Alpha Pack 1.5 - Black Magic Read Free Page A

last glare, the man shuffled out, his buddies following behind with a few muttered curses. A hand
    appeared in front of Kalen’s face and he saw that Jack was offering him help up. Despite his aversion to being touched, he sensed no threat from the Grizzly’s owner and took the assistance, allowing himself to be hauled to his feet.
    “Thanks.”
    “No problem. I knew it was just a matter of time before Billy and his band of dumbasses gave me an excuse to ban them for
    good.” The man’s light gray eyes twinkled with humor.
    Kalen found himself smiling back. “Glad I could help.”
    “You did. In fact, I’m so grateful, your drinks are on the house.” Clapping Kalen on the shoulder, he steered him toward the
    bar. “What’s your poison?”
    “That’s an offer I won’t refuse. Bourbon and cola, if you don’t mind.”
    “You’ve got it. Lonnie?” he called.
    “Heard it, boss,” the bartender yelled back. “Bourbon and cola, coming up!”
    Jack turned back to Kalen. “Do you need medical attention? I’d be glad to call for the medics, or drive you to the emergency
    clinic.”
    “Nah, there’s already a doctor in the house,” he said, giving Mackenzie a pointed look. “I’m betting she can take care of what ails me.”
    Jack followed his gaze to where the doc in question sat, and chuckled. “I’ll bet she can at that. Say, you might want to hit the
    men’s room anyway,” he said, gesturing to Kalen’s bleeding mouth.
    Kalen stopped short of where Mackenzie sat with her friends, and felt the weight of their stares as he thanked the bar owner.
    “I appreciate the save, and the drink.”
    “No big. You did me a favor.” With a nod at Kalen and a wink at the gaping trio, he walked off to tend to whatever business
    was pressing.
    “Kalen,” Mackenzie gasped, sliding from the stool to stand in front of him. “Are you all right?”
    “Sure,” he said. “Never better.” His grin felt lopsided, his lip already a bit fat with the swelling. Shit, this wasn’t how he’d
    wanted her to see him—with his face bruised, lip split and bloodied. “I think I’m going to take Jack’s advice and hit the restroom, wash up some.”
    “Jack?”
    She didn’t know the Grizzly’s owner. That small fact made his heart sing. “The owner who tossed out Billy Beer Gut and
    his friends.”
    “Oh. Well, hurry back.” She gave him a smile that damned near buckled his knees.
    “I will.”
    As he hustled to the men’s room, he held on to the image of her pretty face, how those blue eyes sparkled with warmth when
    they regarded him. As though he was special, even if he knew he wasn’t. How her pert nose crinkled when she grinned, the
    musical sound of her laugh.
    God, he was an idiot.
    A classy, educated woman like her would never look at him with real desire. She was a doctor, could have any man she
    wanted. And he was too much of a head case lugging around way too much baggage. But he could dream.
    In the men’s room, he checked his face in the mirror and winced. A bruise was forming near his temple and was sore to the
    touch, but at least it was mostly covered by his hair. As he’d thought, his lip was split and a little swollen. Not as bad as he
    feared, however, once he’d splashed it with water and dabbed it with a paper towel. The wound had already stopped bleeding
    and it wasn’t too terrible. Too bad he couldn’t heal it, but his magic didn’t work like that.
    Throwing away the paper towel, he left and made his way back to the bar where Mackenzie waited with her two girlfriends.
    Their chatting was more subdued this time, and he hated that the incident with the rednecks had put a blight on their evening. It
    wasn’t the worst he’d dealt with, not by a long shot, but these women shouldn’t have been subjected to the crap that followed
    him wherever he went.
    Their attention turned to him as he walked up and stood next to Mackenzie. “Hey, ladies. Sorry about the trouble.”
    “It’s not