A Prideless Man by Amber Kell Read Free Book Online Page A

they create. They can’t just keep dropping their half-were kids onto society without providing for them. They are the ultimate deadbeat parents. I develop a serum to help half-shifters not shift until they are ready. In your case I A PRIDELESS MAN
    Amber Kell
    37
    thought you’d never be ready which is why I’ve always given you medication. Your memory lapses are from when I tweaked your medication and you partially shifted. Your mother made you and then abandoned you when you weren’t perfect.” The bitterness in his father’s voice made a lot of things clear.
    “That’s why you hate shifters?”
    His father nodded. “I want them to take responsibility for their actions. People Against Werekin was established to make the werekin aware of their issues. Werekin like to pretend finding a mate and settling down can solve everything, but when problems arise they dump their kids and move on. You can’t do that to children.”
    “Well, if you are trying to alert them to issues, someone in your group is taking it further. The pride is talking about an agency called PAW that is trapping and killing shifters.
    Could you come back to the lion pride with me? I want you to talk to some people.”
    “We’ll have to wait for Melinda to come back. She’s got my car.”
    “No, we don’t.” James dialled the sheriff’s number. “Hey, handsome, can Dad and I get a ride?”
    “Where are you going?” Lou asked.
    “To the pride house. I think we need to sit down and talk with the lions.”
    “I’ll be there in a few.”
    When he hung up he found his father staring at him. “What?”
    “Is that the guy from the restaurant?”
    “Yeah, he’s the town sheriff.”
    “Is he your boyfriend?”
    “Not yet. He says he’s my mate.”
    His father paled. “That’s what your mother always said about me.”
    “Then why did she leave? The lions keep telling me you never leave your mate.”
    “I always thought it was because she didn’t want us anymore.” James squeezed his father’s shoulder. “Maybe we should do a little investigation of our own.”
    “Yeah, maybe we should. I don’t know how I feel about you having a shifter as a mate but I’ll try to get to know him.”
    A PRIDELESS MAN
    Amber Kell
    38
    “Thanks. You might want to talk to Kevin, one of the pride lions. He’s established a bunch of houses to take in homeless shifter kids. Maybe the two of you can work on something together.”
    He got the first genuine smile he’d seen on his father’s face in a long while. “I’d like to talk to him.”
    * * * *
    Lou didn’t know what to expect when he drove back to the motel, his heart jumping around in his chest like a landed salmon. Slamming the truck into park he leapt out and ran up the outside staircase. He stopped in front of the motel room door taking a moment to collect himself. Before he could knock, the door swung open.
    Coming face to face with his mate had his heart fluttering again. If he didn’t claim this beautiful man soon he was going to have a heart attack.
    “Hi.” He knew he sounded lame but every other thought vanished from his mind when those gold-ringed brown eyes met his.
    “Hi.” James’ smile was brilliant. Lou frantically scanned the other man for signs of injury.
    “You okay?”
    “Of course he’s fine. What did you think I was going to do to him?” James’ father glared at him over his mate’s shoulder.
    Lou shrugged. “Something I’d have to kill you for.” Andrew gave a rusty laugh, like a man who was out of the habit. “As you can see, he’s fine, but we’d like to go talk to the lions. James told me some disturbing things about my organisation. It was never founded to capture and torture shifters. I want to hear what the lions have to say.”
    A PRIDELESS MAN
    Amber Kell
    39

Chapter Four
    “So you’re telling me you aren’t responsible for my sister’s kidnapping?” Dennis asked.
    Lou, James, his father and most of the lion pride stood in their