Текст книги "Black Moon"

Автор книги: J. Tyler

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

Four

“What the fuck’s going on here?” Kalen looked from the frightened man back to the Unseelie. “Why do you have this shithead tied up in your basement?”

The shithead in question darted his gaze from him to Malik, eyes bulging in fear. The sharp stench of urine reached his nose. It permeated the room, and a dark stain was visible at the crotch of the man’s dirty jeans.

“I see you remember Billy,” Malik said pleasantly, as though they were getting reacquainted over a nice dinner of wine and lobster. “He’s been kind enough to join us for a brief reunion.”

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re playing at, but Billy is good and scared now. Right, Billy?”

“Y-yeah! I got no beef with either of ya’ll!”

“See? I’m sure that’s what you wanted, and you’ve had your fun. Let him go and I’ll wipe his mind. He won’t remember this ever happened.”

“What would be the point in that? He has to know what he’s done wrong.”

Before I kill himwent unspoken, but Kalen was suddenly, dreadfully sure that’s what Malik had planned. “He knows. Isn’t that so, Billy?”

The man found his voice, nodding emphatically. “H-hell, yeah! R-right! I recognize the purty fella here, from that night at the Grizzly.” He laughed nervously as though sharing a joke. “We don’t git many dudes like him in our neck of the woods and we was just havin’ us a little fun, that’s all! I swear we wasn’t gonna hurt him or nothin’!”

“As though you could.” Malik scoffed in contempt. “Fat slug of a human.”

“H-human?” He glanced around in confusion.

“Malik, please. Let him go.”

“He must pay, my pet.”

“For what? Him and his buddies ganging up on me? It’s not the first time that’s happened, and you can’t go around killing everyone who tries to walk all over me. . . .”

He trailed off, seeing the catlike expression on Malik’s handsome face. The triumph. And in that moment he realized two things.

First, the hapless Billy wasn’t leaving this basement alive.

Second, Malik had killed on his behalf before. When? How many? Every single person in the entire time Malik had been following him, since he was a homeless teenager?

“Yes,” the Unseelie answered his thoughts. “Every last one. And they were delicious.”

“Christ.” Kalen pushed a hand through his hair, feeling sick. Helpless. He couldn’t think of that now. “You can’t do this.”

“I really can. More important, you won’t stop me.”

“You think not? I’m just as powerful as you, and I’m fully capable—”

“But you won’t. My boy, this is why I brought you here—to show you that essentially there is no difference between you and me.” He gripped Kalen’s shoulder and brought their foreheads so close they almost touched. Kalen didn’t pull away as Malik went on.

“You want this scum dead for what he did to you,” Malik intoned gently. “He’s a symbol of all those who’ve hurt you again and again throughout your life. You want him to pay, don’t you?”

“No! Killing is wrong.”

“You’ve been beaten and worse by men like this, when you were little more than a boy. Before you fully came into your powers. Am I correct?”

“Yeah,” he said bitterly.

“Just once, you want to feel what it’s like to show one of them what it means to be completely at yourmercy.”

“Yes.” The word emerged in spite of his resolve to deny it.

The bound man started blubbering, tears and snot running down his fleshy cheeks.

“He’s no innocent, Kalen,” Malik soothed. “He has raped and murdered, left many battered and broken. Including his wife and three children. Like the slime you called ‘father.’ Look.”

With a push, Malik shoved several of Billy’s memories into Kalen’s head. They rolled like old, grainy footage of a home movie, and the scenes were real. The bastard grabbing a waitress from the Grizzly, forcing her to blow him behind the bar, knowing she wouldn’t tell or else he’d spin his own tale through the town, ruining her reputation. Other scenes were of Billy and his buddies burying a body outside town. Someone they’d killed for owing one of them less than a hundred bucks.

But the worst were the kids. He’d abused his children horribly, beating them with his belt and scalding them with cigarettes, hot water. Just last week, the little one had spilled something on the greasy carpet, and the bastard had forced the child to drink half of a bottle of carpet cleaner. In their backwoods craphole of a shack, the boy had almost died. The man promised his terrified wife they were all dead if she breathed a word to anyone.

