by Nikki Dean
"It is. Maintenance came and changed the door, then Nico changed the locks again, just in case."
"What did Fitzam say about it? This will get that little shit fired for sure."
Mallory squirmed a little with a quick glance at Nico and the other guys. "Well, I kind of didn't call him. Janae told me to meet her in the basement fifteen minutes after the attack, and she took me to the lab. The rest of the guys followed, and it turned into an impromptu rescue mission. We didn't know where else to take you, or who was involved with you being down there. No one wanted to risk telling anyone that we shouldn't, so we just kept it quiet overnight, and then the amaroq destroyed the lab."
Matt looked at Everett, who shrugged.
Why does everyone keep looking at him when the amaroq comes up? Mallory wondered. It's almost like they're expecting him to explain its actions. I know they said he's been here longer, but has he really interacted with it that much more?
"It tends to do that," Matt said quietly. "No one knows why." His jaw cracked as he yawned.
"If there really is a why. It might just be instinctive, if it can understand when people are studying it. A lot of animals destroy things out of self-preservation, and I'm willing to bet that this demon is smarter than most animals," Mal said.
"Why do you think so?" Everett asked.
She shrugged. "I don't know. On one hand it seemed totally out of control in the gym, but on the other, it had to have a reason to be there. It must be intelligent if it avoids cameras and recording equipment, which means it knows the value of secrecy. A lot of animals will surprise you by the lengths they go to stay hidden, and the amaroq doesn't seem much different."
"Except that it didn't have to reveal itself in the gym," Damon retorted. "It had no reason to attack, but it did."
"That we know of. It seemed furious, yes, but beneath anger is usually something else. Pain. Fear. The sense of being trapped. We have no idea why it was there, but I'm pretty sure we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Oh, yeah? Think you know everything based on a ten-minute interaction, half of which you were busy making out with these two?" Everett said sharply. "I've been around it a lot more than you, and trust me when I say that thing doesn't need any reason to be pissed off. That's just how it is, all the time, and there's no getting around that. You can't control it, or make friends with it. It wasn't hurt, because nothing can hurt it. It wasn't afraid, because nothing stands a chance against it. Get your head out of your ass and face reality. The amaroq isn't something you can tame."
"What did it do to you?" Mallory couldn't help but ask. "Who did it take from you?"
Everett shot up from his seat and stalked to the door. "Fuck you."
It slammed behind him, making Mallory flinch. Matt jerked his head up from where he had leaned it back against the cushions, blinking in confusion.
"Were you asleep?" Mallory asked in surprise. "I didn't even hear you snore."
"Shut up and scoot over. Everyone else, get out," Matt ordered.
"We need to figure out what happened to you, and if you're safe here," she protested. "I don't have time to nap."
"Stay with me so I know you're safe. Otherwise I'll just worry about you getting snatched up next," Matt murmured. “The guys can take care of everything else.” He was fading fast.
Damon got up and nodded. Nico sighed and kissed her, dipping his face down to hers for a quick peck that turned into something longer. His tongue had barely slid between her lips for a taste when Alec grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the room behind him.
"Love you!" Nico called over his shoulder.
Everyone froze.
Mallory included.
Seriously, we're just going to announce it to everyone like that? Like it's no big deal, and now I have to say it back in front of them? Ugh. Nico's twinkling ocean eyes told her that he knew exactly how uncomfortable she was. The ass. "Love you too, babe. See you in a while."
She'd barely choked the words out when Alec laughed, clapping Nico on the back like he was congratulating him. Mallory scowled. "You guys love making me feel awkward, don't you?"
"Consider it payback for that time you said I had a microdick in the hallway," Alec chuckled.
"Again, pretty sure I said that to Damon, but if you identify with it, that's none of my business."
The door closed on anything Alec said back, leaving her alone with Matt. He patted the mattress beside him, then crooked a finger at her.
"Don't think I'll come just like that," she grumbled. "I'm not your pet."
