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
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
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