Chapter Two

 

 

 

“Why don’t you knock off for the night?”

The suggestion surprised Val. He shifted his gaze from the security monitors to his boss. Alex sat behind his massive desk with his feet propped on the edge and his hands linked behind his head. The man had become surprisingly laid back since he’d started getting an uninterrupted supply of sex and fresh blood. He was happy, as well, and that fact alone made Val inclined to appreciate how Quinn had entered their lives. The human boy was good for their leader, accepting of their ways and naturally exerted a calming influence over Alex, even with Dracul active again.

“For what reason? The club is still in full swing.” He returned his attention to the screens, although nothing of note was happening.

“You’re tense and edgy, making the members tense and edgy every time you come near them.”

“Is that why you asked me to come in here, to keep me away from the floor?” Not waiting for an answer, Val faced Alex full-on and added, “You don’t trust me to keep my shit together?”

Alex gave him a pained look. “Val, you have many fine qualities, not the least of which is your dogged loyalty and ability to keep others in line. That’s what makes you the perfect second-in-command to our cadre and chief bouncer to the club. Holding your temper, however, is not one of your strengths.”

Val grimaced, biting back a quick retort. “I didn’t toss Warren out on his ass, though, did I?”

“No,” Alex allowed. “But the thought did cross your mind.”

Before Val could work out a response to that observation without sounding any more defensive than he already did, the door to the office flew open. Quinn rushed in. “Alex!”

The boss sprang up and was by his lover’s side with a speed that would have left a human seeing a blur of movement. “Darling boy, what is the matter?”

Val didn’t hear the answer over the sudden pounding of his heart. His gaze was trained on the doorway. The sight of Mackie appearing a second after Quinn sent a dizzying relief through Val. Whatever had caused the boys to breach Alex’s business sanctum hadn’t involved personal danger. Val didn’t want to care so much, yet his unchecked reaction told him he was fooling himself if he thought he was over Mackie.

The boy caught and held his gaze with cool distain as he closed the door behind him. The expression on that pretty face made Val want to drag him upstairs, bend him over the spanking bench and beat it off him. When they’d been together, Mackie had many times given him that look specifically to bait him into that response. But, they weren’t together anymore, and Val wasn’t in a position to react in his usual way.

Mackie fluttered his lashes a couple of times before turning his attention to where Alex and Quinn stood in front of the flat-screen television against the far wall. Val was momentarily distracted by the sight of the boy’s perfect ass outlined by that ridiculously frilly thong still stuffed by other men’s money. Val’s own hundred-dollar bill was mixed with the rest of them as if he meant nothing more than the grubby-handed letches that frequented the club.

“Val!”

He realized with an inward start that he’d again been distracted by something he should be indifferent to. Someone. “Sorry, boss. What’s up?”

Alex pointed to the TV and turned up the volume. “Watch and listen.”

Some breathless local reporter was outside what he recognized as the Huntington Avenue entrance to the Copley Place shopping mall—one of those ridiculous places where humans loved to spend time and money. She was nattering on about a guy committing suicide by leaping off one of the interior balconies. No, it was more that he was high on something that had led him to believe that he had superpowers. Whatever… Foolish humans bored him.

He wandered closer to the screen. “What’s the big deal?”

It was Mackie who answered, giving him a disdainful roll of his eyes. “You need to pay better attention. The guy eluded security with surprising speed and even managed to out-muscle two of them at once.”

Val tried to glower at the boy, yet worried it came off as more of a sexual invitation. “I still don’t get why this matters to us.”

Mackie folded his arms. “Because Quinn and I saw him before he jumped. Someone was filming the whole thing while they were trying to talk him down. And,” he added with an insolent flick of his one-sided bangs, “his eyes were red.”

Val frowned. “Bloodshot?”

“No. Red, as in pissed-off-alien red.”

That got Val’s attention. He focused on Alex, who clicked off the television. “He was one of us?” He shook his head at his stupid question. “No, obviously not, or we’d be listening to a report about how a man suddenly disintegrated right in front of everyone.”