Disbelief and horror at what Malik had planned here tonight became eagerness. Morphed into a terrible, seething rage that demanded justice for the ones Billy had hurt. Killed. Especially the children. And it was justice. No one else would do anything about this piece of filth.

“Do you see?” Malik asked.

“Yeah. He’s a piece of shit.” Power surged through his veins. The need for blood sang through him.

“What shall I do with him, boy?”

“Show him what hell really looks like,” Kalen said coldly. “Then kill him.”

* * *

Miles away, in the darkness of his quarters, Nick’s pacing in his bedroom was brought up short by an awful vision.

He’d been restless tonight, just as he always was when one of his own was suffering. And this man was in agony.

“Kalen,” he whispered hoarsely. “No.”

But he couldn’t stop what was happening. There was no way he’d find Malik’s hideout without Kalen’s help, and the Sorcerer was already there.

Kalen’s storm was on the horizon now, the thunder rolling. Lightning just beginning to flicker in the sky. The choices he made tonight, and the ones to come, he’d have to live with for the rest of his days.

However few those were.

The vision intensified.

Show him what hell really looks like. Then kill him.

“Oh, Jesus. No! Don’t do it!”

But it was far too late. The Unseelie had finally managed to get his talons into Kalen, and the seduction had begun. The gradual slide into the pit of hell.

God help them all.

* * *

“No, no, please! I—I’ll leave town! My wife and kids won’t never have ta look at me again!”

Malik smiled, and his canines lengthened to protrude over his bottom lip. “They won’t have to do that anyway.”

With that, the Unseelie began to change. Kalen barely had time to register that Malik had dropped his glamour before his clothes disappeared and his form began to grow. His skin darkened to a grayish purple hue, and his straight black hair cascaded to his waist. His ears grew long, pointed at the tips, and his facial features sharpened to cruel angles.

His height quickly towered to at least seven feet. But the most frightening and impressive of all were his wings. Unlike Sariel’s beautiful, feathered wings of electric blue, his father’s were dark and leathery, almost black. They spanned nearly the entire basement in width, some fifteen feet.

The whole package that was Malik, undisguised, was cruelly magnificent. Something straight out of a nightmare.

And now he was Billy’s nightmare. The man stared up at his tormentor, mouth open, no longer making a sound. He was learning now, at the very end of his existence, just how pathetic and insignificant he was in the grand scheme of the world. How powerless. A mindless bug headed for a zapper.

Kalen almost felt sorry for him. Except when he thought of what the asshole had done to his own kids.

“I’m not from hell, Billy,” Malik said, his voice much lower and more gravelly than before. “I amhell. I have existed since before mankind walked upright, and for too long I have watched as many humans evolved to be not much more intelligent than the primates before them. You are one such substandard example of humanity. Are you following me, ape?”

The ape was beyond speech, his eyes fixed on the Unseelie in horror.

Malik reached out a hand, extended his index finger, and ran one razor-sharp claw down Billy’s fleshy cheek. A thin line of blood trickled from the slice, over his jaw and down his neck. “And as a piece of undisputed filth, unworthy of being loose among even the weakest of humans, I cannot allow you to live. Even you with your limited cognitive ability can understand this by now, I’m sure.”

Totally entranced, Billy nodded.

“Very well.”

The Unseelie moved so fast, Kalen hardly saw what happened next. His arm shot out and he stabbed his claws deep into Billy’s stomach. The man screamed, a high-pitched keen of sheer terror that bounced off the walls and became a gurgle as Malik thrust up, effectively gutting him.

Then Malik used his other hand to grab Billy’s scraggly hair and yank his head back. The cords of the man’s neck were exposed, and the Unseelie licked his lips in anticipation. And then he lowered his head and struck, tearing into the vulnerable throat of his captive, ripping it out. Drank and slurped, grunting in satisfaction.

Feeding on his prey.

