by J. D. Tyler
“Yes, sir.” His gaze didn’t waver, and revealed no deception.
Nick nodded in approval and they trooped down the hall and into the same room in which they’d had their briefing about the four dead men and the suspicious cemetery visitor, who was now in their custody. Black was directed to sit in a chair at the large table as the focal point of a rough circle, hands still bound behind his back. His backpack was placed on the floor next to him. He volunteered nothing, no doubt having learned the value on the streets of keeping one’s mouth shut unless necessary.
Everyone sat except Nick, who remained standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He studied the kid for a long moment, no doubt seeing many of the things Jaxon had felt minutes ago. “You’re a Sorcerer.” A statement, not a question.
“Among other things.” A slight crack in the kid’s armor revealed the self-loathing behind those words.
Jaxon knew what “other things” he meant, and they had nothing to do with his magical talents.
“Shifter. Necromancer.”
“Yeah. So what?”
“How long have you known?”
The question seemed to throw him a little, and he paused, thinking. “Always, I guess. Though I didn’t have labels for my abilities when I was a kid. I just knew I was weird and my mom and stepdad hated me.”
“Feared you is likely more accurate,” Nick corrected.
“Maybe. What difference does it make? I’ve been on my own since they kicked my ass out at fourteen and I haven’t looked back. Not once in nine years.”
Fourteen. God, for what this young man had suffered, mommy dearest and the stepbastard ought to be tortured and hung.
“You’re right. It doesn’t make a difference except their actions made you what you are—a survivor traveling a road that will lead to either your salvation or destruction, depending on the choices you make. Starting tonight.”
The Sorcerer stared at him a few seconds and then gave a short laugh. “Right. Isn’t that true of everyone, Seer?”
A hush fell over the room and all attention swung to Nick. The undisguised challenge of his talents from this newcomer wasn’t surprising, given the young man’s isolation and his inexperience in dealing with others, but their boss wasn’t inclined to go easy. The kid didn’t need that right now, nor would he appreciate it.
“I’m not speaking in generalities and I think you know that, just as you know most men could never handle learning their fates. What you decide here tonight will set you on a very specific course, one that will lead to the toughest challenges and greatest enemy you’ll ever face.”
For a second the guy seemed unnerved, glancing around at all of them. Rallying, he shook his head. “What do you want from me?”
“Cooperation, for starters. Tell us what brought you to Cody, Wyoming.”
He shrugged. “Nothing specific. Just sort of go where the wind blows me, performing street magic for tips to get by.”
“Like that David Blaine dude,” Ryon put in.
“Yeah, like him. Only I can’t speak for him, but my stuff is the real deal. I could’ve done Vegas, but I don’t like the thought of selling out to the big fish, having them watching over me, putting me on a schedule and telling me what to do with my magic. That would suck out loud.”
The corner of Nick’s mouth kicked up at his choice of words. “Plus somebody might find out it’s not an act.”
“Can’t have that, either. So it’s just me and the road.” He cocked his head. “I don’t know why I came here, but now that I’m giving it more thought, it’s almost like something called to me. I mean, it’s a good place away from the city to let my panther run, but there was something else. Once I got here, I sensed death. My panther smelled it.”
“We’re in the forest,” Nick pointed out. “Animals die, sometimes campers and hikers who aren’t careful.”
“Yeah, but I’m not talking about natural death or accident. What I sensed after I arrived was more like . . . something that makes your skin crawl, makes you want to run and hide, shaking in terror and hoping it’ll pass by without noticing you. Know what I mean?”
“Yes, I do. And that’s why you started snooping around the cemetery?”
“Partly.” He heaved a deep breath, looking afraid for the first time. “Before I started hanging at the cemetery, that awful feeling and the scent led me to one of the bodies of those four guys. At least I’m pretty sure it was one of them.”
Nick laid a palm flat on the table. “What? Explain.”