Alex also shook his head and returned to his desk with Quinn in tow. He deftly tumbled the boy onto his lap as he continued. “Quinn said the man was definitely human with a golden skin tone and light hair.” He cuddled his lover with enviable nonchalance and lack of self-consciousness. For his part, Quinn lounged against Alex with obvious ease and trust and also without any evident discomfort over a public display of affection.

Ignoring the pang he felt at the sight, Val focused on the weird topic at hand. “This doesn’t make any sense. If he wasn’t one of us, then his eyes couldn’t have turned red. You must have been mistaken in what you saw,” he added cautiously. Alex was so protective of Quinn. Val didn’t want to test the waters of how far he could challenge the boy in anything.

It didn’t even matter because it was Mackie who took offense and answered for both of them. “We know what we saw, don’t we?” the boy asked his friend.

When Quinn nodded in assent, Mackie turned his ire on Val. “We’re not stupid.”

Val huffed. Nothing and no one on this miserable planet had managed to get under his skin in so little time the way this pint-sized boy had. “I never intended to intimate you were. It’s just not possible for this dead man to be one of us.”

“We didn’t say he was. Clearly, he was human, and yet,” Mackie added, stepping up to Val, “his eyes were red, the same way that Adrian’s were right before he snapped my arm like a twig. I’m not likely to forget that, am I?”

Val winced inwardly at the reminder of the way Dracul’s lapdog had tortured Mackie in order to lure Quinn into a trap. The painful memory of realizing how hurt Mackie had been still plagued Val. He also admired how, despite feigning a self-indulgent attitude, Mackie had had the courage to warn Quinn. If Mackie hadn’t, both boys would have ended up dead, and that would have led Alex into a crippling emotional tailspin. Everyone had underestimated Mackie, Val included. He was as proud of the boy as he was furious at himself for letting harm come to him.

Except Val didn’t have the right to feel anything about this human because he’d thrown him away. He turned his attention to Alex, a safer place to focus. “What do you make of this, sir?”

The man ran his fingers idly up Quinn’s arm as he considered the question. “I don’t know. It could have been a trick of the light.”

Both boys said no at the same time. Their certainty was disturbing.

“It’s possible, “Alex continued, “that the dead man was a turned human. I’ll have to ask Harry if eye color can be affected by the change. I’ve never heard of it or seen it for myself, but then, unlike Dracul and his boys, we haven’t turned many humans.” The man flicked a guilty look in Val’s direction.

Val knew what thought had flitted across Alex’s mind. His own had gone there, as well. How could they not? Normally, he pivoted away from any memories of Robbie, the pain cutting too deep for him to weather, despite the passing centuries. For Val, nothing had faded. Each experience in his life could be revisited with the same clarity as if it had just occurred. At the moment, though, too much was on the line for him to indulge his cowardice. He forced himself to picture the one changed human he’d actually known intimately. All he saw were green eyes staring back at him with love and trust. So much misplaced trust.

Putting those biting and unhelpful memories aside, he focused instead on the other turned human that he knew well. Harry’s husband had deep brown eyes that, as far as Val knew, never changed color. Then again, the couple didn’t seem to ever be at odds with one another. If they fought, they did so quietly and in private.

“Lucien is so mild-mannered,” he observed. “I’m not sure he’s constitutionally capable of feeling the kind of rage that manifests in us as red pupils.”

Alex snorted. “I agree. And with Harry totally smitten and doting, why would Lucien ever need to work up a head of steam? Still, we can’t discount what these boys saw.” He stood with his usual grace, bringing both himself and Quinn to their feet. “Come, dearest boy. Let’s go wake Harry and ask. He’s not going to like being roused so late, but doing it in person is going to help us convey the urgency. Perhaps Lucien will be angry, as well, and show us his red eyes, if they exist.”

