears open. I have to if I want to find out anything important around here."

"What, you eavesdropped on our meeting earlier?" In answer, she merely arched a brow, her militant expression daring him to make something of it. He'd never seen her temper spike so fast-in fact, he hadn't even been aware she had one. And he didn't like being the focus of it. "Fine. Then you know what I'm up against."

"What we're all up against, not just you!"

"You're the second person today to remind me of that."

"Then you should start listening before your stubborn ass gets us all killed."

He blew out a breath in frustration. "Working with a team isn't as easy as you make it sound. Not for me. I've been alone for almost half my life, and experience has taught me the hard way that the only person I can count on is myself. I can't change that sort of conditioning overnight."

Her eyes softened a fraction and some of the tenseness left her posture. "Life's been a bitch for you. I get that. But it hasn't exactly been a picnic for the other guys, either. Or me, for that matter."

"You?" He blinked at her. "Why? What do you mean?"

She gave a sad laugh and shook her head. "Did it ever occur to you to wonder why I gave up a lucrative private psychology practice to work out here, in the middle of nowhere, in a place that doesn't exist to the rest of the world?"

"Because your daddy-and our boss-the almighty General Jarrod Grant, hooked his baby up with a plum assignment?" The smartass comment did exactly what it was supposed to do.

It pissed her off.

"No, that isn't why, you jackass," she hissed, the fire back in those glittering blue eyes. "You know, if you'd wake the hell up and pay attention, you might learn a few things about the people who want to be your friends. I suggest you do that before it's too late."