Primal Law (19 page)
Already, he knew the odds of the distraction being completely successful.
Damn it.
“Nosy!” she seethed, stalking away from Jax’s place as fast as her feet would carry her. “Insufferable jerk. Where does he get off yelling at me?”
She was inquisitive. So what? And if that undesirable trait helped uncover something illegal or immoral, then it wasn’t all bad. No, her biggest problem at the moment seemed to be Jax believing he had the right to tell her what to do.
Being shouted at tended to shut her down, always had. Her dad had been one to shout whenever he conveyed his displeasure over anything, no matter how small. She and her mother had to put up with it when Kira was growing up, and her mother still endured his bullying. But Kira didn’t have to take it from Jax, or any man.
God, if only she could forget the play of his muscles under her palms. The way he moved inside her, took control. Owned her body as no lover ever had.
“Kira? May I walk with you?”
Halting in her tracks, she turned to see Sariel close his door and stride toward her. She was struck anew by his ethereal beauty, so different from Jax’s rough-aroundthe-edges male potency, but no less effective. If it wasn’t for Jax—no. She wasn’t going there, not with the Seelie and not with Jax, ever again. She’d been a fool to fall for his seduction knowing full well that she was a substitute for his failed liaison with someone else.
“Sure. I’m going to see Dr. Mallory. Which reminds me, I was supposed to buzz her first.”
Catching up with her, he smiled. “Would you like to use my communication box?”
“Your phone,” she corrected, laughing.
“Yes, that thing.”
“Might as well.” She was going to suggest that she use her own phone since her door was closer, but Jax chose that moment to leave his apartment and spotted them. “Your room, then.”
Okay, that was probably mean of her, saying that loud enough for Jax to hear. But he needed to get the point. She wasn’t going to follow orders where her personal business was concerned.
Even if he was hot enough in bed to set the sheets on fire.
She was glad his Psy ability wasn’t setting fires because the look he gave her and Sariel as he stalked past would’ve fried them both in their shoes. Lifting her chin, she trailed the faery into his room and walked to the phone, scanning the list of extensions. Finding the correct one, she punched in the numbers and waited for the doc to pick up.
“Dr. Mallory.”
“Hi, um, this is Kira Locke. I know it’s early, but I was wondering if you had time to see me before lunch.” She glanced at her new friend hovering nearby. “Sariel, too.”
There was a pause, and the sound of papers shuffling. “I was just finishing a couple of tests, but I should be free in ten minutes or so. I’ll see you first, then him. Does that work?”
“Yes, that’s great. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. See you in a few minutes.”
Kira hung up and replaced the receiver in the dock. “She’ll see us in ten minutes. Me first, then you.” She looked at Sariel and felt a tremor of anxiety roll from him, despite his placid expression. “Don’t worry. She seemed warmer than when we met earlier.”
His brow furrowed. “Warmer? Was she cold?”
She stared at the prince for a couple of seconds before realizing that he’d taken her words literally. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, she stifled a giggle. “No. What I meant is, she didn’t seem as unfriendly.”
His confusion cleared, if not his fear. “Oh. Well, I suppose that’s good.”
“Sariel, I don’t believe either of us needs to worry about being in danger here. These people are only trying to protect the world from evil.”
“It’s not the people here who concern me,” he said, golden eyes darkening. “And none will be able to protect me from Malik once he learns where I’m hidden. He will destroy me, and if I’m fortunate, he’ll allow me to die.”
His words, so matter of fact, sent a chill through her. She longed to offer him comfort, but knew he wouldn’t appreciate empty promises she had no business making. “The Alpha Pack team will do their best, I have no doubt. We have to believe that’s enough.”
His smile was accompanied by a wave of sadness that made her want to cry. “Perhaps it will be.”
But he didn’t believe that. Sariel fully expected to die at the hands of his own father.
Their walk to Dr. Mallory’s office next to the infirmary was a quiet one, punctuated only by their footsteps and the occasional rustle of his wings. Giving him a curious sidelong glance, she noted his regal bearing never wavered despite the onslaught of emotions battering at him. Unlike earlier, when she’d seen him quietly falling apart in his cell. That couldn’t be good.
How could his people have so callously thrown him away? She’d like to give those uptight snobs—cowards, more like—a piece of her mind.
They found Dr. Mallory’s office without incident, thanks to a nurse who was heading the same way. The doc’s space was located in the infirmary she’d found before, past the reception area and down a short hallway. The door was open and Kira peeked in to see the woman entering some sort of info into her computer. At Kira’s knock, she looked up and then stood.
“Come in,” she invited. Her tone was pleasant enough, though reserved. “Sariel can wait in the reception area.”
Kira glanced at the prince, who merely shrugged and turned to do as the doc said. Weird, but now his emotions weren’t coming through at all. Like they’d been locked behind an invisible wall.
Now wasn’t the time to try to puzzle it out, though. Closing the door behind her, she took a seat and waited for Dr. Mallory to begin the meeting. The other woman got right to the point.
“I had a word with Nick,” she began, sitting back and toying with a ballpoint in one hand.
I’ll just bet you did.
Her dark eyes pinned Kira in place as she continued. “Let’s get one thing clear. No question, Nick is the boss and has total say over the compound and the beings under our care. He can even decide whether outsiders can receive sanctuary here.”
Ooh, and I’ll bet that just chaps your ass, huh?
But she kept her lip buttoned.
But she kept her lip buttoned.
“But
I
am the chief of staff at the Institute of Parapsychology and I have final say over who joins my team, not Nick.”
I
am the chief of staff at the Institute of Parapsychology and I have final say over who joins my team, not Nick.”
