Black

by Donya Lynne

  Now Micah was intrigued. “Not part of AKM?”

  “No. The team I want you to lead would be a highly specialized black ops team.”

  “Black ops? You mean—”

  “One that doesn’t follow the rules.” Bain’s weighty gaze held his as if silently asking if Micah understood what he meant by not following the rules. “Among other things.”

  “Are you saying you want this team to operate outside the terms of the truce?”

  Bain gave him a small half smile of affirmation. “I know Royce isn’t lifting a finger to help fight the cobalt issue because he secretly has a hand in it. The way I see it, if he’s going to subvert the terms of peace between our two races, the best countermeasure is for me to do the same.”

  This was what Micah wanted. The freedom to do whatever it took to bring down the forces working to destroy their people. No rules binding his hands. Nothing to prevent him from enacting his own brand of justice against repeat offenders. Drecks who had been arrested over and over only to be back out on the street in weeks, dealing their blue poison to vampires who would overdose and lose their lives to an addiction manufactured by Royce and Bishop in an effort to chip away the vampire race’s power.

  The possibilities and opportunities to actually make a difference were limitless, and Micah couldn’t deny his excitement.

  In a blink, Bain’s offer had changed his entire outlook.

  “How far outside the terms of the truce would I be allowed to act?” he asked.

  “As far as is necessary.”

  “And you would turn a blind eye?”

  Bain settled his joined hands in his lap and tilted his head in a way that made Micah think he was more of a conspiring partner, not the king. “You’ll have complete autonomy over the team and its activities. All I ask is that you report directly to me and keep me informed of the team’s operations so I’m not caught off guard when Royce comes at me with accusations and complaints of bloodshed against his people.”

  “And when he does . . .?”

  A sickly-sweet smile spread over Bain’s mouth. “I’ll inform him I have no knowledge of any such attacks and will promise to put my best men into investigating his claims, just as he’s done to me.”

  “You would lie?”

  “In a heartbeat.”

  Micah could get used to this new side of King Bain. “And by best men, I assume you’re referring to—”

  “You and this new team you will create.”

  Micah was liking this idea more and more. “In other words, you won’t look into his claims at all.”

  “Exactly.” Bain crossed one ankle over the other and gripped the edge of his desk on either side of his hips. “Micah, I want a team that can strike at the heart of both Searcy’s and Royce’s undertakings. If they’re building a genetically modified werewolf army, I want to counterstrike against them. Hard.” He lifted one hand, curling it into a fist as determination burned in his eyes. “I want to hit the heart of those bastards without them seeing it coming. Do you think you can do that?”

  Could he do that? That was like asking if a bear could bite off the head of a salmon in one chomp.

  “I have no doubt.”

  Bain nodded approvingly. “You’ll be free to use whatever means necessary, but I want no ties back to me.”

  “How would you suggest I do that?” The simple fact he was even asking the question was enough to alert Micah that his acceptance of this new opportunity was a foregone conclusion. He hadn’t even agreed to take the job, and yet he had.

  Bain eyed him the way a hunter eyes a deer when it enters a clearing. “You’ll come up with something. You always do.” He pushed off his desk and rounded it, returning to his chair. The leather wheezed as he dropped his weight into it. “And I want you to put tabs on my liaisons. Particularly Ulrich Fenton and Gregos Savakis.”

  “Ari’s father?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  Bain’s jaw worked like he was clenching and unclenching it. “Call it a hunch, but they’re up to something. I need to know what.”

  “Do you think they’re conspiring against you?”

  Bain’s eyes met his, and Micah could see the answer in his gaze before Bain said, “Yes.”

  Whoa. Arion’s father was under suspicion for treason. That was some heavy shit.

  “Do you think Arion’s involved?” Highly unlikely, but the question warranted asking.

  Bain shook his head decisively. “No. Gregos disowned Ari. He wouldn’t have done that if Ari were involved.” He tipped his head contemplatively as one corner of his mouth turned up. “Maybe Ari wouldn’t mind giving us a hand.”

  That wasn’t a bad idea. “I’ll look into it.”

  Silence fell over them as Micah mulled over all that Bain had asked of him. Crown regent? Leader of a new black ops team? Spy? These were big decisions. Ones he didn’t want to make until he’d talked to Sam. She needed to have a voice in this, especially now that she was pregnant and he’d told her he wanted to quit his job to be a full-time family guy.

  But that had been before Bain had offered him the greatest gift on earth. The ability to do his job without having to worry about the rules. Not that Micah would abuse that power, but it would be nice to kick off the shackles and face the enemy on an even playing field for once. He felt like he’d been doing his job with one hand tied behind his back and one leg in a brace for decades.

  “Would you build the team or would I?” Micah asked.

  “You will, but I would like some input.”

  In other words, Bain wanted Cordray on the team. Fine. She had talents he could use, just as long as she understood who was in charge.

  “I’m assuming you’ll bankroll anything I need to get the team operational?”

  “Yes.”

  “Complete autonomy?”

  Bain issued him a slow, sincere nod. “One hundred percent. I will not interfere beyond providing input I think could help.”