“I’m the one who anonymously called the sheriff’s office about that victim, but I don’t know how they found the others. I did my duty but I didn’t want to be in the spotlight, so I made the call and stayed out of the picture.”
“But you didn’t, not completely. You were noticed hanging around.”
“I knew that was a risk, but I couldn’t leave town. Not when I had such an unsettled feeling in my gut, like I’d crossed paths with something truly evil that most wouldn’t have the capacity to understand or figure out. Shit, I’m not sure I do, either, but I might have a better chance than the average guy.”
“So you decided to play amateur detective.” Nick allowed a hint of doubt to seep into his tone. “How convenient.”
Jaxon knew Nick was playing the kid, that from what he’d said so far he didn’t really believe the Sorcerer was responsible for any of the deaths, but was testing his worth. His determination. He’d been on the receiving end of Nick’s scrutiny in the beginning often enough to know.
“I didn’t kill those men,” Black asserted, his expression fierce. “I’ve never hurt anyone, and I’m not stupid enough to stay in the area if I did.”
Nick let him hang for a moment, then said, “I know. Tell me why you raised Henry Ward.”
“If you saw what I did, don’t you know why? You’re the Seer.”
“Humor me.”
“Fine. It wasn’t rocket science to connect the local buzz of an old man found bludgeoned to death with the body of a man found in the woods nearby. Like the cops, I thought there was a good chance Ward might’ve seen something, and I have a tool in my kit they don’t.”
“You can raise the dead and talk with them.”
“Yep.”
Quickly, he filled in Nick on what Ward had told him. The logo on the one man’s shirt proved to be a good lead, and their boss nodded in approval.
“That sounds like the logo used by NewLife Technology,” he said, and Jaxon stiffened in surprise.
“That’s Kira’s former employer.” Damn, she hadn’t been far from his mind all evening, and simply mentioning her name brought back all his physical discomfort with a vengeance.
Nick looked to Jax. “Who she alleges is possibly conducting some sort of DNA experimentation on human tissue, morphing it into a different strand altogether. Something animal.”
“And the photos and autopsy reports show slivers of flesh removed from the men while they were still alive.” Jaxon heaved a breath. “This is emerging into a terrible picture.”
Nick agreed. “The question is, if NewLife is behind this, what the hell are they trying to accomplish? And at the cost of human lives, no less.”
The Sorcerer spoke up. “This is fascinating, but am I free to go?”
Their boss pinned the kid with his blue gaze, and then gestured for Ryon to unbind him. “You can leave anytime you want. As a rule, I don’t interfere with free will, especially if the individual intends no harm.”
“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in there?” Black asked quietly, rubbing his wrists.
“Because your destiny is here,” Nick said in a low voice, expression grave. “You may go, but if you do, know that your life will follow a path it was never meant to take, and you’ll never find what you’re searching for. I can’t tell you more than that. The decision must be yours.”
It was more warning than Jaxon had ever heard Nick give anyone.
“Trust him, Black,” he advised the Sorcerer.
“You do that. Sleep on it; take all the time you need. Tomorrow, or I should say later today, Jax and a couple of the other team members will show you around, explain what we do and how things work. We’ll get you checked out in the clinic, too. Get some food in you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate this.” Kalen didn’t say the words lightly. He was a man who had nothing and no one.
Until today, even if he didn’t realize it yet.
“Prove yourself a good soldier and that will be thanks enough.” Grinning, Nick reached out and flicked the pendant on Kalen’s chest. Gestured to the earrings both Kalen and Jax wore. “Might have to lose some of the bling, though. That goes for everyone.”
The kid didn’t look bothered. “I’m willing to negotiate. Some.”
Jax wasn’t really concerned, either. Nick had lost the argument over the decorative hardware before—or rather, gracefully conceded that they didn’t interfere with the job—though the boss didn’t like them.
Aric laughed and handed Kalen his backpack. “Come on, I’ll show you to a room.”