He grinned, like she'd hoped he would, and held out a hand for her. Mallory took it and allowed him to pull her down beside him. "I think you might."
"Pervert." She said the word without any venom, secretly glad that he was feeling up to cracking jokes when it looked like he was about to pass out again. "How are you doing?"
"Tired. Really, really tired. What did they do to me?"
Mallory scooted into him, turning so that her back was pressed against his chest as he sprawled against her. His long, muscular body lined up perfectly with her smaller one as he spooned her, pressing his knee into the back of hers.
"Getting less tired, now." Matt's voice was warm in her ear as he ran one hand over her side to grip her hip, then slide down the outside of her thigh. Mallory caught his hand on its way back up and tucked it beneath her side.
"Don't try to lie to either of us, you're about to pass out. I'll be here when you wake up," she promised.
"But will you be naked again?" he nearly purred, his voice deepening at the thought. "You're sure being a lot more cuddly than before I nearly died."
"I'm just afraid you'll fall off the bed if I'm not here to keep you in it," she replied. "You're on sedatives. Stop thinking with your dick and go to sleep."
"So you're telling me there's a chance?" he teased. His breath warmed her cheek just before he kissed it, his soft, full lips pressing against her skin and leaving tingles in their wake. His week's worth of beard prickled her skin and she rubbed it.
"No. I'm telling you the exact opposite of that, in fact," she replied. There's totally a chance if Nico has anything to do with it. God help me when Matt's fully recovered and wants to sleep like this all the time. "I'm only spoiling you right now because you're sick. Otherwise you're going to have to work for this."
"Oh, yeah? I'm sure we can figure something out." He yawned, killing the desired sexiness in the statement.
"Hey, Matt?" she asked softly.
"Yeah, Miss Magic?" He was equally quiet.
"I'm really glad you're okay. I have no idea what we would have done without you."
"We?"
She swallowed hard, then brought his palm up to her lips. "What I would have done without you. I waited for you to call every day, and I was worried sick. The others kept telling me that going silent like that is what usually happens on a mission, and to just wait it out, but I knew. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't look for you on my web because I thought I was being stupid. I'm sorry."
He grabbed her shoulder and tugged, forcing her to roll over and face him. "It's not your fault, Mallory. I didn't even know where I was, so how could you?"
"Well…"
Chapter 4
"Well, what?" Matt frowned in confusion.
"I may have been the one that found you because of my web. Your presence was really faint, but I could feel you."
"I thought you could only sense people who were pretty close to you in the gym last month? About fifty feet or so was your range?"
She nodded. "My magic has been growing a lot. Like a whole lot. I can sense people for a few hundred feet at least now, farther if I'm really concentrating. My distance damn near doubled in class the next day, and the animals help me keep track of people now, too. It's almost like I can combine both sides of my web to sense pretty much anything, one way or another. But that's not the point."
"The point is, you had no reason to look, and if I was sed
ated, I'd be surprised if you had sensed anything at all," he broke in gently. "You don't need to apologize."
"But if I'd just looked," she whispered desperately. Guiltily. "I feel like I've been hiding my powers my entire life, and the one time I could have used them to make a difference, to save someone that I care about, I almost didn't. So you might think everything is okay, but I don't."
"You're finally admitting that you care?" he asked with a smile. "Remind me to get kidnapped again if it makes you this nice to me."
"Ass."
He grinned, then yawned. "Think you might be right."
"That you're an ass?" she teased.
"That I'm still really tired."
She looked up at the blue bag of liquid that was hanging on the wall. The sedatives were still dripping, still feeding their sleeping poison into his veins. Mallory wanted to rip it out and flush it all down the toilet, but Janae's warning stopped her. "I'll take you off of the sedatives in another few hours. I'm surprised that you've been awake this long."
"Me, too, honestly. What are you going to do about the jaguar?" Matt yawned again, his eyelids nearly closed as he settled down on the pillow.