Val quelled a spark of irritation that Alex immediately asked Quinn to go with him and not him. Security was his domain. No way he wanted to sit around twiddling his thumbs. Never good with downtime, it was particularly hard for him to remain passive when a potential crisis was at hand. If he went out onto the club floor to play bouncer now, he’d probably do something Alex would hate and he would regret. Humans always managed to irk him.

An idea struck. “I should call Duncan. It’s not homicide, but he must be able to get access to inside information, including an autopsy on the jumper. If there is some connection to our people and this human, we’ll want someone we trust on top of it from the inside, anyway. Not that I’m entirely sure we can trust the sergeant.”

Alex hadn’t quite reached the door. “Excellent idea. I agree that our uneasy alliance with the man hasn’t been put to the test, but we have to assume he will come through for us. Call him. We’ll meet back here as soon as I’ve spoken to Harry.”

Taking out his phone, Val eyed Mackie. “No need for you to stay.”

The boy’s eyes flashed. “Says you. I’m not leaving unless Alex asks me to. This isn’t only your fight, you know.”

“Fine,” Val bit out. “At least go put some clothes on.”

It was the wrong thing to say. He knew the moment the words had left his mouth that he’d shown a modicum of weakness. With a provocative swivel of his hips, Mackie ran his hand down the front of his thong. “What’s the matter, Val? Missing what you can’t have anymore?”

The little shit batted his eyelashes.

Val reacted without thought or sense. He closed the distance between them, and swatted that impertinent rump with a loud single smack of his palm. Mackie gasped with a satisfying tone of outrage and fury in his eyes.

“Don’t push me, Mackie. I’m still your boss, even if we’re not playing anymore.”

They stood in a brief staring contest until something in the boy’s expression softened, became almost seductive. “Fine.” The one-word response was breathy.

Val didn’t want to, but he couldn’t help glancing down to see that the boy’s dick had thickened. Whether it had been the smack or the stern command—or likely both—Mackie still found Val arousing. Val would have been more pleased with that information if weren’t for the fact that his own pants had gotten considerably tighter from the interaction. Mackie wasn’t the weak link in what was left of their relationship. Val didn’t have as tight a grip on his own needs and emotions as he would have liked.

“I’ll be back.” Mackie turned on one heel and walked out.

Trying not to watch, Val fumbled with his phone until he pulled up Duncan’s contact info. The Boston police sergeant was privy to too much information, as far as Val was concerned. But this was a problem that they’d dealt with ever since crashing on Earth. As much as they would have liked to remain well-hidden, Dracul had forced them into the open. Alex had no choice but to accept help from humans from time to time. Not all of them had proven trustworthy. Up until now, however, any efforts to expose the aliens living among them had been dismissed by other humans as lunacy or lies. With humans having reached space and actively trying to make contact with other species, there was a greater threat of someone like Duncan being believed.

And, despite all those efforts to reach out to aliens, how would humans really react to finding them on Earth already? It was not in Val’s nature to trust easily. He didn’t expect to be greeted with flowers and handshakes. Incarceration and vivisection seemed more likely. He had no choice at the moment, however, except to assume Duncan was reliable.

The man picked up after a few rings. “Christ Jesus, this better be good.”

Val smiled at the angry greeting. Val wasn’t sure how he personally felt about the human ally. Over the centuries, there had been those few that he had actually liked, as well as trusted. Kitty was one. They were rare, however, and sometimes proved duplicitous, despite Val’s feelings toward them. It could be hard to read these creatures. It wasn’t worth investing a lot of emotion in the relationship. That was another reason for keeping Mackie at bay. Even the ones who were steadfast were far too easily killed, and they always died in such a short period of time.

The one thing he was sure about with Duncan was that the man was smart and courageous. The fact that he was being surly also implied he wasn’t playing some game at being on their side. Val was never more suspicious of humans than when they were acting overly nice and accommodating. He preferred straightforwardness in any event.

“Apologies for the lateness of the hour, Sergeant. There’s been a development in which your position on the force may come into play.”

