“You think he knows exactly what you told Nick?”
He frowned. “I’m not sure. I do know that my bond with Malik physically punishes me for going against him. Whether he’s aware when it happens is something I suppose I’ll find out.”
And not in a pleasant way. “Please, stay here,” she begged. “We can’t lose you.”
Falling silent for a long moment, he studied her, an odd look on his face. “You said we.”
“We, the team.” Her heart pounded furiously against her sternum. “That’s all I meant.”
“Suddenly you care? I don’t know why.” He looked away, green eyes bleak. “I claimed you without asking you first. I’m a piece of shit who’s brought you and everyone else nothing but trouble.”
“That is not true,” she hissed. “Yes, I was pissed. But I realized that I was too hard on you. I should’ve listened when you tried to explain.”
“Nah, you did the right thing.” He didn’t quite manage to hide the bitterness in his tone. “After I finish this thing with Malik, I’ll probably hit the road again.”
Her stomach lurched. “You’re not serious.”
“Come on, Mackenzie,” he said with a sad smile. “It’s not like I’ll ever fit in here with these guys. No matter how many nice words they say about sticking together and being there for me, name one person who’ll be devastated to see me walk away.”
“Me,” she whispered.
“You’ll forget about me, in time.”
“No, I assure you I won’t.” God, you have no idea. But if she told him the truth right now, he’d think she was just using the baby as leverage to trap him. What a damned mess. “Please, don’t decide anything right now. Just . . . give it a while.”
His voice was soft, his suffering all too apparent. “So you’re willing to forgive me? Give me another chance? ’Cause that’s the only way I’ll stay.”
Instead of answering, she showed him. Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on his sensual lips. A kiss that quickly became heated, searching. And Lord, was her Sorcerer good at it. She longed to crawl inside him and never come out. No other man had ever made her feel this way, and it was no mystery as to why. He’d been made for her and she for him.
They broke apart and she caressed his cheek. “It’s better when we’re together, isn’t it? I mean, you seem more yourself, more here, when we’re with each other and in sync.”
He nodded. “No doubt about it. I don’t know whether to attribute that to our mating or the pendant,” he mused, fingering the silver disk around her neck.
“Perhaps it’s a bit of both.”
“Could be.” He held up the hand with the IV still attached. “You going to undo me?”
“Under one condition.” Reaching behind her neck, she unfastened the clasp and removed the necklace.
“What are you doing?” Alarm spiked his voice and etched itself on his face. “Put it back on!”
“This is my condition. You wear this to go help the team, or remain here.” Mac put her fingers over his lips to shush him. “No. I’m not going to sit by and watch you fall back into his snare if I can help it.”
“That protection is yours,” he argued. “I can’t go off knowing you’re exposed.”
“Honey, everyone is vulnerable to that creep. But those of us who remain at the compound have an advantage—the wards you put over the building and the surrounding forest. They’re still in place, right?”
“Yes,” he admitted reluctantly. “No creature, not even Malik, can get through my wards unless I allow it. He might still be able to get into your head and harass you, but since I strengthened the spell, he won’t be able to physically breach the property.”
“Well, there you are. So take the pendant and go kick some ass!”
He wanted to. The yearning to join them as a true equal was almost heartbreaking to witness. When would he ever believe in his own worth? What would it take for a man who’d never been worth anything to anyone except his grandmother? And now me.
Slowly, he reached out. The second his hand closed over the disk, he took a deep, shuddering breath. “Oh my God.”
“What’s wrong?” She studied him in concern.
“Nothing.” At last, he smiled. “I’d worn this thing for years, and I’d already forgotten how powerful it is. It feels like the best vitamin shot ever invented.”
“Really? It didn’t affect me that way,” she said thoughtfully. “I don’t even notice it’s gone, not in a magical sense.”
“I’m glad, because if being without it affects you at all, I wouldn’t take it, even for a few hours. And I’m giving it back the minute we return.”
“I’m still worried about you going when you’ve barely recovered from the last round with that bastard.”
“Don’t be, sweetheart. I’ll be back before you can blink, none the worse for wear. Now, what do ya say we get me unhooked?” He held out his hand.
Against her better judgment, Mac removed the IV needle and swabbed the site with alcohol. In truth, she couldn’t have stopped him from leaving, but that didn’t make her feel any better about the situation. When she was done, he pushed from the bed and stood unsteadily on his feet for a couple of moments. Then he straightened, waving a hand in front of himself and uttering a brief Latin phrase she couldn’t quite catch.
His clothing appeared, his usual ensemble of black from head to toe, complete with his battered leather duster. The man looked completely badass, and good enough to eat. Later, with any luck.
Closing the short gap between them, he pulled her close against his hard, lean body. Nuzzled her hair, hands splayed on her back. Rubbing, comforting. “I’m going to be fine, and so are we. Together. If you want me.”
“More than anything. Be careful, please.”
“You bet.”
Another kiss. This one long and drawn out, making her nipples pucker and the rest of her ache for his touch. For his cock to be buried inside, so deep she couldn’t tell where one of them ended and the other began.
Her mate pulled back, gave her a wink.
And then he was gone.
* * *
Kalen appeared in the conference room, where the meeting to form a plan for intercepting the Sluagh was well under way. He retreated to a corner, making himself as unnoticeable as possible without actually cloaking his presence.