"I have no idea," Mallory confessed. "I just knew I couldn't leave him behind, and now he seems to like us."
"Of course he does. Who wouldn't?"
Mallory smiled halfheartedly as she watched his eyes close. Unable to resist, she leaned in and rubbed her cheek against his, savoring the feel of his warmth. He turned into her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek even in his half-asleep state.
"Sleep well, Matt. I'll be here when you wake up." He didn't respond, but she felt the flare of appreciation that burst through his mind.
Mallory lay back down and drew him close, tempted to run her hands over his back and sides. She wanted to explore him, feel the planes of his body while she had the opportunity, but knew she couldn't, no matter how hard it was to resist. Suddenly more appreciative of the way he'd rolled away from her the last night he'd spent in her room, she kissed his cheek and settled in beside him.
* * *
Mallory woke surrounded by warmth. Everything was a tangle of arms and legs as Nico sprawled out along her other side, twirling a strand of her hair in his fingers as he played a game on his phone in the other hand.
"What's going on?" she asked sleepily. "Everyone okay?"
"Yep. I didn't mean to wake you, sorry." He immediately dropped her hair and laid his phone down on his chest. "Have a good nap?"
"Any nap is a good nap. How did it go with Everett?"
Nico sighed. "Not well. He's convinced that we should be keeping our distance from you instead of allowing you to get involved in our shit. I can't really blame him when you consider how dangerous it could get, but I think you can handle it. He's just not very open to new people."
"Understatement of the year." She paused, rolling over so that she faced him instead of Matt, who was still out. "I was right, wasn't I? The amaroq hurt someone close to him?"
"A lot of people, Bunny. Pretty much everyone he ever loved."
Mal flinched, inwardly cursing her own stupidity. "Fuck, I'm an asshole."
"Little bit, yeah. But that's okay, we all are sometimes."
She poked him in the side.
"What? You expected me to lie to you?" he asked.
No. Never you, Nico. "Nah, I know you wouldn't do that. How do I make it up to him?"
"You can't. It's already done, and he's not one for do-overs. Just keep it in mind in the future and keep showing him that you're good for us. He'll come around."
"What if I'm not good for the group, though? What if you're all right about Fitzam sending me after that thing and I get killed, or worse, get one of you killed?"
"Not going to happen either. I don't care what I have to do, you're not getting near the amaroq again."
She bristled at his dismissive tone. "What if I'm the only one that can? Isn't that what you all say, that the greater good of keeping people safe outweighs one witch and how they feel? If my opinion mattered, I wouldn't have come here in the first place." She held up one hand to silence his protests.
"I'm glad I did end up here, because I met you guys and was able to help save Matt, but that's not the point. Just because it ended up working out this time doesn't mean it won't still get me killed. Just by a monster, instead of humans."
"Humans can be monsters, too. Take a look at Pohler." His voice was low, angry. "I don't care what you try to say about it, but I'm not on board with you going after the amaroq. No matter what Fitzam tries to order."
Mallory laid her cheek against his chest. "Thanks, but I'm not really sure any of us have a choice about it. The academy pretty much guarantees that.”
"We always have a choice."
"Wouldn't that be nice?"
They lay there in silence for a little while, soaking in each other's, and Matt's, quiet company. Eventually her alarm went off and she got up, inspected Dice's foreleg and shot off a quick text to Janae.
"It's time to take him completely off of the sedative," she said. "What do you think we should do with him after that?"
Nico knelt by her side. "No idea. Take him to the woods to see if he likes it there? Or at least let him pee or something?"
"I wonder what they did about that stuff in the lab. It's not like we can just magic it away, right? No one is hiding any cleaning super powers?" She gave him a wry grin. "Wouldn't that be useful?"
"Unfortunately not. I asked Damon to come sit with Matt while we take Dice out. He should be here soon."
Mallory waited a few minutes then texted Janae again. The healer didn't answer, so she started looking up videos on how to disconnect an intravenous line instead.
