Behind the Eight Ball by M.A. Church Read Free Book Online Page B

the scent of my mate on him? That was my mate. Mine! And, and… oh my goddess, I wanted to strangle this guy who wore my mate’s scent. It suddenly didn’t matter my mate was human. I didn’t care .
    “Heller? What’s going—”
    Just as he drew even, I reached out and grabbed the other’s wrist, quickly tightening my fingers. Rage rode me hard. “You… you—”
    He stopped and looked down at me, one eyebrow raised. “Excuse me?”
    “He’s mine , damn you.” My voice sounded gravelly and barely human. The thought that someone else might have touched my mate festered like an open wound. Where did that come from?
    His surprise gave way to aggravation. “Are you drunk? Man, you need to let go of me.” When that didn’t work, he leaned down. “Did you hear me?”
    Dolf glanced from me to the stranger and then sniffed discreetly. “Heller, I don’t know why you are challenging another… I don’t know what’s going on, but remember where you are . Let him go,” Dolf demanded. “You’re drawing attention.”
    I hissed softly, the sound of a pissed-off cat echoing around us.
    “Aw, sweet hell.” The other man’s eyes widened at the sound. “You’re—”
    Dolf suddenly stood and grabbed my arm. “Get up! Let’s go. Both of you. This can not happen in here.”
    The stranger glanced at Dolf and then he slowly nodded. “You’re an Alph…. Yeah, outside it is.”
    Dolf practically dragged us through the kitchens. Several interested gazes followed us. At least they were shifters and not human. Speaking of human… my head swam with the knowledge that I didn’t care that my mate was human. No, I was more concerned he might have eased the pain of my walking out with another man. The man on the other side of Dolf. I wanted to scratch his eyes out. The idea he might be with someone else drove daggers through my heart.
    Sam came around the edge of a counter, concern written all over his face as he eyed the bigger man. “Dolf? Is there a problem?”
    “No, no, not really. It’s fine. Or will be shortly.” Dolf hustled us through even as he waved off Sam. “Just some overreactions and being caught unaware, Sam.”
    Sam glanced around the kitchen. “Um, why don’t you use my private patio out back?”
    Dolf paused. “Not your office?”
    Sam waved helplessly at the partially opened door to his office. “I just stepped out to grab a towel since I knocked over my drink, and saw you. You can’t use the office. I, ah, I have a job interview going on in there at the moment.”
    Dolf nodded. “I understand.” Turning, he herded us outside to the patio Sam mentioned.
    Luckily it was somewhat private. As soon as the back door closed, darkness surrounded us, the air nippy. I turned and immediately swung, hitting dude dead square in the jaw. I hoped that fucking hurt. Goddess only knew what he’d done to my mate to be so drenched in his scent. You probably drove him to it with how you acted, whispered through my head.
    I was going to be sick.
    “Fucking hell , Heller!” Dolf threw his arms around me and pulled me back. “Stand down, dammit!”
    “Yesssss,” he hissed, holding his jaw and glaring at Dolf. “Get him under control, or I will.”
    The sudden appearance of blue snake eyes and long fangs slowed me down. “What the fuck are you?”
    “Vetala,” Dolf answered quietly, still holding on to me.
    “What the fuck is that?” I snarled.
    “Your worst nightmare, kitty!” He hissed.
    Seriously?
    “Vetalas are snakelike paranormals. They don’t actually shift into snakes, though,” Dolf said.
    I curled my lip. They didn’t shift? And they called themselves paranormals?
    “They’re a lot like vampires in the sense they drink blood to survive, but unlike vampires, they aren’t dead. They paralyze their prey with a venomous bite and then feed on human blood. And Heller, they have enhanced strength, so he’s as powerful as you,” Dolf added.
    “That son of a bitch is covered in my