“That can’t be good.” Kalen sighed. “We’ll finish this later, right?”
“Count on it. And be careful,” the faery said, worried.
“I will.” Clasping hands briefly with the prince, he turned and hurried toward the conference room. It seemed he could draw the good kind of strength from his friends and loved ones to counter the evil Malik kept pumping into him. That would be what saved him.
Or at least let him live long enough to take out the Unseelie.
In the conference room, Nick was already waiting at the head of the long table, tense and impatient. Next to him stood General Grant, his mood appearing much the same. Kalen took a seat near the back and watched as the rest filed in, some involved in animated conversations, some quiet. But all talking stopped when Nick began, his tone serious yet laced with unmistakable excitement.
“As most of you have heard by now, the general is here to assist us with the problem of Malik and his Sluagh.” Aric and Ryon and a couple of others glanced at Kalen. He ignored them. “More specifically, Grant’s units are on standby and are fully prepared to accompany us into battle when we eradicate those vermin from the face of the earth.”
“We’re going to need that many soldiers?” Ryon asked, a tendril of fear in his voice. “How many Sluagh does that fucker have coming for us?”
Nick pinned Kalen with his steely gaze. “Kalen might have that answer. How many?”
It was a test. Nick and the general knew the number, but they wanted him to reveal what Malik had told him. First, he tried to strengthen the mental wall between him and the Unseelie, but it was shaky at best.
“Hundreds,” he said. The throbbing started in his temples, but he pushed on. “They’re amassing in the Shoshone, far from civilization. He ordered m-me to lower the shields on the c-compound and . . .”
The pain got so bad the rest of the words were strangled in his throat. Hanging his head, he breathed through it as someone clapped his back in reassurance.
“Have you lowered them?”
Kalen shook his head. “No. They won’t get in here.” He’d die first. They heard that without him saying it out loud.
“All right. We’ll face that battle soon enough. But I’ve brought you here for a different reason. General, you want to tell them?”
“I’d be glad to.” The older man stood with his hands behind his back. “Your team has been instrumental in locating and destroying several of the so-called research facilities where Malik, aka Evan Kerrigan, has been funding the creation of his super-shifters. With the destruction of the last couple, as well as with the death of Orson Chappell, NewLife Technology’s CEO, you all dealt the operation a serious blow.”
There was some agreement around the table on that, and some minor celebrating.
Grant went on. “Be that as it may, the main doctor in charge of the research, Dr. Gene Bowman, has eluded capture time and again.” The Pack guys sobered. “But my contacts have found Bowman working in what we believe to be the last research facility in existence belonging to this group of scumbags. Destroy this one, and we’ve got them all.”
“Hot damn!”
“Fuckin’ A. When do we start?”
The sentiments were unanimous—the team couldn’t wait to get the job done. But Grant wasn’t finished.
“Of the enemy, take no prisoners. Of the survivors, bring them home. And there’s one more thing—my source indicates that one of the survivors is very special.” When he paused, no one so much as breathed. “We believe that Phoenix is among the captives.”
There was stunned silence—and then an explosion of questions and exclamations. Nix had gone missing at the same time as Micah and the others. Where had Nix been? How did he get there? Grant held up a hand and shook his head.
“Terry and Jonas truly are dead, according to my source. No one has found any information on Ari, but we’re hoping Phoenix can fill in the blanks.”
When the guys had calmed somewhat, Jax asked, “So where is this last research facility? I’m sure we’d all like to get on with burning it to the ground.”
“It’s nestled in a picturesque valley in California. It’s a midsized building, situated in the countryside, quiet and unassuming like the old church they used before. Seems to be a favorite MO. But watch for traps, as always.”
“Any questions?” Nick called over their excited murmuring.
Rowan piped up. “Just one—when do we leave?”
“Wheels up in twenty,” Nick said. “So go put on your party dresses.”
That earned a few snickers as chairs scraped and boots clomped. Micah stood back as they filed out, clearly bleak at being left behind again. But the poor bastard was simply in no shape to go along. Rowan, his sister, gave him a fierce hug before hurrying after Aric.
Kalen couldn’t pass the man by without saying something. “Soon, big guy. Right?”
“Yeah.” Without another word, Micah turned and shuffled off. He looked so alone, even though he was surrounded by friends.
Kalen understood exactly how he felt.
The flight from Wyoming to California was short but turbulent. Very fitting, when Kalen thought about it. By the time they landed the two Hueys a couple of miles from the suspected research facility, he was ready to toss his cookies. A military man he was not. If he could’ve magically transported the whole bunch of them, he would’ve.
They scrambled off the copters, and those that preferred to carry checked their weapons. Kalen much preferred to be his own weapon, thank you very much. He didn’t care for guns, though he’d use one if he had to.
As they followed Nick through the valley, Kalen tested his mental shield and found it still holding but weak. It seemed the more physical and emotional distance that came between him and Mac, the worse the influence from the Unseelie. Kalen’s dark side was slowly overtaking his light, as Sariel called it.
He had to hang on. Just a while longer.
“No.” Kalen studied the backs of his teammates, but nobody seemed to have heard.
Concentrating, he tried to shore up the crack in his shield. An almost impossible chore, considering the distractions all around him. He had to watch his Pack brothers, scan for possible traps, hidden enemies. There were sure to be many, if this was in fact the last stronghold for Malik’s research.
Did Malik know where they were headed? He couldn’t, otherwise the Sluagh guards would be on them already. No, the Unseelie was picking up on his emotions and trying to use them. He didn’t really know where Kalen was at the moment.
He’d do his best to keep it that way.
Spread out, they walked through the trees as silently as possible. Using every ounce of their animal stealth, they made their way closer to the building below them. When a grayish blur detached itself from the cover of the forest, it wasn’t unexpected, but it shocked the senses all the same.
From their right, a huge Sluagh slammed into Hammer, taking the big man to the ground. His shout was lost in the simultaneous roars from the beast and from the Pack. Rowan was closest, and immediately jumped onto the thing’s back, a big Glock in her hand. Without wasting a second, she pressed the muzzle to its temple and blew its brains out. The creature slumped to the side, leaving Hammer staring up at Rowan, wide-eyed.
“Shit! Thanks, Ro,” he breathed. “That’s one way to take them out.”
“And effective, too.” Crawling off the beast, she kicked it in disgust. Then she turned just in time to receive a possessive kiss from Aric.
Kalen wondered how the man handled bringing his mate into danger. He wasn’t sure he could do the same. Then again, Mac and Rowan were two completely different women. Ro was raised in east Los Angeles and had been an LAPD cop. She was earthy and tough. Kalen’s mate was a gentle doctor, and he couldn’t fathom her doing
