Alpha Pack 1.5 - Black Magic Read Free

and clanking their longneck bottles together, then turning their avid attention back to the coming fight.
    There wouldn’t be one if he could help it. Mackenzie was staring at him, eyes wide and worried. More than anything he
    didn’t want to disappoint her by getting into a brawl, but he wasn’t about to let a sack of shit run him down in front of her, either.
    “I’ll do more than mess with you, boy! I’ll pound you into the floor.”
    “Bigger sons of bitches than you have tried.”
    Some had actually succeeded. Best not to think of that now, when he couldn’t afford the distraction.
    Again, Kalen attempted to step around the man, but two meaty hands landed on his chest, giving him a hard shove. He
    staggered backward, managed not to fall—but his tight control over his temper snapped.
    “No one touches me,” he snarled.
    And took two steps forward, unloading his fist into the bastard’s face. The man’s head jerked back and he stumbled into a
    nearby table. The couple sitting there jumped up, the woman letting out a shriek as they scrambled out of the way. Kalen’s nemesis lost his balance as the table tipped, and was dumped into the floor.
    Kalen’s body tensed as the man brought a hand to his nose and wiped away a trickle of blood. He knew he was in trouble
    when the man’s lip curled into an ugly sneer and his friends stood, chairs scraping in the silence, beers abandoned and
    amusement gone.
    “Fuckin’ kill him!” the bastard shouted, lurching to his feet.
    Kalen had about two seconds to brace himself before a wall of pissed-off rednecks buried him in a sweaty, stinky dogpile.
    A fist slammed the side of his head and more found his ribs. The air rushed from his lungs and he bucked, pushing at the closest
    one, to no avail. He wasn’t going to be able to budge them without using his magic—and at the moment, his actions were concealed from the crowd.
    Quickly, he summoned a bit of power and channeled it, letting the stream of energy flow to his fingertips. A whispered word
    fell from his lips and the weight suddenly disappeared as the four men flew off him and landed like dominos pushed by an invisible finger. The sight would’ve been funny except he’d only succeeded in pissing them off even more.
    “You little fuck!” one of the men bellowed.
    “How’d he do that?” a nearby patron asked in awe.
    The question would remain unanswered. As he pushed to his feet, the bully who’d started the confrontation smashed a heavy
    fist into his mouth, and pain exploded in his face. He landed on his ass, thinking he just might get it thoroughly kicked when a
    booming voice brought the fight to a screeching halt.
    “What in the motherfuckin’ hell is going on here?”
    The crowd parted to make way for a tall, blond man just this side of thirty who looked like he might’ve spent time in the
    military. His back was ramrod straight and he had the bearing of a man used to giving orders, and having them followed. His
    gaze immediately found Kalen’s tormentor and his buddies, and if the clenching of his jaw and expression of distaste was any
    indication, he’d located the source of the problem.
    Beer Gut went on the defensive. “Aw, come on, Jack. We was just havin’ us a little fun with the fruitcake is all. Didn’t mean
    no harm—”
    “Save it, Billy,” the man said coldly. “This was your last chance. Now get out of my place and don’t come back. Any of
    you.”
    Billy blinked at Jack, whom Kalen figured was the owner. “You don’t mean that! We buy a lot of booze, keepin’ you in
    business—”
    “And you think that gives you the right to terrorize my other customers? Get out. Now. I won’t need the sheriff to take out the
    trash, either.” The steel in his tone brooked no argument. The man meant every word, and had the toned muscle to back it up.
    Billy swallowed, backing down like the coward he was. “Fine. We don’t want to hang out in this dump anyways.”
    Throwing Kalen one