The weak feed the strong, and the strong survive.That was Kalen’s thought as he watched, transfixed by the sight of the powerful, muscled creature taking his fill. Why wasn’t he horrified? Afraid? But he just wasn’t. There was something darkly beautiful and primal about the scene before him. It called to his blood, to the dark power residing within him. Tightened his groin deliciously, stiffened his cock.

Abyssus abyssum invocat, Beryl had whispered to him a few days ago. Hell calls hell.

Now he knew why. The witch had been preparing Kalen for this night. For joining Malik, embracing his destiny. He never had to be helpless again, as he had been at fourteen. Never again had to endure the mockery of those like Aric. Never had to be alone. Because Malik understood.

The Unseelie raised his head, wiped the blood from his lips, and smiled.

“I told you that I do understand, my pet.” Releasing his dead prey, he beckoned Kalen to him. “Come here.”

Kalen obeyed, stepping so close he had to look up into that stunning, sharp face. “Yes?”

The other male lifted an arm and, with one claw from the opposite hand, sliced a cut in his wrist. Dark blood the color of merlot welled instantly. “Drink,” he commanded.

Kalen hesitated, then took the wrist uncertainly, his heart pounding hard in his chest. A distant voice begged him not to do this, warned that this step would be irrevocable. Would bind him to the Unseelie until one or both of them died.

“Drink, and never be alone again,” Malik said softly.

Kalen’s tongue flicked out, tested the thick stream. The taste exploded on his tongue, sweet and rich as the finest red wine. A bolt of pleasure seared to his gut, his limbs, his cock, and he groaned, latching on more firmly.

God, it was so good. So fucking fine. He wanted more, would do anything to get it as often as his companion would allow him.

“Stop.” The order barely filtered through to his consciousness.

Kalen blinked up at Malik and released his arm. Reluctantly. He licked his lips. “Please . . .”

Malik stroked his hair, studied him almost lovingly. “There will be plenty more. Do not worry. We are bonded now, and my blood will be your reward when I’m pleased.”

“And when you’re not pleased?”

“You do not want to know. Just make certain that doesn’t happen.”

He nodded, fear winding through his soul. What had he done? There was a lingering fog of lust that had banished all the caution he knew he should have. The guilt for having joined the enemy.

“I’m not the enemy, my boy. Does anyone blame a lion for killing and feeding upon a gazelle?”

“No, of course not. But—”

“I want to rid the earth of scum like Billy,” he said, waving a claw at the corpse. “And I must eat, same as you or anyone. As a purebred Unseelie, I must have animal flesh and blood to survive, and if that means occasionally removing a violent, dangerous man such as this from the earth in the process, why is that wrong?”

He couldn’t argue that point. Billy had been a motherfucker. And now he was food. Probably the only thing he’d ever been useful for.

“What now?” he asked. “Will I live here with you?” The idea suddenly made him anxious. The Pack guys were his friends, too—well, except Aric. Most of them had made him welcome. Right?

“Not yet. You must go back to your compound. For now, it is where you can help me the most. You’re going to practice the arts among them, beginning tomorrow.”

“I won’t hurt them,” he said, body tensing. “Any of them.”

Malik sighed. “Don’t fight the darkness, pet. You can’t win, now that you’ve accepted my bond. And why would you want to? Can’t you feel the power flooding you, stroking your cock like a woman’s lips? The ecstasy will only get better once you embrace our bond and let go of your previous inhibitions.”

He swallowed a moan. “What do I do?”

“Good boy,” he praised. “First, tell no one of our association. Practice on one of your teammates. Start small. Find a weakness and exploit it, discreetly. They mustn’t suspect you’re behind the incident. You’ll be surprised by how wonderful it feels to wield such a weapon.”

“And then?”

“Do as I say and you’ll come to me again soon. I will tell you what to do next, after you’ve begun to enjoy exercising your superior gifts over the others.”

“That’s all?”

“For now. Eager already?”

