The woman sighed. “Very well. He returns under your direct supervision, Lieutenant. Any incident, any lapse, however minor, and he is extracted immediately. Permanently. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” Mac said.
They were dismissed with a nod.
Back in the corridor, Mac stopped halfway to the training chamber. He turned to Melvin. He didn’t speak. He reached out, his fingers finding the side of Melvin’s neck, his thumb resting over the steady pulse. Melvin leaned into the touch, eyes closing briefly. When they opened, they were calm and certain.
“He’s going to be okay,” Melvin murmured.
“Yeah,” Mac said roughly.
“Let’s give Reynolds the news and get the hell out of this crypt.”
Melvin nodded. “Lead the way.”
Mac pushed the training chamber door open. Reynolds stood exactly where they had left him.
“Council approved,” Mac said. “You’re coming back with us. They’ll handle travel and paperwork. We leave in a few days.”
Reynolds’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Mac said. “Just stay ready.”
Melvin stepped into the room. Reynolds’s expression shifted almost immediately. His nostrils flared once. His gaze moved between them. Melvin saw the moment it clicked.
“Right,” Reynolds said quietly. “That explains the signal.”
Mac went still. “What signal?”
“Your scent’s different,” Reynolds said. “It’s settled. The hyena picks up on bonds. Pack things. Mate things. It’s not loud. It’s just there.” He gave a small shrug. “Congratulations.”
The air shifted in the room. Mac looked at Melvin. His cheeks held a faint warmth, but his eyes met Mac’s without hesitation.
“Get some rest, Reynolds,” Melvin said. “We’ll see you at the transport.”
Outside in the corridor the silence between them was thick. Mac’s hand found the small of Melvin’s back as they walked. They didn’t speak again until they stepped outside. The New York night hit them with humid air and the smell of asphalt and food carts. Mac stopped beneath a streetlamp and turned to him.
“He smelled it,” Mac said.
“Yeah.”
“Does it bother you?”
Melvin stepped closer and placed his palm flat over Mac’s heart. “It feels like the truth,” he said quietly. “Letting it be seen doesn’t change what it is.”
Mac covered Melvin’s hand with his own. “Our agenda here is done,” Mac murmured. “The hotel’s a cage with nicer sheets. You got anywhere to be?”
A slow smile touched Melvin’s mouth. “Just following your lead, Lieutenant.”
Mac chose to walk. They left the main avenues behind and moved through quieter streets. Twenty minutes passed without a destination, the tension from the facility slowly unwinding. Melvin stopped when they reached a small, forgotten park bordered by brownstones.
“Here,” he said softly.
Mac understood. He backed Melvin against the brick wall in the shadows. The city sounds faded to a murmur. Mac caged him in with his hands braced on the wall beside his head. He didn’t kiss him. He just looked. Melvin’s hands settled on Mac’s hips, pulling him closer.
“Tell me,” Melvin whispered.
“Tell you what?”
