A Mating Dance by Lia Davis Read Free Book Online Page B

their loved ones again.
    Blaine was the first to break eye contact. The loss of his mother threatened to resurface, bringing renewed rage with it. Blaine didn’t want to remember that day his father lost it in a fit of rage and pain when his mate took her own life. His father thought Blaine believed the story that Onyx had killed his mother.
    The truth was he had mind linked to his father when he found her. Blaine heard them argue, heard his mother’s pleads for forgiveness, and then heard the gunshot. The final thoughts Blaine picked up before cutting the link were his father’s angry roar then sobs as he asked her why over and over.
    Breaking from the dark memories, Blaine scanned the living room. Graham was right. It didn’t look right. A coffee cup and a toddler’s sippy cup sat on the coffee table. At the far side of the room, toys were scattered about the floor, but it was the diaper bag that confirmed his theory of abduction. He nodded toward it and said, “What kind of single father leaves the diaper bag behind?”
    Graham growled low. “One that was either running from something or taken.”
    “Exactly.” Blaine paused to study Graham, who ran a hand through his short blond hair and peered around the room as if unsure where to start. “You want to start in the bedrooms, and I’ll look out here?”
    Graham glanced at him then nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.” He turned and walked down the hall.
    Blaine tore his eyes from the male’s back and searched the living room for other oddities. He needed to focus on the job and not the male that confused the shit out him. He should be furious with Graham for boldly touching Cameron, but he wasn’t. Instead, he was intrigued and a little amused at the nip on his lip. That told Blaine Cam was taken off guard and had bitten the male. Chucking softly, Blaine wondered if she’d threatened to hurt him at the uninvited kiss.
    He’d also felt the tension between the two last night at Russell’s Bar and again this morning at Nevan and Dani’s. He wasn’t the Marshal of Ashwood because of a birthright. He saw things others didn’t. Like the now healed cut on Graham’s lip. And his scent had been too heavy on Cam’s skin yesterday to have been transferred from his son.
    The kicker was Blaine really did like the male’s scent mixed with Cam’s. For the first time in almost a century, he was considering taking a male partner. Graham smelled right, as though he was meant to be with him and Cam.
    There was only one way to find out. He was damn sure going to get this out in the open and straight out ask Graham his intentions.’’
     
    ***
     
    Graham grew more frustrated with each passing moment. He’d searched every room in the damn house with no results. Although it was an assumption that Isaac would have left something behind to give Graham a clue as to what had happened.
    The smell of food drifted into the bedroom, making his stomach rumble. Giving up on his search, he made his way to the living room and smiled. Blaine pulled out small takeout boxes from a bag and set them on the kitchen bar.
    The male looked at him and nodded. “I thought you might be hungry. I didn’t know what you like so I just got fried rice, noodles, vegetables, chicken, and beef.”
    Graham raised a brow and sat on one of the bar stools. “I’m not picky.”
    They fell silent as Graham fixed his plate. He could feel Blaine’s gaze boring into him, and it was all he could do not to stare back or lash out at him in irritation. His nerves were shot to hell, and being in this house with its haunting memories only put Graham more on edge.
    “You kissed Cam.”
    Graham stilled, his hand holding the fork inches from his mouth, and he met Blaine’s hard gaze. He set the fork down on the plate, letting the metal hit the ceramic with a clink . “She told you?”
    Blaine’s lips twitched. “No, you just did.”
    Graham shook his head. “You knew last night, or you wouldn’t have marked