Free Alpha Pack 3 - Black Moon by J. D. Tyler Page B

hanging sightless in the middle of the room.
    Together they went back upstairs, where they quietly shared one more glass of Cognac before Kalen
    took his leave in the wee hours of the morning.
    Shifting into his panther, he ran back toward the compound. One thing Malik was correct about—
    the darkness sang in his veins. Demanded completion. Finding a nice grassy spot under the moonlight,
    he skidded to a stop and shifted back to a man. On his knees, he fisted his erect, aching cock and gave it a pump.
    And another. Arching his back, he spread his knees and gave himself over to the night. To the heady
    pleasure that had needed release for the past couple of hours. His palm slid over smooth skin,
    electrifying his nerve endings. Up to the spongy head, weeping at the slit. Down to the base of his cock.
    The other hand massaged his balls, playing with them. They tightened, drew upward. He had to
    come. Needed something more.
    The second he imagined Mackenzie’s mouth sliding along his shaft, sucking and licking, he was lost.
    With a shout he came, spurting ropy white streams onto the cool ground until he was spent and
    exhausted.
    Finally, he’d be able to sleep. And he’d need plenty.
    You’re going to be the greatest Sorcerer the world has ever known, your power beyond
    comprehension.
    Tomorrow he’d work on making his grandmother’s prediction come true.

    * * *
    Mac knew there was something different about Kalen the second she spotted him leaning against the
    wall of the rec room. She just couldn’t put her finger on what.
    His animal form, a black panther, was typically secondary to his being a Sorcerer, but today he
    seemed even more catlike than usual. He rested his shoulder against the wall, arms crossed, watching
    some of the others. Aric and Zander were off to the side, playing a noisy game of foosball. Jax and
    Hammer were playing a war game on the Wii, and Sariel, Kira, Rowan, and Micah were watching a
    ghost-hunting reality television show they couldn’t seem to get enough of.
    And Kalen observed them all, the expression on his face almost . . . sly. Maybe even insolent. The
    sight chilled her, though it could be her imagination. She hoped it was. It could be that he was still smarting from the incident in the dining room last evening. He’d never seemed like the type to carry a grudge, but how well did she really know him, beyond a shared adventure and a hot night at the Wall-Banger Motel?
    Yeah, she so wasn’t going to think about that. Not when she had much bigger worries. Or little worries, like the one currently giving her awful morning sickness.
    Lingering in the doorway, she figured she should just leave and find somewhere else to relax on her
    break. But that plan went out the window when Kalen’s eyes met hers and he grinned, beckoning her to
    him with one finger.
    Taken aback, she paused. Communication between them had been strained at best since he’d given
    her the brush-off. And now he seemed relaxed, the glitter in his jade green eyes almost playful.
    Composing her expression into what she hoped was cool indifference, she walked over to him.
    “How’s Sariel?” he asked, eyeing her.
    Inside, she deflated some. A part of her had hoped he wanted to talk about mending their fences,
    stupid as that seemed. She took a breath, shoving down the disappointment. “His recovery is progressing slowly. He’s still not eating very well, but other than that, he should be up and around in a few days.”
    “Do you think he would see me? I have some apologizing to do.” He sounded sincere.
    “I don’t know, but I could ask him for you if you would like.”
    “I would, thank you.”
    “Just don’t get your hopes up. He’s been withdrawn since Beryl attacked him, and I doubt you’re
    his favorite person at the moment.”
    He winced. “Ouch. I deserved that, I guess.”
    “You guess ?” She frowned at Kalen and peered into his eyes. “Are you all right?”
    “Sure, honey. Why do you