He looked away, unable to answer. Too late, he was afraid of what he’d allowed to be set in motion. But the lure was so great, he didn’t know how to break free. Wasn’t sure he wanted to. But there was one certainty he had to make clear.

“I won’t hurt Mackenzie. Ever,” he said in a low, dangerous tone. “She’s mine, and I’ll kill you and me both before that happens.”

The Unseelie smiled, showing off his fangs. “Have the woman. What do I care? She’s merely a human and is nothing to my plans any longer, one way or the other.”

“Fine.”

With that settled, Malik shifted back into the form of an urbane, handsome man. He was once again fully clothed and one would never know he was anything but what he appeared to be. Unless they saw his half-eaten dinner hanging sightless in the middle of the room.

Together they went back upstairs, where they quietly shared one more glass of Cognac before Kalen took his leave in the wee hours of the morning.

Shifting into his panther, he ran back toward the compound. One thing Malik was correct about—the darkness sang in his veins. Demanded completion. Finding a nice grassy spot under the moonlight, he skidded to a stop and shifted back to a man. On his knees, he fisted his erect, aching cock and gave it a pump.

And another. Arching his back, he spread his knees and gave himself over to the night. To the heady pleasure that had needed release for the past couple of hours. His palm slid over smooth skin, electrifying his nerve endings. Up to the spongy head, weeping at the slit. Down to the base of his cock.

The other hand massaged his balls, playing with them. They tightened, drew upward. He had to come. Needed something more.

The second he imagined Mackenzie’s mouth sliding along his shaft, sucking and licking, he was lost. With a shout he came, spurting ropy white streams onto the cool ground until he was spent and exhausted.

Finally, he’d be able to sleep. And he’d need plenty.

You’re going to be the greatest Sorcerer the world has ever known, your power beyond comprehension.

Tomorrow he’d work on making his grandmother’s prediction come true.

* * *

Mac knew there was something different about Kalen the second she spotted him leaning against the wall of the rec room. She just couldn’t put her finger on what.

His animal form, a black panther, was typically secondary to his being a Sorcerer, but today he seemed even more catlike than usual. He rested his shoulder against the wall, arms crossed, watching some of the others. Aric and Zander were off to the side, playing a noisy game of foosball. Jax and Hammer were playing a war game on the Wii, and Sariel, Kira, Rowan, and Micah were watching a ghost-hunting reality television show they couldn’t seem to get enough of.

And Kalen observed them all, the expression on his face almost . . . sly. Maybe even insolent. The sight chilled her, though it could be her imagination. She hoped it was. It could be that he was still smarting from the incident in the dining room last evening. He’d never seemed like the type to carry a grudge, but how well did she really know him, beyond a shared adventure and a hot night at the Wall-Banger Motel?

Yeah, she sowasn’t going to think about that. Not when she had much bigger worries. Or little worries, like the one currently giving her awful morning sickness.

Lingering in the doorway, she figured she should just leave and find somewhere else to relax on her break. But that plan went out the window when Kalen’s eyes met hers and he grinned, beckoning her to him with one finger.

Taken aback, she paused. Communication between them had been strained at best since he’d given her the brush-off. And now he seemed relaxed, the glitter in his jade green eyes almost playful. Composing her expression into what she hoped was cool indifference, she walked over to him.

“How’s Sariel?” he asked, eyeing her.

Inside, she deflated some. A part of her had hoped he wanted to talk about mending their fences, stupid as that seemed. She took a breath, shoving down the disappointment. “His recovery is progressing slowly. He’s still not eating very well, but other than that, he should be up and around in a few days.”

“Do you think he would see me? I have some apologizing to do.” He sounded sincere.

“I don’t know, but I could ask him for you if you would like.”

“I would, thank you.”

“Just don’t get your hopes up. He’s been withdrawn since Beryl attacked him, and I doubt you’re his favorite person at the moment.”

He winced. “Ouch. I deserved that, I guess.”

“You guess?” She frowned at Kalen and peered into his eyes. “Are you all right?”

“Sure, honey. Why do you ask?”

