“What do you mean?”

“Honey, I’m not like the others in the Pack,” he explained patiently. “I wasn’t turned like they were. I’m a Sorcerer first, and I learned to use that power to shift into my panther. I’m totally different from them.”

She stared at him in comprehension. “You’re right,” she breathed. “I should’ve realized that.”

“For what it’s worth, though, I am clean. I get tested every six months.”

“And I’m on the pill.”

That one seemed to startle him for a moment, but he recovered and nodded. “That’s good.”

“Now what?”

He stared at her, regret etched on his face. Oh, no. Here it comes.

He did his best to let her down easy. “Mackenzie, I’ve been alone forever, it seems. I don’t know what a relationship is, at least not a healthy one. I’m bankrupt here,” he said, placing a fist over his heart. “I’ve got nothing to offer anyone. Not right now. Maybe not ever.”

It hurt. More than it should, considering the short time she’d known him. In fact, the very real agony of his rejection took her totally by surprise. This was why coworkers should never sleep together. How in the hell was she supposed to face him after this, on a daily basis?

“I think you’re wrong.”

“Maybe. But I don’t know where this can go, this attraction between us.”

“You didn’t have problem figuring that out a few minutes ago,” she snapped. His expression shut down and she immediately regretted her words. She’d carelessly struck at the part of himself that he loathed the most, and she couldn’t take it back.

He nodded. “I deserved that. Let’s just leave it be for a while.”

Like for the next century or so, she heard in his voice.

“All right.”

No one has ever done that before. Asked me to change into my panther. Embraced him. Accepted me.

And she’d ruined everything by pushing him too hard, too fast. This lonely man who didn’t have a clue how to love, or accept love in return.

Miserable, she curled on her side, facing away from him. This time, he didn’t hold her in his arms, comfort her like before. And her pride wouldn’t allow her to beg.

When the cold light of dawn broke through the curtains, Mackenzie hadn’t slept at all.

A banging noise had Kalen bolting upright in bed, scanning for the source. He didn’t have long to wonder who was on the other side.

“Kalen? Mac?” Nick called. “Open up!”

“Jesus,” he muttered. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he yelled back. “Just a minute!”

Mackenzie was already up, and came out of the bathroom dressed in her jeans and his T-shirt. They carefully avoided eye contact as Kalen pulled on his jeans, boots, and his duster. Christ, how had things fallen apart so fast? They’d made beautiful love, the likes of which Kalen had never hoped to experience in his lifetime. Normally, he hated physical contact—especially sex—but with Mackenzie, holding her close, being inside her . . .

God, it had been heaven. So different from having sex just to survive. And yeah, he’d been scared afterward, but what guy wouldn’t be who’d walked in his shoes?

He was a complete novice when it came to relationships and he was only trying to be honest, not give her the total brush-off. But obviously she hadn’t taken his words at face value—that he needed time.

And she’d given up without a fight, or even a single word of protest.

So maybe it was better this way. He didn’t deserve someone as fine as Mackenzie anyhow.

Stalking to the door, he yanked it open to find Nick, Jax, Zan, and Ryon on the other side. The first two were scowling and the other two just looked tired.

“Tell me what the fuck happened,” Nick growled. “We’ve been looking for you two all goddamned night long.”

Jax leaned against the doorjamb. “We about had heart failure when we tracked the SUV to the Grizzly, only to find the tire slashed and the back panel clawed to hell, drops of blood on the ground, and Mac’s car nowhere to be found.”

“We were attacked,” Kalen said, exhaustion hitting him hard. “Coming out of the Grizzly, by one of those things like you had in Block T before it died. I killed it, and disposed of the body. We tried to call on our way back, but the cell phone service was out.”

“It was out on our end too, but that doesn’t explain why you didn’t just come home,” Nick said, still pissy. Now he glanced between Kalen and Mackenzie, as the obvious suspicion dawned on his face.

“It’s not what you’re thinking,” Kalen defended. “We were heading back when I sensed that there was another one, or something equally as bad, between us and the compound. Like it was waiting for us. So we turned around and headed for the motel, and I placed wards around the room so it couldn’t locate us.”

Nick studied him and Mackenzie for a long moment. Then he turned to his three men. “I need for you guys to wait in the SUV while I talk to these two alone.”

The boss knew there was more to say. Stuff Kalen didn’t want the rest of the team to know, yet. Nick waited until he’d moved inside and closed the door before speaking.

“Now tell me the rest.”

“Someone is communicating with Mackenzie telepathically,” Kalen said. “We don’t know who or what he is—hell, he might not even be human. But he spoke to Mackenzie for the first time in the car, after she was scratched by that creature. He said I wouldn’t be able to hide from him for long. Then she had a nightmare about him last night in which he urged her to join him.”

“Doing what?”

“We don’t know. But he said I would join him too, or else. That’s the gist of it, that he wants her and me. In the dream, when she resisted, he attacked her.”

“I have a feeling it’s you he wants,” Nick said. He swiped a hand down his face. “He’s striking at you through her. Fuck.”

Mackenzie sucked in a sharp breath. “No.”

“That’s what it seems like.”

Nick sighed. “Let’s head back. There isn’t anything we can do here, and I’ll feel better when we’re all back at the compound. It’s much safer there.”

“Okay. Can I have a minute with her?”

That look returned. The one that communicated he knew what the minute was probably about. But he nodded. “I’ll be in the SUV with the others.”

“Thanks.” Once Nick was gone, Kalen steeled himself, facing Mackenzie squarely. “I have something extremely important to give to you, and I need for you to wear it.”

She frowned. “What is it?”

“This.” Reaching for the clasp of the silver chain holding his Sorcerer’s pentagram pendant, Kalen did the one thing he’d been warned never, ever to do.

He gave his protection to the woman who’d stolen his heart.

Moving behind her, he placed the pendant over hers, where it belonged, now and always. Then he fastened the chain and turned her to face him again.

“Your pendant? Kalen, I can’t—”

“You can, and you will,” he said softly. “This was a gift to me from my grandmother. A really special one. She—”

“Then I really can’t accept this!”

“Listen to me,” he said firmly. “I can’t always be nearby, and this pendant will protect you.”

She paused, still obviously not convinced she should take it. “How?”

“To make a long story short, it’s ancient, and blessed. It will protect you from any evil in existence, trust me.”

“But what about you?” she asked quietly.

“I’ll be fine. The important thing to remember is to never, never take this off. Not to shower, or to work out. Not to party with Amy and Shannon. Not for any reason, ever.”

“What—”

“Promise me. Please.” He took a deep breath. “Do this for me.”

She stared at him for a minute before nodding. “All right. If it’s that important to you, I won’t take it off. You have my word.”

Relief nearly buckled his knees. Mackenzie would be safe now. For the first time in his adult life, he cared about another person more than he cared about his own survival, and it felt good. Right. He couldn’t save the world, especially from himself.