The doc paused, apparently awaiting some sort of response. Kira lifted her chin and met the woman’s gaze squarely, refusing to be intimidated. “He never said otherwise. He merely asked if I would be interested in helping in the lab and with the residents of Block R, and said if so I’d have to pass a background check and you’d have to agree to take me on.”
Well, she didn’t recall Nick mentioning Dr. Mallory by name, but figured she’d leave that out. This last bit of info seemed to appease the stiff woman, her posture relaxing some and the hardness of her eyes softening a tad.
“That’s what he told me as well.”
Hadn’t she believed him? Hmm, friction between the good doc and Nick. What was that about?
She cocked her head. “He also sent down some remarkably interesting samples that you
liberated
from your former employer.”
liberated
from your former employer.”
“Did he tell you why I took them?”
“Yes. I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt because Nick insists you’ll play a vital role here—and I have to admit he would know. From what I’ve seen so far, with your astounding progress with Blue, I’m inclined to give you a chance.”
“Sariel,” she corrected automatically. The woman didn’t take offense.
“Right. But back to the samples—I believed them to be human, at first, but some interesting markers presented themselves. I then called in two assistants and we’re working to verify what it is, exactly, that you’ve brought to us.”
“Why can’t Jax and Nick, you know, do their woo-woo thing on them and find out?”
The doctor gave her a piercing stare that spoke volumes about what a stupid question that had been. “And if they handle the tissue, and fail to get a reading?”
Kira flushed. “The sample is likely harmed.”
“Not only that, but do you have any idea of the adverse effects using their Psy gifts has on their bodies? In some cases, it can leave them drained for days. And if they’re called out to deal with a rogue? It could be deadly.”
“But with all due respect, science can’t tell us everything,” she said, careful to keep her tone respectful. “It can’t always tell the story, or the process of investigating is so slow, critical time is lost.”
“Well, that’s what still makes us all human, no matter our gifts,” the doctor responded softly. “We all have to make our judgment call, and learn to live with it.”
Kira wondered what decisions Dr. Mallory was trying to live with.
“What about me? Will you take a chance, or do I need to beg Nick for a job scrubbing toilets?”
For the first time, the other woman’s mouth quirked with humor. A small crack in the shell. “I’m sure that won’t be necessary. Report to me tomorrow morning after breakfast. You can observe while we continue testing on your samples and see what we find. Your afternoons will be free to work with your new charges in Block R.” She stood, concluding the meeting.
“Thank you.” She offered the doc her hand, and got a brisk shake.
“Send in Bl—I mean Sariel, if you don’t mind. I’d like to talk with him a bit, and then give him a checkup.”
“Sure.”
As she went to get Sariel, she pondered her conversation with the doc. Strange, her emotions had been every bit as guarded as the Seelie’s were a few minutes ago. Impenetrable.
And I must be crazy, thinking I can read emotions all of a sudden!
She made a note to ask Dr. Mallory about it tomorrow—among other things. Sariel stood, quickly masking the trepidation that flashed across his face as she approached.
“Relax,” she told her new friend. “She just wants to talk to you and then make sure you’re healthy. Okay?”
“If you insist,” he managed. “I’ll trust you.”
“Do you want me to wait until you’re done?”
There was no mistaking the profound relief as he answered. “If you don’t mind.”
“No problem.”
He tried a smile and then walked past her, head high, as though to his doom. But she wasn’t worried. Dr. Mallory might not be all shits and giggles, but she seemed fair.
Maybe the doc just needed to get laid.
Thinking of Jax and where that mentality had gotten her, she made a face.
Then again, maybe not.
Eight
“W
atch out! Brace with your
left
leg, not your right!”
atch out! Brace with your
left
leg, not your right!”
Jaxon grappled for leverage, fighting both a losing battle with Zan and his own goddamned bum leg. He wanted to yell at Aric that he was
trying
and to kindly fuck off, but he couldn’t bellow at his friend and breathe through the pain at the same time.
trying
and to kindly fuck off, but he couldn’t bellow at his friend and breathe through the pain at the same time.
Sweat trickled down his face and sides and his mangled leg trembled as Zan used his position to his advantage, bowing Jax backward to force their combined weight onto the limb. Zan had him in a bear hug, his embrace every bit as powerful and unbreakable as a grizzly’s. All he had to do was be patient and wear Jax down, drive him to exhaustion.
It was pathetic how quickly he’d done it.
Then suddenly, Zan let up, loosened his hold. Distracted by the relief of being able to straighten, thinking their bout was over, Jax was taken completely by surprise when Zan delivered a swift kick to his injured leg.
“Aaah, fuuuuck!” he yelled, agony sweeping through his muscles like a blowtorch. The leg buckled and he went down hard, the thick gym mat cushioning his fall. To his shame, he could do nothing but writhe on the mat, breathing hard and pounding his fist, riding out the waves of sickness rising in his throat.
“Hey, low blow!” Aric shouted. Jax was barely aware of the redhead leaping from his spot on the bleachers and jogging over to shove Zan. “What the hell, asshole?”
Zan ignored him and raised his thumb and forefinger as though shooting a gun aimed between Jaxon’s eyes. “And boom, you’re dead.”
Aric shoved Zan again and got right in his face. “I’m talkin’ to you, needledick. What gives with that bullshit? You’re supposed to be his best bud, and you put him on the ground like a fuckin’ dog!”
Jaxon wasn’t sure what amazed him more—Zan doing just what Aric said, or Aric leaping to Jaxon’s defense. Wasn’t it just this morning that he’d taken a chunk out of the red wolf for getting too cozy with Kira? And here the man was, ready to do the same to Zan for delivering the cheap shot.
The two men glared at each other as Zan replied. “What do you think a demon would do in battle? Or someone with a gun? Apologize and offer to kiss his boo-boos? Get a grip, man. We can’t help him improve his skills by coddling him.”
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