Gritting her teeth, she resisted the urge to shout not to call her pet names after what had transpired between them. After he’d walked away and broken her heart. Instead, she forced herself to think like a doctor and studied his eyes. They weren’t right. “Your pupils are dilated.”

“So?”

“Blown pupils are typically a sign of illness, concussion, or drug use. Have you hit your head? Are you sick?”

“Nah. Been smoking weed in my room.” He winked. “Ya caught me.”

She smacked his arm as he laughed. “That’s not funny, Kalen. I want you to come with me to the infirmary and let me give you a checkup.”

“I have a better idea—have lunch with me instead.”

“What?” Her traitorous heart skipped a beat. “You’ve barely acknowledged my presence lately, and now you want to hang out in the cafeteria?”

“No. I want to take you to lunch. You know, in a real restaurant in town, where we can sit and talk without two dozen of our well-meaning friends listening to every word.”

Glancing around the room, she spotted several of those well-meaning friends quickly go back to pretending not to eavesdrop. “I don’t know if that’s a great idea.”

“Please?” He affected a sexy pout.

Damn him for being so irresistible. “Checkup, thenlunch. It’s that or no deal.”

“You drive a hard bargain, lady.” He gave her a mock glare. “Fine. Poke at me or whatever. Then we’ll go eat.”

“I’m still not sure that’s a good idea. The going out part.”

“But you’re going to do it anyway.” Now he looked smug.

She wanted to smack him again. “Don’t push your luck. Come on.”

On the way to the infirmary, she did her best not to overtly ogle him. She had a weakness for guys that looked like rock stars, and even though he’d probably never touched an electric guitar in his life, the man totally did it for her.

On impulse, she asked, “Did you ever play in a rock band?”

He cut her a piercing look. “I’ve told you about my parents. They treated me like shit and threw me out on my ass. You think they forked over the cash for a guitar and lessons?”

She flushed in embarrassment. “No, but a lot of guys who are now well-known started with nothing. I just wondered, that’s all.”

They walked for a few moments before he responded. “Like a lot of kids, I had big dreams like that. Maybe if I’d pursued music and given it everything I had, I would’ve succeeded. Or maybe not. Some things aren’t meant to be.”

“And some things are, like you ending up here, being a part of the team.”

He rolled his shoulders in what might’ve been a shrug. “Sure. Lucky me, huh?”

“Most of the Pack count themselves lucky to be here, yes,” she said pointedly.

“You positive about that?”

“I know these men, so yes, I’m positive. Where is this coming from? You’re in a weird mood today.”

He flashed her a disarming smile. “Ignore me. Must be lack of sleep from last night.”

“How often is that happening?”

“A night here and there. No big deal.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Where the hell is the sarcasm in your tone coming from? If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you and Aric switched bodies.”

“Do me a favor and don’t compare me to him,” he said curtly. “We’re nothing alike.”

“Then drop the crap and be yourself.”

“I’m not sure I know what that means.”

“I think you do, but if you insist on playing dumb, there isn’t much I can do about it.”

“Who says I’m playing? I don’t even have a high school diploma.”

“Is that another attempt to make me feel sorry for you?” So he didn’t have to know it worked, she injected as much sternness into her voice as she could.

“Nope. Just sayin’.”

Apparently she wasn’t going to get any satisfactory answers. The jerk was enjoying baiting her way too much. So she decided to keep her end of the conversation strictly professional for the time being. If he wanted to have a meaningful talk at lunch, then he was going to have to work at it.

Suppressing a frustrated sigh, she led him past Noah at the reception desk. At seeing Kalen with her, the nurse gave her a look of concern, but she nodded to let him know all was well—and then hoped that was the case.

Ushering him into an exam room, she closed the door. “Up on the table, please.”

Turning his backside to it, he hoisted himself up and parked his butt on the crinkly paper. Hands on his jeans-clad thighs, he arched a dark brow and grinned. “Have your way with me, Doc.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to say, “Been there, got the reminder” but she refrained. Just barely. Instead she grabbed a blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around his biceps. Giving the bulb a series of pumps, she got the reading.