A loud breath sounded over the phone. “Has another round of serial killings started?”

“Not exactly.” He relayed what he knew about the man in the mall, little as it was.

Duncan didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Normally I’d say it was another pathetic case of someone dying from bath salts or something. The eyes, though… I haven’t forgotten any of the details of how that night by the harbor went down.”

Val could well imagine how seared that event was in the human’s mind. “Yes, that is the disturbing part. Pupils in my species change color based on strong emotions. Red is for fury.”

“No shit. Give me a second.” There was some rustling, then a voice droned in the background. “Yeah, so according to the news, it sounds like my brethren on the force are treating it as a drug-related death. Not exactly my beat.”

Val tamped down his temper. “Yes, I know. We have television here at the club.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, bouncer boy. What I mean is that I can’t do anything about it tonight. It would look suspicious if a homicide cop suddenly turned up at a crime scene without being called in, especially as it’s not a murder case. I’ll get in early and ask around. I’m sure I can come up with some possible tie-in theory to a probable gang killing Karl and I have been investigating.”

“All right. I’ll let Alex know. Thank you,” he made himself say, because the cop didn’t have to help. And, although the man had been essentially forced into staying quiet about aliens living among humans, he had been fairly gracious about his situation, at least as far as they knew.

Hanging up, he flopped down onto the couch Alex kept for his guests. There was nothing to do but wait—wait for Alex to return with Harry’s take on the red eyes and wait for Mackie to return. He didn’t like the way his cock stirred at that last thought and how his heart thudded a little bit harder, as well.

He especially didn’t like the way his sense of danger rose to an almost panicky level. Dracul had launched the next attack in the renewed war. Val didn’t know how, exactly, yet nothing else made sense. Normally, he would have been merely irritated at the endless need to fight. His time with Robbie had been during a lull. Val had had ample time to secure his secret lover in a safe location, even though he’d ended up not staying. Now was different. The club was exposed, out in the open, their lives on display if Dracul cared to look. And he had given the taunt of Adrien’s killing spree.

Then and now, Val felt a true sense of dread because he had more to lose.

 

* * * *

 

As tense as everyone was over the new development, there was something comforting about hanging with what Mackie thought of as the family. They’d reconvened in Alex’s office within a half-hour of his and Quinn’s barging in with their tale of a red-eyed man. Val had remained, sitting like a pissed-off sphynx, his gaze tracking Mackie’s every movement. There had been no time for him to consider how he felt about the scrutiny because Alex had returned with Quinn and a sleepy-eyed Harry. Then Alex had declared that Quinn needed feeding, so they’d trooped down to Emil for a late-night meal.

Mackie tried not to feel jealous over Alex’s treatment of Quinn. The obvious love and caring the man showed was enviable, the kind of thing Mackie had secretly hoped he would find with someone. Not Val. There was nothing cuddly or goopy about how he’d treated Mackie when they’d been an item, and that had been fine with Mackie. It had been enough that he’d treated Mackie with respect and that Mackie had always felt safe with him. It had certainly been a far cry from the scary life he’d led at home and on the streets.

Still, there was something appealing about the hearts and flowers kind of relationship. Maybe someday he’d find that, although he still liked the dominance and discipline aspects of his time with Val. Could he fall in love with someone who would be both? Perhaps, although nothing would happen until this nightmare with the dreaded Dracul asshole was over.

The chef put a plate of food in front of Mackie. “Here, eat. You’re too skinny.” Emil grimaced after he spoke.

Mackie put on a show of being affronted. “Says you. The club members think I’m perfect.” He hid a grin as he picked up his fork.

“That’s because they’re pervs,” the man grumbled and went to get more food.

