Feral Bachelorism by Lacey Savage Read Free Book Online Page B

infuriating him further. “Don’t be ridiculous. We were together long ago. As you’re so fond of pointing out, too long ago. So why does it even matter?”
    Brad swept his hand through his hair, his frustration stiffening his muscles until his shoulders ached. “It doesn’t,” he said through clenched teeth.
    “It is good to see you,” she said, her gaze softening for an instant. Her dark eyes held him captive, spellbound. He remembered the way he used to tease her about having chocolate eyes, about every darkly tanned inch of her being good enough to eat.
    “Did J.C. know you were coming?” Brad asked, closing his eyes for a moment to keep the memories at bay.
    “No. He doesn’t know I’m here at all. And by the time you tell him, I’ll be long gone.”
    Brad frowned. “So the elders didn’t know either? No one knew?”
    Ali scowled. “Victor found out. It seems he takes his new security duties very seriously.”
    “That doesn’t make sense. I know Victor. He wouldn’t allow any outsider to witness J.C.’s mating ceremony tonight. Not even someone who used to belong to the pack. Not after the Kölen attack.”
    If Ali was surprised at the mention of open aggression between J.C. and Daniel, she didn’t show it. The Kölens and the Zanteans had been fighting for decades. Over the past few years, their strife had turned into a cold war, with neither side taking the offensive toward the other.
    That is, until two weeks ago when Daniel Kraus had tried to inject J.C. with a serum he believed would ensure no Zante union would ever again result in a male pup being born. Effectively, Daniel had planned to wipe out the entire pack with one syringe. He just hadn’t counted on Eve Benning standing in his way.
    Brad narrowed his eyes. Ali’s gaze matched his in its intensity, almost daring him to accuse her of being in league with the enemy.
    “So, tell me, then,” Brad said, “why would Victor do this for you?”
    For a heartbeat, silence spun out around them. Then Ali extended her arms languidly over her head, drawing Brad’s attention to her luscious breasts. She parted her legs as she stretched. Moonlight glinted off the supple leather boots and the beads of moisture gathered in the silken patch of dark hair at the apex of her thighs.
    “Because,” she said slowly. “I think he used to be in love with me.”
    Brad growled low under his breath, the anger and accusations draining out of him in an instant. Incessant, pounding lust sent another jolt of awareness to his cock.
    “Damn it, Ali! He wasn’t the only one.”
    * * *
    The world tilted precariously on its axis as Brad’s words reached Sean’s ears. Clenching his teeth, Sean dug his fingernails into the jagged bark of a white pine tree. He’d been such a fool. One night with the guy, and he was ready to believe in happy-ever-after.
    He knew better than to believe in June-moon fairy tales of true love and soul mates. Twice in his life, he’d been ready to propose to a woman. He’d even bought the ring, fully prepared to commit to spending the rest of his life with her, forsaking all others. And then, inevitably, she left him. They both did.
    For a brief moment after he hung up the phone tonight, he’d felt that same euphoria he’d experienced when pocketing the black velvet box holding the engagement ring. A feeling of finding his place in the word, of belonging .
    To Brad.
    Stupid, stupid, stupid .
    Absolutely insane. Despite what Hollywood wanted people to believe, that kind of love didn’t exist. He’d had that harsh reality proven to him again and again. Every time he let his guard down and began to think he might actually spend the rest of his life in his lover’s arms, something always happened to quickly relieve him of that notion.
    Splinters dug into his palms and he pulled his hands away, shaking his head. It was obvious from the look on Brad’s face he wasn’t kidding when he told the woman he loved her. Sean could see it in