  “And the lycans?”

  “What about them?”

  “Would my team be expected to work with them?”

  Bain took a moment to consider his answer. “Yes. With the new information we were given tonight, I think your team would make the perfect point of contact for them. It might even be wise to consider adding a lycan or two to the team, as long as Memnon approves.”

  Micah curled his lip.

  Bain held up his hand, nodding patiently. “I know, Micah. You don’t like them. But I can tell you respect what they did tonight . . . saving your brother’s life. Focus on that. They’re our allies now, and they did us a solid. If we’ve added mutant werewolves to our list of enemies, having a couple of lycans around could be beneficial, especially for training purposes. I just want you to consider it.”

  Bain made good points. He would take that into consideration when—if—he decided to accept Bain’s offer. It was pretty much a foregone conclusion he would, but Sam needed to give her stamp of approval first.

  “When do you need an answer?” he asked.

  “When can you give me one?”

  Once he got home, he would pull Sam aside. He didn’t think it would take long to get her on board. One thing he could always count on from her was support.

  “Tomorrow night?”

  “I’ll look forward to hearing from you then.” Bain grabbed a notecard bearing the royal seal and quickly jotted down a pair of phone numbers. “This is my direct line. Only my liaisons use this, but now you can, too.” He pointed to his other number. “This is my residence. No one but my family and closest friends have this number.”

  Micah tucked the card into his back pocket. “You have friends?”

  Bain gave him an eat-shit grin and stood. “A couple.”

  Micah joined him and followed him out.

  When they reached the main entrance of the mansion, Bain held out his hand.

  Micah clasped it with his own.

  Then Bain pulled him into a one-armed
hug, patted him on the back, gave one final squeeze, and released him. “Welcome to the family, Micah.”

  Family. The word held new meaning for him now.

  He’d learned a lot tonight. Some of it troubled him, such as the knowledge that he possessed dreck blood and that ancestors he’d never known had been killed before he could even learn of their existence. Some of what he’d learned tonight even sickened him, such as learning Cordray was his—ew!—cousin. And some of it excited him. That’s where the creation of the new black ops team came in.

  It would take him a while to fully process his new reality, but two things were certain. He was no longer alone, and his life would never be the same.

  Chapter 24

  The last thirty minutes before dawn was Sam’s favorite time of night. Well, morning. But it was still dark, so it felt like night.

  She often took this time to meditate, read, or just enjoy a hot cup of tea on the patio while she listened to the heavy silence before the birds started singing for a new day.

  That’s where she was now, relaxing in her favorite cushioned lounger, a steaming mug of cocoa in her hand and a letter from AKM’s medical department resting in her lap. After Panya woke up and returned to her bedroom about an hour ago, Sam had finally gotten around to opening the previous day’s mail. But if she’d known this letter had been waiting for her, she would have opened it hours ago.

  Lifting the letter, she smiled proudly as she read the introduction.

  Congratulations! You’ve been accepted into AKM’s Nursing Program.

  Without telling Micah, she’d submitted her application on a whim about a month ago. As a former Army medic, she’d hoped they would see enough potential to give her a chance, but, honestly, she hadn’t been confident. After all, she was a human. Well, not exactly a human, anymore, but she definitely wasn’t a vampire. The job she’d applied for involved providing medical assistance to vampires. The biology was bound to be at least a little different.

  Against all odds, she’d been contacted for a phone interview a couple of weeks ago. That had gone well enough that she’d been asked to interview with someone named Cora Snow. Dr. Cora Snow.

  She had met the doctor in a small café downtown one night while Micah was working.

  “So, you’re Micah’s mate?” Dr. Snow had said.

  “Yes.” Sam hadn’t been sure if being Micah’s mate was an asset or a detriment.

  “Micah and I seem to be running into each other in the trauma ward a lot lately.” The doctor let out a quiet laugh as she stirred creamer into her coffee, smiling fondly. “You know, he’s really turned around in the last few months.” Her indigo blue eyes pointedly met Sam’s. “Since about the time he mated you.”

  In other words, the good doctor gave Sam credit for Micah’s new state of mind and behavior.

  “I hear he used to be a lot . . . different.” That was putting it mildly. To hear Trace and the others—including Micah—talk about what he was like before she came along was like listening to tales of a completely different person. One hellbent on self-destruction and taking everyone around him down with him.

  “He’s better now, thanks to you.” The doctor sipped her coffee.

  “I’m still learning about the whole vampire mating thing, but I guess when a male takes a mate, it does something to him.”

  Dr. Snow laughed. “You can say that again. It does a whole lot of something, but sometimes I think mated male vampires are worse than human females when it comes to hormonal issues.” She raised her hand. “No offense.”

  “None taken. As a former human, I know full well how bad hormonal peaks and valleys can be.”

  “Multiply that by a hundred, and you’ll have a mated male vampire. They’re such divas.”

  They had laughed about that, because Sam couldn’t deny that Micah could be a handful when it came to going all me-Tarzan-you-Jane on her. And his calling. Just . . . she’d never experienced anything like that as a human. That shit was for real. So, yeah, she could believe human female hormones had nothing on the hormones of a mated male vampire.