Mackie took a moment to appreciate how Emil had turned the stack of pancakes into a face with a whipped-cream smile and chocolate-morsel features. Although Mackie was coming up on his twentieth birthday, he hadn’t known enough of a childhood to be past such cute touches. Plus, he had a massive sweet tooth. He indulged it further by smothering the stack with maple syrup. It was the real kind, not colored corn syrup. The Stelalux boys were high-end on absolutely everything. When the time came for Mackie to leave—and it would—he was going to miss the creature-comforts of the super-rich.

“Mmm.” The moan escaped without him thinking about it. As he chewed his mouthful, he felt eyes on him. Glancing up, he saw Val’s hawk-like gaze boring a hole into him from across the table. Never one to stifle an impulse, Mackie licked his lips with a slow turn of his tongue.

Val bared his teeth, showing his fangs and everything. It was a mark of triumph for Mackie, proof that the badass bouncer wasn’t made of stone. There was a power in being able to bring a man to his figurative knees. It wasn’t much, but it was all Mackie had. Somehow, he just couldn’t help himself. He wanted to bait the man because he was still smarting over the brutal way in which Val had tossed Mackie from his life.

He would never forgive Val for the awful things he’d said. Never.

“I beg your pardon, ladies and gentlemen.” Alex’s voice boomed down the table, even though he hadn’t shouted. “I hate to disturb your eating or whatever it is you’re doing,” he added with a narrowed gaze that encompassed both Mackie and Val. “We need to get up to speed on this matter at hand.

“Harry, will you please repeat for everyone else’s benefit what you told me?.”

Besides Quinn, the everyone else Alex addressed included Emil. The cook had dismissed the rest of the kitchen staff and had joined them at the table with his own plate of food. Kitty, too, was there because she’d been supportive of Alex and the others for a few years now. There was nothing about them that she wasn’t privy to. And lastly, Logan huddled at the far end, removed in an emotional way from the rest of the crowd except Emil, whom she seemed to like.

The veteran was mostly living onsite, although she took off when she wanted—kind of like a feral cat who was willing to pretend to be domesticated when she wanted. Given how she’d saved Quinn and Mackie with amazing courage when she hadn’t needed to, everyone was willing to cut her in on the meeting. Whether she cared enough to be a part of whatever they were going to do was another matter. Her default and constant expression was one of distrust.

Harry rubbed his eyes. “Well, as I said, I know of no reason why a human’s pupils would mimic our mood changes. It’s never happened that I know of. Certainly Lucien’s remain the same brown that they’ve always been.”

The man took a long gulp of coffee. “And, before you ask, yes, he’s been angry enough for it to happen.” He chuckled. “Definitely so. I do seem to have a penchant for getting under his skin, despite my efforts to the contrary. No human would have enough patience for me.”

Mackie got the joke. Harry’s human husband was the epitome of Zen-like calm. Although Mackie didn’t know the man well, he’d always liked him and admired how well he weathered being among the strong impulses of his family by marriage.

“Demi’s haven’t changed either, for that matter,” Harry continued. “Of course, he’s not fully mature, so I can’t say for certainty whether it will or won’t happen with a hybrid.”

Mackie concentrated on eating and listening. He really had nothing useful to add and was happy to be included in the meeting instead of being sent off. He tried to hide his automatic frown, as well, at any mention of the brat that was Demi. If men thought Mackie was too full of himself, they hadn’t met Demi. He was a constant trial to everyone, although knowing as he did now that the boy was living in-between worlds, Mackie was inclined to cut him some slack. It couldn’t be easy navigating life on Earth as a half-alien. And, while Mackie’s understanding of this alien race was slim, he did know now that Demi was a lot older than he looked. There was a weird interaction of his mixed blood that both sped up his maturity and slowed it down, depending on which race you viewed it as. It was like he was living out adolescence for decades. A few years of that drove most humans a little crazy. How much worse must it be to live with it for longer?

“Have we ever known of a half-breed to favor human hair and skin coloring?” Val asked. He was plowing through a pile of food that made Mackie’s plate appear to be a dainty snack.

Harry looked down his nose at Val. “I prefer to use the term ‘hybrid’. ‘Half-breed’ is demeaning.”