The red wolf led their newest recruit out, the others trailing them, talking and attempting to put the younger man more at ease. Jaxon hung back, concerned to see the smile melt from his boss’s face as the others left.
“Is the kid going to be okay?” he asked.
“Definitely not if he leaves, but even if he stays . . . I don’t know. His storm is still a good ways off, but it’s coming.”
“And when it arrives?” He was almost afraid to learn the answer, with good reason.
“Kalen will either find it in his soul to do the right thing, make the hard choice. Or he’ll destroy us all.”
Jaxon raked a hand through his short hair. “Who’s his greatest enemy, Nicky?”
“Himself,” his boss said grimly.
Ten
“Who’s that?”
Kira nudged Mac and both women watched with great interest as a young man entered the dining room, pausing uncertainly to study his surroundings.
“He must be the new prospective team member Nick was telling us about,” Mac whispered. “Kalen Black, Sorcerer.”
Dr. Mallory was chomping at the bit for them all to get started on their study of the four dead men. This morning after breakfast, Nick had filled them in on everything the sheriff and Alpha Pack had discovered. Including the short-lived battle in the cemetery with this guy. Not only was he a Sorcerer, but a Necromancer and a black panther.
“He sure looks like a Sorcerer.”
“I’ll say.”
Kira couldn’t help but notice that Mac’s voice had grown a little husky, and how her pupils dilated as she studied the man. She couldn’t blame her friend. The guy was seriously hot, messy black hair falling around a face that belonged on a model and a tall, lean, sexy body dressed in black jeans and a T-shirt. The only adornments were the silver pendant around his neck and the studs in his ears.
Glittering kohl-lined green eyes surveyed the area warily, and then he strode inside, choosing a place at the end of a nearby table. He sat by himself, back to the wall, where he had a view of the whole room and who might enter it. Kira wondered if he’d positioned himself this way on purpose and thought it likely, given his body language.
His gaze found them and he nodded in acknowledgment before turning his attention to the steaming dishes the kitchen staff had placed on the tables for lunch. Politely, he took a plate and eating utensils from the stack. Then he served himself a hearty portion of shepherd’s pie and took two rolls. Gripping his fork, he stared at the meal like he’d never seen food in his life and then slowly began to eat. One bite, then another. Faster and faster until he’d wolfed down the entire serving and consumed both rolls in less than five minutes.
He filled the plate again and started over.
Kira and Mac exchanged glances and she knew they were thinking the same thing—Kalen was literally starving. They made small talk and tried not to stare as he dished a third helping, but it was almost impossible. Finally Mac couldn’t stand it anymore and rose, walking over to greet him.
“Hello,” she said, her tone friendly, offering her hand. “I’m Dr. Mackenzie Grant. I work at the Institute of Parapsychology, which is housed here on the compound.”
He stared at the hand, swallowed a mouthful of food, and then shook with her. “Kalen Black, Sorcerer at large. I work everywhere, and nowhere,” he said with a wry grin.
Her eyes lit with good humor. “I heard a little about that. Are you going to join Alpha Pack?”
Kalen didn’t take those striking green eyes off Mac as she brushed her dark curls over one shoulder in an unconscious feminine gesture. “I haven’t decided. The guys are going to show me around later. We’re getting a late start today since we didn’t go to bed until almost three this morning.”
So that explained why Jaxon and the guys hadn’t shown at breakfast, or anywhere today for that matter. Nick had been the only one present.
“Well, I for one hope you choose to stay. You won’t find a better team to work with than our guys, and there’s never a dull moment around here,” she said with enthusiasm.
“I can see that,” he drawled, sitting back lazily in his seat to stare at her.
Mac flushed, but brushed past the blatant male appreciation in his gaze. “I think you’ll fit right in. In the meantime, come down to the clinic when you get a chance. You’ll need a physical and I’d love to give you one.” Instantly, she realized how that sounded and sputtered a bit, especially when he laughed. His genuine, broad smile made him exponentially sexier. “I mean, someone will check you out. Make sure you’re healthy.”