It didn't look too hard. "I think we just disconnect this first, then pull this out of the way and the needle should slide out. I'll keep him contained as much as possible if you can pull it out?"
Nico agreed and watched the video twice more. He was nothing if not thorough.
They had him unhooked soon enough and Dice stretched, then hopped off the bed. Mallory watched in awe as he sniffed his way around the room, investigating every nook and cranny.
"I didn't realize how big he'd be when he finally got up," she whispered. “He looks smaller when he’s sleeping.” Nico wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side as Dice wound around them, then put his front paws onto Matt's bed to sniff its sleeping occupant.
His mind is stable, and he doesn't feel aggressive. Maybe this is going to work out after all, Mal mused.
Someone pounded on her old door. Dice's ears went back and he snarled, his claws digging into Matt's mattress.
Then again, maybe not. "Fuck. Whoever that is can't know about Matt or Dice. Will you keep him quiet?"
"Call me if it's Pohler, or anyone else from Fitzam's office," Nico demanded. "I don't want you to be over there alone."
"Well, yeah. I doubt Pohler would be stupid enough to come back though, right?" she whispered back.
Whoever it was knocked again.
"Miss Serra? Are you here? This is Lt. Rykers from the campus police department. I have a few questions for you."
Nico's hand clenched on her arm.
"Do you know him?" Mallory asked.
Nico shook his head. "Never heard of him before, and I know pretty much everyone. Stay on your toes. Leave the bathroom door open a little so I can hear, too."
Mallory nodded and hurried into her room when Rykers pounded on the door again. She was just about to reach for the doorknob when it jiggled, as though he was testing it to see if it was locked.
"Just go in," someone said in the hallway. "Hurry up, before anyone else comes this way."
She froze, alarms blaring in her mind. Just go in? Do they have one of the old keys? The sound of metal sliding against metal jolted her out of her stupor and she ran for the other suite.
"Someone's trying to come in," she hissed to Nico. "We have to get Matt and Dice out of her
e immediately. Where can we take them?"
Nico swore, then pulled out his phone and fired off a text to the group chat. Someone's trying to break into Mallory's room again. Trying the old key, gave the name Rykers.
Alec: Be there in a minute.
Footsteps sounded in the hall, then stopped in front of the door beside Nico. The door to the empty set of rooms attached to Mallory's. The handle moved as whoever was outside tried that one as well.
"Goddamn it, this one won't work either. Rod must have given us the wrong key after he changed the door last night. That useless twat."
"Well, what do we do now?" someone else asked.
"Figure something else out, I guess. Pohler is going to be pissed."
Mallory and Nico froze, their gazes locking before Nico was gone. The voices in the hallway fell silent and the stairwell door slammed. Nico didn't reappear.
She counted to five before running back into her room and opening her door. There was an unconscious body in the hallway. She waited a few more seconds, then bolted out, grabbed his ankles and began to drag him into her room.
He groaned. She punched him in the jaw. The groaning stopped.
Suddenly, the mystery man was lifted from her grasp. Alec held him up with one hand and grabbed her arm with the other, urging her back into her room. Dice met them at the door, his hackles raised.
"Good kitty," Alec murmured as he shut the door behind him. Dice paced between him and Mallory, weaving his way back and forth in the confined space.
"Dice, calm down. Alec is a friend, remember?" Mallory whispered, stroking the jaguar's soft fur. "He won't hurt us."
Dice growled again, sniffing at the air.
"Maybe it's not me that he wants to eat," Alec murmured. He dropped the guy from the hallway and Dice bared his teeth, backing away a little. He edged closer when the new guy didn't move. Mallory's phone chimed at the same time as Alec's.
Nico: They know Pohler. Took one out and brought him to the circle. Had to leave the other one on the floor.
Alec wrote back: Found Mallory trying to drag him into her room, covering your trail. We have him handled. You coming back now?