Val cocked an eyebrow. “You think so? Have you ever asked your kid if he likes being referred to as if he’s some kind of fuel-efficient car?”

Harry looked as if he was about to launch into a counter-attack when Alex intervened. “Gentlemen, please. We’re veering off track. While it’s possible that Quinn and Mackie were mistaken in what they saw, we must operate on the assumption that they weren’t.”

“His eyes were Nancy Reagan red!” Mackie interjected before good sense could stop him. If he’d dared to do something like that in his birth home, he would have earned himself a slap at best, a beating at worst. No, not worst. There had been worse done to him than a hiding, but he tried not to think about that.

In any event, no one here cuffed him or even berated him for his outburst. Instead, Emil smiled at him in encouragement and Alex nodded respectfully. Val simply scowled, but that didn’t count. It was one of the man’s default expressions, along with grim.

“We believe you, dear boy,” Alex soothed. “We simply have to keep an open mind. The implication of all of this is disturbing.”

“Duncan may have more for us tomorrow,” Val added.

Alex nodded. “I’m gratified to hear that he’s keeping his word about helping us. We’ve never had a cop on our side before, have we?”

“There was that Metropolitan Police Officer who helped us when one of Dracul’s whelps cut up those women,” Emil replied.

“Oh, yes. I suppose that does count, although the poor man died very quickly for his trouble. We didn’t do well by him at all.”

“What women?” Mackie couldn’t help asking. “And, do you mean this Dracul dude has children?”

“Two sons. Twins.” It was Val who answered. “He turned a Welsh boy long ago.”

Mackie made a face. “You mean a human gave birth to them, like Lucien did Demi?”

During Mackie’s long convalescence, Quinn had told him everything he knew about these vampires who were really aliens. The idea of a human male being able to become pregnant and give birth blew Mackie’s mind, his relationship with Lucien and Demi notwithstanding. It was still easier to believe that Demi was adopted or that Lucien was really transgender, even though he knew neither of those things were true.

Stranger still was that Quinn was seriously considering allowing Alex to ‘turn’ him by feeding Quinn the alien’s blood. It wouldn’t happen right away. It might take years for Quinn’s body to undergo the transformation that would allow him to conceive and carry a baby to term. How would that even feel, to be both male and female at the same time? Then, having someone grow and wiggle around inside you? Mackie put a palm to his stomach at the very thought of it.

Val’s gaze took in the movement before his lips thinned. “Yes. He managed to survive it, the way Lucien did.”

There was a sudden stillness among the aliens that weirded Mackie out. Val’s expression went extra grim and even laid-back Emil focused on his food as if it contained the secrets of the world. Mackie wanted to ask what was wrong, but instinct had him holding back for once. Instead, he returned to his first question. “So what was up with the women who got hurt?”

Val speared a forkful of eggs before answering. “You’ve heard of Jack the Ripper?”

It took a second for the meaning of his answer to sink in. “Shut up! You’re telling me that the Ripper was an alien?”

“Half-breed.”

“Hybrid,” Harry interjected. “We put a stop to him, sent him whimpering home to Daddy’s castle in Wales with his figurative tail between his legs.”

Sitting back, Mackie tried to absorb the news. “So, just how much of human history are you guys tangled up with?”

He glanced at Quinn, who was equally open-mouthed at the news. Apparently pillow talk between him and Alex hadn’t gotten very far yet. Kitty looked unimpressed, probably because she knew it already. Logan was studiously eating and looked to be not quite plugged into the conversation at all.

It was Val who answered. “Not so much. We wouldn’t be at all if not for Dracul always trying to stir the pot. Fucker,” he added, his words swallowed by his mug of coffee.

Mackie scraped his teeth along his lip. “But, if you know where he hides out, why don’t you take the fight to him? You know, attack the castle or whatever.”

