Administrative Control

Chapter Five

Lukian said nothing as he watched his friend, a man he had known for some time held deep secrets, work to control his beast. A beast that he, like the I-Ops, had learned to mask the scent of. Lukian had certainly never caught whiff of it and he was better than most shifters at catching scents.

Now that Asher’s beast was out, the air was thick with the smell of it as well as with magik. Lukian had heard of shifters who were born possessing magik. They were thought to be rumors. Several of his teammates now could wield small bits of magik because they’d gained the ability through mating to a Fae. They’d not been born with it. None of his pack had the ability, and truth be told, he’d thought the rumors of the born magik shifters to be just that—rumors.

He’d been wrong.

Jinx had said Asher was even more than what Lukian now thought. What the hell else was left?

Asher had his reasons for keeping what he was to himself. Lukian would respect that. He’d also respect what he was guessing was about to happen. The colonel was going to do something Lukian could only guess he’d wanted to do for a very long time.

Take his woman.

Lukian motioned to Roi. “Brother, this is our cue to leave. Give Jinx to him. They have a lot to discuss.”

Roi swung his head around, still holding the redhead against him in a protective manner. But, there was no denying Roi was shit at comforting anyone. “Are you fucking seeing what I’m seeing? The colonel is a shifter?”

“With magik,” added Eadan, looking as surprised by the events as Roi.

Nodding, Lukian stood in place. He was taken aback by it all as well but had lived long enough to know things would work out on their own. Additional interference on the part of Lukian and his men could cause more damage than good. “I see. Now let’s go.”

Roi turned Jinx away from Asher. “She’s not very happy with him right now and I can’t say I blame her. I’m pissed with him too. Shifter?”

Eadan stood next to Roi, attempting to pat Jinx’s back as well. Neither man seemed to be worth his salt in the soothing department. “Magik.”

“It’s amazing I can take you two anywhere,” said Lukian. He eased Jinx from Roi and touched her shoulders. “Are you okay to be left with Asher? He won’t hurt you, you know that, right?”

She hiccupped as she cried. “I might hurt him.”

“Understandable,” returned Lukian. She had every right to be angry with Asher. He spoke to his men, “We need to get out of here and call our wives back. Or do you want them thinking we ended up spending the night here?”

That seemed to snap the men out of their stupors.

Roi shot forward. “Bye, Colonel, we’ll get you in the morning. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do. Wait, strike that. Don’t do anything Green wouldn’t do.”

Lukian laughed as his men hurried out the door.