Read Alpha Pack 02 - Savage Awakening for Free Online Page A

missing.
    A shiver of dread shot through his veins, and he straightened. He’d learned to never ignore the faint beginnings of a vision. “Where’s your necklace?” he asked sharply.
    Kalen’s head came up, his face etched with resignation. “Someone needed it more than I did.”
    The sense of dread grew roots and began to flourish. “You gave it to Mackenzie? Damn it, kid—”
    “That’s not up for discussion,” Kalen said firmly, holding up a hand. “I’m just here to let you know I’m leaving.”
    “You’re
what
?”
    “Look, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Nobody else except my grandmother ever gave a shit about me, or even cared enough to give me a chance to do something with my life. But you were different,” the Sorcerer said quietly. “That means more to me than you’ll ever know, but it’s time for me to hit the road.”
    Nick studied Kalen for several long moments. The slump of the man’s shoulders, the tightening around his mouth and the weariness in his eyes told Nick that his newest recruit didn’t want to go but felt he must. “No. Not acceptable.”
    The other man blinked. “I can’t stay. You don’t understand.”
    “So fill me in on the problem and we’ll deal with it.”
    “I don’t think it’s going to be that simple.” A sad laugh escaped his lips. “As if anything would be where I’m concerned.”
    “Tell me, son,” he urged, injecting all the warmth and confidence into his voice that he could muster. After a long moment, the younger man nodded.
    “My pentagram was given to me by my grandmother,” he began, gazing at his boots. “She once told me it had been crafted centuries ago by a master Sorcerer, and spelled as a protection against even the most powerful evil. I was never sure about any of that untilrecently, but it was a gift from her and so it was special to me.”
    Nick frowned. “Then why did you give it to Mac?”
    “Because she needs the protection and it’s the strongest—the
only
—talisman I have to give.”
    “Why does she need protection? Does this have to do with the attack?” A couple of weeks ago, Kalen and Mackenzie had gone into town separately and had run into trouble in the form of one of those nasty winged creatures with the big mouth full of sharp teeth, like the one he had locked in the basement cell. The two of them had nearly been killed by the damned thing, and would’ve been if Kalen hadn’t gained the upper hand and dispatched it to hell.
    “Yeah. Remember, it scratched her and bit me. What I didn’t tell you is Mackenzie started hearing a voice. A sinister one telling her to do all sorts of bad shit.” His expression was bleak. “I tried everything, every spell I knew, but I couldn’t get rid of it. The bastard, whoever he is, was driving her crazy. Literally.”
    Nick stood and made his way around the desk, parking his butt on the edge and telling himself not to lambast the younger man for keeping this from him for so long. What mattered now was getting answers. He waited.
    “So I put the pentagram around Mackenzie’s neck and told her never to take it off. Seems to be working.”
    “Okay, so if she’s fine, why do you feel the need to leave?”
    “Because now the bastard is in
my
head,” Kalen said miserably. “He’s a very distinct, intelligent being. Those big-mouthed ghoul fuckers work for him.”
    Nick stared at him, stunned. “He admitted this?”
    “Yes, and that’s not all. He said he knew that by driving Mac out of her mind, he’d force me to give her the pendant, leaving me vulnerable to his machinations. I’m the one he wanted all along. He somehow knows way too much about me, wants to use me—and I’m afraid he’s slowly winning the battle.”
    The dread that had taken root morphed into fear. What entity was such a great physical force in the universe that it could manipulate a Sorcerer who had few equals?
    There were only two possible beings on that list, and either of them