“We have considered it,” Val replied, staring at his coffee. “We’ve also tried on numerous occasions to neutralize him and his men by stealth. It hasn’t always ended as it did with Adrien.” He shook his head. “We are evenly matched in number and the outcome of a full-on assault would be uncertain.”

He switched his gaze to Mackie. “If we were to lose, there would be nothing to stop him from taking over this world and enslaving your people. He would slaughter millions purely for his own perverse amusement.”

Mackie blinked at that stark appraisal. “Oh.” It was hard to believe that the men sitting around him could ever be vulnerable. Hearing Val admitting he could lose a fight made Mackie appreciate more what deep shit they were all in.

“Well,” Alex said, “there’s no point in dwelling on the past or our lack of invincibility. We will continue to parry Dracul’s thrusts as best we can. In the meantime, there’s nothing for us to do until we hear back from Duncan. We are assuming this is tied to Dracul, but that was only a theory at this point. We must not get ahead of ourselves. It would please him greatly to know he’s always on our minds.”

Harry hummed in agreement. “You are right, of course, sir. In this case, however, I have to believe there’s some connection with our blood. It’s the only thing that makes sense. There will be an autopsy, I assume, given the circumstances. I wish I could be in on that. So much can be learned from that, more perhaps than we want the humans to know. It all depends on whether we are dealing with a hybrid or not.”

There was a pointed silence for a few seconds in which Mackie could tell the aliens were pondering issues that the humans in the room weren’t privy to.

“I’m with Harry on this, sir,” Emil said around his mouthful of food before Mackie could work up the courage to ask questions. “It’s got Dracul’s fingerprints on it. He’s involved somehow.”

“You think?” Val shook his head. “The guy’s a tricky fucker. Spectacular murders didn’t work, so now he’s onto something else, something to screw us with…again.”

Alex sighed. “Yes, yes, gentlemen. Odds are it’s Dracul behind whatever this is. I simply caution against precipitous conclusions. Working everyone up into a frenzy of worry won’t help.” He punctuated his caution by gesturing around the room with his fork.

Mackie got it. Alex didn’t want to upset Quinn or any of the other humans in the room. While he appreciated the effort to shield him from worry, that ship had sailed a few months ago for everyone except Kitty. Once he’d actually found a monster under his bed, he couldn’t help but keep looking for it night after night. A shudder ran through him.

Val’s hawk-like gaze pierced him. He must have seen Mackie’s moment of fear. The look somehow gave Mackie a brief sense of security.

“We could simply let it go,” Val said to Alex. “He’s not attacking us directly, the way he did before.”

Alex tsked. “We’ve had this conversation before, Val. We can’t leave him unchecked. He’s not like a human child who will give up his tantrum simply because he’s being ignored. He will keep poking and prodding until he gets a reaction. And,” he added, cupping Quinn’s face and staring adoringly at him, “we have soft spots again that he won’t hesitate to exploit.”

The alien’s words hit Mackie hard, making it difficult to swallow his food. Alex would fight to protect Quinn because he loved the boy. As much as the family in general was keeping him safe, though, no one was emotionally invested in it. He was no different than Logan or even the London prostitutes that the Ripper had preyed on. The Stelalux men had a strong code of honor and that’s what drove them to intervene where humans were concerned. There was nothing personal in it, simply a chore done out of duty and a strong moral sense of what was right.

And thank God for it. Still…it would be nice to matter to someone. Just as he had the thought, Val’s gaze swung on him again. The guy had beautiful eyes, Elizabeth Taylor violet ones. Mackie had always loved looking into them, not that he had ever been able tell what Val was thinking. He still couldn’t. All he knew was that it was hard to look away. He dropped into the deep pools of color and got instantly lost—his food forgotten, the others around the table so many buzzing insects to his ears. A sense of calm descended over him, a blissful trip into a kind of subspace without Val having to lift a finger to put him there. That was the strength of the man. Regardless of how mad Mackie got at him, that power was a magnet Mackie couldn’t break free from.

Not now, and he feared not ever.