Seduced by Innocence by Alex Lux Read Free Book Online

for, Bro?"
    Tammy's voice startled me from my misery. I spun around to face my sister, who leaned against my doorframe, smiling.
    "I have a date."
    "With a girl?" She raised her voice in mock astonishment. At least I hoped it was mock.
    "No, a penguin. Yes, a girl." Another twist and my tie fell apart in my hands. I sighed and threw it on the bed.
    "You've been home a day and you've already met a girl? Figures. But I thought your bar dates usually preferred a more casual look?" She walked into my bedroom and picked up the tie, then stood at my back and reached around me to tie it. "You're doing it all wrong. Let me help."
    I bent lower so she could reach my neck, and even still she had to get up on her tiptoes to finish it.
    One look in the mirror told me she had more skills than I did. "Thanks, Sis."
    I slipped on my suit jacket and hoped I wasn't overdressed. Perhaps I should have told her where we were going so she'd know what to wear. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable on our first date.
    Oh, God. Now I sounded like a girl. I needed to get this chick out of my head. Maybe sleeping with her would do the trick. But even as I thought it I knew I couldn't use her in that way.
    The clock in the hall chimed six times. I still had over an hour before I needed to leave to pick up Rose.
    I turned to Tammy and presented myself. "Do I look okay?"
    She rolled her eyes. "You know you do. You have women eating out of your hands. I'm glad I'm your sister, because I'd hate to be one of your conquests!"
    "That's just wrong, Tam. I can't think of you that way."
    "Why are you so nervous about this girl? Is she special?"
    I considered her question carefully before answering. "Yeah, you know, I think she might be. Which is really bad."
    Tammy flopped on my bed and made herself comfortable. "Why, because it means you might have to stick around awhile?"
    "That's exactly why. I'm not ready to give up my life just yet." I slipped my watch on and checked to make sure I had cash in my wallet.
    "Is our life here so bad that you just can't imagine being a part of this family?" She tried to keep her words light, but I heard the hurt behind them.
    "It's not you guys, it's me. I'm just not cut out to follow in Dad's footsteps."
    "Then don't. Stay, but live your own life. He's not an ogre, you know." She stood and crossed her arms over her chest. "He's not going to force you to be something you don't want to be."
    I thought back to when I first left home. "That's not what it felt like last time we talked about it."
    "You're like an old man with a grudge, you know that?" Her eyes brightened as her anger took over. "You get in one fight with him and decide nothing here is worth keeping. He's human. He made a mistake. Don't you think it's time to give him a chance to do better? Or are you so perfect that you've never said something you regretted later?" Now her eyes had a feral quality to them, and I could feel her power surface as she channeled her inner animal.
    "Are you going to shift and challenge me for successor rights?" I meant it to come out as a joke, but it sounded more like a plea.
    Her face fell. "Dean would have, if you'd really wanted him to."
    I pulled her into my arms. "How is he?"
    "The same. It's like he has nothing left in him, but every now and then I feel something, like a shadow of who he was." She frowned. "It's almost worse when I feel that, because it gives me hope, and I don't think there's any hope in his recovery."
    "They should pay for what they did to him. Those witches are out of control." I let Tammy go and stormed downstairs and into my dad's library.
    "Dad, we need to talk."
    He looked up from his book and stood. "Of course, son, what is it?"
    "Why aren't we getting everyone together to go after the witches and destroy them for what they did to Dean? Why are we just sitting here on our asses doing nothing? I want their address. Where do they live? We have to do something!"
    My wolf roared inside of me, and I fought off