  After a couple more minutes of small talk, Dr. Snow had asked her a few questions about her experience and training and had seemed impressed, but Sam honestly hadn’t thought she would make the cut.

  She glanced down at the letter, which had been signed by Dr. Snow herself. Looked like she’d been wrong about not having a chance.

  Now came the hard part. Telling Micah.

  She knew she shouldn’t have kept her application a secret from him. It’s a miracle he never saw it in her thoughts, but she tried not to think about it around him. Not that she feared his reaction. This was just something she’d wanted to do on her own.

  Sometimes, she missed certain aspects of her human life. She’d always been so self-sufficient. She adored her life with Micah, but there were times when she wanted to be more involved. More active. She’d always been a fighter, and sitting at home made her restless. She felt like she should be doing more. Making use of her medical background seemed like the perfect solution.

  She just didn’t know how Micah would take it, especially now that he no longer wanted to work at AKM.

  “Hey.”

  Speak of the devil.

  She set the letter back in her lap and held her hand out to her mate as he leaned out the sliding patio door. “Hey, baby. I was starting to worry you wouldn’t make it home before dawn.”

  In the last few minutes, the eastern horizon had turned from black to dark blue, and a few birds had started to chirp and whistle their greeting to the coming day.

  Micah took her hand, leaned in, and kissed her. His lips were tight, reserved. He was holding something back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Liar.”

  One corner of his mouth lifted, and then he glanced down at the letter. “What’s that?”

  She let go of him and dropped her hand onto the sheet of paper, fingers splayed to cover it. “Nothing.”

  A dark chuckle rumbled from deep inside his throat, and he gently pulled the paper out from under her hand. “Liar.”

  “Micah . . .” She reached for the letter, but he pulled it away.

  “From AKM. The medical department.” He gave her a knowing smirk, making her frown.

  Maybe he had seen inside her thoughts, after all.

  “You knew, didn’t you?”

  His gaze slid left to right as he read her acceptance letter. “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because you didn’t want me to.”

  “But . . . aren’t you angry.”

  His strong brow bowed inward. “Angry? Why?”

  “Because I did this without talking to you first. Without asking you.”

  “Shit, no, I’m not angry. I’m proud as hell.” He set the letter on the patio table then crouched beside her and layered his palm over her stomach. “You don’t have to get my permission to follow your heart.”

  She had a feeling she could expect his hand on her belly a lot over the next nine months. “You sure?” She placed her hand over his.

  “Absolutely.” He kissed her again. This time his lips softened, tasting her more deeply.

  He motioned to join her on the lounge chair, and she shifted to the side to make room. His arm fell around her shoulders then folded her against him as he gazed up at the stars that were beginning to wink out one by one.

  There was something different about him. Something calm yet tense. He reminded her of someone taking his last look around before being locked away for the rest of his life. It was like he wanted to remember everything just as it was in that moment. The stars, the sky, the trees, how a gentle breeze lifted the ends of his hair. Her. How she felt in his arms.

  She could sense he had something to tell her, but she knew better than to ask. He would get to whatever it was in his own time.

  Instead, she curled against him and laid her cheek on his chest. Toget
her, they listened as more birds awoke and broke into morning song, ready to greet the sun. Within minutes, a few distant chirps turned into a symphony.

  “This is nice,” he murmured.

  “Mm-hm.” She closed her eyes and listened to the thump-thump of his heart. The beat was steady and calm, heavy in its strength. He was so much calmer than he’d been a few hours ago.

  Sounds of life emerged from inside the house. Brenna and Mya were awake, preparing to get the older children off to school. In one week, that would change. School would let out for summer, which meant until the new dorms were built, the house would be a hive of children’s activity seven days a week, from dawn to dusk.

  Micah kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go inside,” he whispered. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “I know you do.”

  “I know you know.” He smiled at her as he helped her off the lounge chair and grabbed her letter off the table. “I can’t hide anything from you.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  He took her hand. “Nope.”

  “Why not?” She couldn’t help teasing him just a little.

  He stopped just outside the door and pulled her to him. “Because we’re partners. You’re my life. You’re as much a part of me as my own flesh and blood. How can I keep secrets from something that’s a part of me?”

  She pulled the letter from his fingers. “But I kept a secret from you.”

  He grinned. “Trust me. You didn’t.”

  She laughed softly. “Have I mentioned that I hate your mindreading abilities.”

  “Once or twice.” He reached for the door handle. “Now, come on, we have a lot to discuss.”

  This sounded serious. Given the grim set of his brow, she wasn’t sure if she should be nervous, scared, or excited. A little of all three? With Micah, anything was possible.

  She greeted Brenna and Mya and gave them a quick rundown about Panya’s nightmare as Micah stole a few pieces of bacon and some toast off a platter.

  The two females assured her everything was under control and wished her and Micah good night, and then Sam grabbed a handful of bacon and toast for herself and followed Micah downstairs. He was quiet. Too quiet.