Jaded [The Moonlight Breed 9] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Gabrielle Evans (the read aloud family TXT) 📖

completely faded, and a lascivious look came into Zuriel’s eyes as he dragged a fingertip down Spiro’s chest. “Maybe we could get to know each other better.”

Spiro didn’t know what the hell was happening, but he wasn’t opposed to what the guy suggested. “I’m on my way to meet Cicero, but maybe we could meet afterward? Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

Zuriel licked at his top teeth and winced, clearly feeling the same burn in his gums that Spiro did. “Oh, honey, I don’t date. You can meet me in my room, though.”

This was not going how Spiro had anticipated, and he was having the damnedest time reading the shifter. Beautiful and so sad. His chosen’s eyes held a world of hurt, and Spiro didn’t know where to begin to heal that heartache. “Fine, we can have dinner in your room.”

Flicking a stray lock of hair out of his eyes, Zuriel seemed to retreat into himself, pulling away from Spiro. “On second thought, you’re really not my type.” He wiggled his fingers, grabbed his pink-haired companion by the wrist, and darted away. “Laters, Doc.”

Spiro stood rooted to the spot, frowning at his mate’s back and wondering exactly where in the brief conversation everything had gone to hell.

* * * *

“Feel free to roam the sectioned area,” Logan explained, outlining the rules for the full moon run. “No one goes off on their own, though. Treat this like kindergarten and stick with the buddy system.”

Spiro had joined the pack in an effort to get closer to his mate, not that it did him any good. Zuriel practically ran in the opposite direction when he saw Spiro approaching. It was frustrating to say the least, especially when Zuriel was still chasing every available guy in the coven.

“I call dibs on the doc!” With a swagger in his step, Jacobi crossed the room, linked his fingers with Spiro’s, and pressed up against his side with a purr. “Isn’t he delicious?”

Spiro had nothing against the flamboyant shifter, but he had been hoping to spend some time with his mate during the night. Too bad Zuriel looked less than interested. Hell, the guy wouldn’t even glance in his direction. “Um, yes, I suppose that would be okay.” He’d just have to let Jacobi know up front that nothing could ever happen between them.

Suddenly, the front door flew open, drawing everyone’s attention as the vampire Enforcer, Raven, swaggered into the room with a smirk on his lips.

“Okay, I’m here. The party can now begin. Now, who am I babysitting?” He surveyed the room, rubbing his hands together like a mad scientist. Then his gaze landed on Zuriel, the smug grin vanished, and the big, bad vampire actually stumbled backward. “Please tell me that one is going with you.”

Yes, Zuriel was going whether he liked it or not. No way on heaven or earth was Spiro about to leave his chosen alone with the playboy.

“He’s just playing hard to get,” Zuriel said in stage whisper to Jacobi. “He secretly wants in my pants.”

“You grabbed my dick!” Raven exclaimed.

“And you loved it.”

Spiro grinded his teeth together until his jaw ached, trying desperately not to growl or show any other kind of emotion. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, especially since he wanted to shove his fist down Raven’s throat and rip his dick out through his mouth.

“Okay,” Braxton called, “everyone get out of here and wipe your paws before you come home.”

No one needed to tell Spiro twice. He could already feel the magic washing over him, drawing him to the moon and demanding his transformation. Besides, if he didn’t get out of there, he was going to do something he regretted—like shove Raven’s head up his arrogant ass while he laughed about it.

* * * *

Despite his agitation at the beginning of the night, the full moon run was fairly uneventful. He stuck closer to Jacobi as he’d promised per the buddy system, but he was never too far away from Zuriel. His little fox was adorable, and he made Spiro laugh internally. Zuriel prowled over the forest floor with his chest pressed to the ground and his little butt in the air, his white tail waving in the breeze like a flag of surrender.

Spiro ran and hunted, but he and his lion were in agreement that they’d much rather watch Zuriel. Sure, he felt like a bit of a stalker, but if this was the only way to be close to his mate, he’d take it.

As the sun began to crest over the horizon, the pack made its way back to the cabins. Shaking out his mane, Spiro chuffed a few times, crouched down on the ground, and groaned as he made the transition back to his human skin. His clothes were folded neatly on the porch where he’d left them, but when he went to retrieve them, he found his way blocked by a very naked Jacobi.

“He’s scared,” the shifter announced without preamble. “I mean, after all the things they did to us in that lab, how could anyone possibly want us, let alone love us? Don’t let him run, Doc. He needs you more than you know.”

Before Spiro could respond to the advice, a loud wail cut through the air, growing louder as the sirens droned on. “What the hell is that?” Jacobi slapped both hands over his ears and turned his face toward the treetops. “That’s horrible.”

“It’s the perimeter alarm,” Xander informed him. “There’s an incursion at the front gate.”

“What does that mean?” Jacobi asked, shouting to be heard over the sirens. “Can you speak English?”

“The bad guys are here to kick our ass, and they’ve found a way inside. Is that plain enough for you?”

After ordering the smaller shifters into the house and gathering the support of the visiting wolf Enforcers, Xander turned to the rest of the pack, his lips pressed together in a grim line. “Jacobi, Mihail, and Nikola,