“Thank you, Mackenzie. I’ll do that.”
“My friends call me Mac,” she said, then waved a hand in Kira’s direction. “That’s Kira Locke. She’s new, too.”
“Hi,” Kira said, waving.
“Hello.”
Mac went on, capturing his attention again. “Anyway, as a doctor I wanted to say that you might want to slow down on the food, especially if the team intends to spar with you later. You’ll end up getting sick.”
His humor faded and he laid his fork on the table, lowering his eyes in obvious embarrassment. When he looked up again, he nodded. “Good advice. Thanks.” Wiping his mouth on a napkin, he stood. “I’ll see you ladies later, right?”
They chimed an agreement and watched the Sorcerer’s delectable backside disappear through the door.
“I’m such an idiot,” Mac groaned, slapping her forehead. “Why’d I have to go and say something so stupid?”
Kira patted her friend’s arm as she returned to their table. “Hey, you were only expressing a valid concern, and you were right. Eating like that when you’re not used to so much food will make a person ill. He’ll get over it.”
“I hope so.”
“Ready to get started in the lab?” The distraction worked, though it really was time for them to go.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She grimaced as Kira rose. The two of them left and started for the clinic. “They aren’t a pretty sight, and I don’t mean just because they’re dead.”
She tried not to think about it too much as they headed for the lab. But the condition of the bodies was hard to ignore when they walked into the large sterile room wearing their gowns, masks, and latex gloves.
Each of the men lay on a metal table, spread far enough apart so everyone could work around them without running into one another. Kira wasn’t surprised to find Nick already there, waiting with Dr. Mallory. He was the boss and he’d want to know what they found. But she was a bit taken aback to find Jax present, leaning negligently against a wall, his steely blue eyes all but devouring her the second she entered. She couldn’t look away.
Like Nick, he wasn’t wearing protective clothing. Low-rise jeans hugged his hips and his biceps bulged even more from his arms being crossed over his yummy chest. His lips quirked, the dark humor in his expression doing nice things to his handsome face. Things that made lunch churn in her stomach and made her long to drag him off, throw him down, and have her wicked way with his sexy body for the rest of the afternoon.
He winked and she shook her head, breaking eye contact. Wasn’t she supposed to be mad at him? She didn’t feel upset at the moment—just really hot between her thighs. Damn it.
Dr. Mallory claimed everyone’s attention. “Let’s get things rolling, shall we? First of all, let’s make sure we all know why we’re here. The autopsies have already been performed, and the coroner was quite thorough. Did everyone have a chance to study the copies this morning?”
Answers were affirmative all around, including those from two techs Kira had met earlier but didn’t yet know very well.
“Good. Our purpose here is not to redo what was already done, but rather to think outside the box. To study the victims, taking into account all that we know so far, and to try to create a portrait of not only what happened to these four men, but what might be going on in the big picture.”
The woman was a pro, even if she was sort of aloof.
The doc glanced at a tablet on which she’d written her notes. “All four victims have ligature marks clearly visible at their wrists and ankles. They were underweight at the times of their deaths, but not mortally so. Each victim has scarring from very precise wounds made with a sharp instrument, such as a scalpel. From this scarring, at various stages of healing at the time of death, we can surmise that tissue was removed from them—while alive—at regular intervals. Their bodies were pumped full of an array of drugs as well.”
Kira began to regret eating lunch before this. Scientists weren’t always able to turn off their sensitive button.
“They were held captive,” Nick said. “And they endured some form of experimentation.”
“That would be my guess,” she agreed. “The question is, for what purpose? I believe that the tissue samples Kira liberated from her former employer, not to mention the connection these four men have with one of their alleged killers who was wearing the company’s logo, might provide some answers. Ones we’re not going to like.”