“Blood pressure is a bit high,” she said. “Are you having any headaches, dizziness, anything of concern?”

“No, nothing.”

Replacing the cuff on its wall hook, she removed a wooden stick from the jar on the counter. “Say ah.”

“Ahhh.”

Using her penlight, she peered into his throat. “No redness.” She tossed the stick into the trash.

Next she checked how well he tracked her finger with his eyes, then used a small rubber mallet to test his reflexes. “All normal on both counts, but I’d like to have Noah come draw some blood for a few tests—”

“No!” he barked, the word popping like a gunshot in the room. The sharp edge of panic flashed across his face before he made a visible effort to get it under control. “That’s completely unnecessary. I’m healthy as a horse.”

Startled by his outburst, she said evenly, “Then it shouldn’t matter if we take a bit of blood to make sure.”

“Not gonna happen. Did I ever mention I don’t like needles?” Sliding off the table, he headed for the door. “You examined me, I’m great, and we’re done. Ready for lunch?”

She was tempted to back out, for many reasons. But she was curious about what was going on with him. If she was honest, she was more than a little concerned, too. Could he be starting to feel sick from not mating with her? If so, he wasn’t showing symptoms. As much as it worried her and went against her code as a doctor, it was probably best to let the other tests wait for now. Though she’d get that blood from him eventually. One way or another.

“All right. Let me get my purse.”

“No argument from you about not poking on me anymore?”

“Would it do any good?”

“Probably not.”

“Well, there you are.”

She didn’t miss the relief that briefly crossed his face as they left the exam room, and she wondered what he had to hide. Whatever it was, it must be the reason for his blown pupils. Was he doing drugs? Anything was possible, though she hated to think the worst. One thing she knew for sure—dilated pupils were a physical response indicating a possibly serious problem. No way around that.

After fetching her purse, she slung the strap over her shoulder and met him in the hallway. Together they walked back through the lobby.

“Noah, would you tell Melina I’ll be gone for a couple of hours? Kalen’s taking me out to lunch.”

The blond made a face. “Must be nice.”

“That’s why I’m the boss of you.”

Noah laughed. “Good point. At least it’s quiet today—” He slapped a hand over his mouth. Every nurse and doctor knew better than to jinx a good shift with the Q word. “Sorry!”

“As long as karma bitch-slaps you and not me, it’s fine.” Giving him a little wave, she left, Kalen at her side. “Where to?”

“Not the Grizzly,” he said thoughtfully.

“God, no! Our last time there didn’t turn out so well.”

“How about Italian? There’s a great hole-in-the-wall place in Cody that has awesome spaghetti. I found it when I first hit town and had a few bucks in my pocket.”

“Sounds good. I haven’t had Italian in ages.” Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she’d tossed breakfast after a nasty bout of morning sickness. She just prayed her body cooperated now that the nausea seemed to have settled for the day.

“Do you mind driving?”

“What, Nick still won’t let you borrow another SUV?” she teased.

“After I let the last one I took get ripped up by a Sluagh? Fat chance. He won’t even let me finish asking before he shouts no.”

“Well, that’s not fair. The damage wasn’t really your fault.” He made a disgruntled noise and she thought a second. “You can buy your own wheels now that you have a paying job with the team.”

“I will eventually. Soon as I save more for a down payment. Maybe I’ll get something cool like a Mustang Boss 302, fully loaded.”

He sounded so excited, she couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t shoot big or anything.”

“Of course not.”

By the time they got into her car, Mac driving, some of the strange tension between them had lessened quite a bit. Glancing over at him, she noticed that vibe of malice, or whatever it was, that she had detected in the rec room seemed to have vanished. He looked like Kalen again, green eyes clear, face more relaxed.

But as he met her gaze and returned her smile, she saw his pupils were still much too large. Opting not to mention it again until later, she put her car in drive and started down the long road leading away from the compound.

There would be time enough to figure out what was going on with him.

And she wouldn’t stop until she learned his secrets.