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

out in public where people would see them together, and they’d instantly realize Zuriel wasn’t good enough for his mate.

“Relax. You look amazing.” Reaching across the console, Spiro gripped Zuriel’s knee and squeezed.

“I’ve never really been around humans,” he confessed. From what he understood, however, they were a lot less tolerant about same-sex relationships than the paranormal world. The last thing he wanted to do was fuck up and embarrass Spiro in front of a crowd. “Where are we going again?”

“I’m sorry to say that you won’t be getting an introduction to humans tonight, either. I thought we’d start off with something a little easier for your first real date.”

Zuriel liked the sound of that, but it still hadn’t answered his question. “Where are we going?”

“Cloud Peak Pack lands,” Spiro answered with a wink. “Do you like pizza?”

“I love pizza.” He was touched by Spiro’s thoughtfulness. Since being rescued and brought to Haven, he really hadn’t ventured outside the protective gates. He’d spent a few days at the Cloud Peak infirmary when the tracking chip in his neck had almost killed him. Since he’d been largely unconscious for that stay, however, he didn’t really count it.

He didn’t have anything against humans, but his first foray into the real world would be more comfortable surrounded by people of his own kind—people who understood him.

Spiro was trying so hard, and Zuriel wanted to meet him halfway. Mostly, he was succeeding. There were still times when his insecurities got in the way, though, and he ended up making a complete ass out of himself. Thankfully, Spiro never let him stray too far, and he was always right there to steer him in the right direction.

“I’ve never been to a restaurant.”

There were a lot of things he’d never done, but none of them were in his immediate future. Of course, he’d seen movies where people engaged in public dining, but he didn’t know all the rules involved. Would they sit at a table or a booth? If they sat at a booth, should he sit beside Spiro or across from him? Was this one of those places where a waiter served them, or would he have to get his own drinks and food?

“Zuriel, I promise that nothing bad is going to happen. If you get overwhelmed or have any questions, just tell me. You’re not alone, lirimaer.”

No, his mate was right. Spiro would never let him fall on his face or flounder like that. Taking a deep breath, Zuriel let it out slowly and plastered a smile on his face as they pulled to a stop in the parking lot. “Okay, I can do this.”

“I know you can.” Lifting Zuriel’s hand to his lips, Spiro kissed the knuckles gently and rubbed them against his cheek. “Are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

Entering the pizzeria, Zuriel could feel his eyes rounding and his grin stretching wider. The place was amazing. Music blared from a real jukebox in the corner. White walls, black-and-white checkered floors, and red vinyl booths gave the place a very authentic feel. The atmosphere was electric, infectious, and before they’d even made it to their table, Zuriel was bobbing his head along with the tempo of the music.

“This place is fantastic.”

“I thought you’d enjoy it.” Stopping at one of the corner booths, Spiro gave Zuriel a little push, urging him to enter first and slide around the curved bench. Then he sat as well, scooting closer until their shoulders were touching. “What kind of pizza do you like?”

Without making a show of it or even mentioning it, Spiro had solved Zuriel’s problem of figuring out the appropriate place to sit. Normally, he’d chalk the considerate gesture up to coincidence. He hadn’t mentioned his anxiety, and it didn’t make sense for Spiro to anticipate this particular need.

However, he might have peeked—just a quick look—inside his mate’s head and seen that was exactly the case. Spiro had indeed known he’d need this little nudge of guidance, and he’d purposely chosen the corner booth for that reason.

“I’m sorry.” His gift was sporadic. Sometimes he could control it, and other times it got away from him. This time, however, he’d deliberately delved into Spiro’s thoughts, and the guilt was killing him. “I listened to your thoughts, and I shouldn’t have. It won’t happen again.”

To his surprise, Spiro smiled at him. “I have no secrets from you. I give you permission to slip into my mind whenever you want.” He ducked his head and pressed a chaste kiss to Zuriel’s brow. “Out of curiosity, what did you hear?”

“Just that you picked this table so I wouldn’t stress over where I was supposed to sit.” He’d had benign intentions, but that still didn’t give him the right to invade people’s private thoughts. “I really am sorry.”

“Yes, I did get the impression that you were unsure about what was appropriate, and I wanted to ease some of that worry. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing.” He took Zuriel’s hand and squeezed. “And I meant what I said. I have no secrets from you. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” His smile returned, and he wiggled around in his seat, trying to get even closer to his mate. A contented sigh fell from his lips when Spiro finally got the hint and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“I told you I’d give you anything in my power, Zuri. One of these days, I hope you’ll believe that.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe it, but moments like these didn’t really happen to people like him. Yes, things were wonderful now, but he doubted it would last long.

Some people in life just weren’t meant to be happy, and unfortunately, he was probably one of them. That didn’t stop him from wanting that happy ending Spiro painted for him when they talked, though.

It just made it that much harder to let go when everything ended.

* * * *

“Lirimaer, we need to talk.” Spiro had been avoiding the conversation all week in favor