His to Claim by Alice Cain Read Free Book Online Page B

head slowly. "I don't know," he finally mumbled. "It feels pretty damn perfect, but that
doesn't explain why either of us is attracted to a man the opposite of our
usual type."
    "I don't think I've ever been anyone's
idea of perfect," Alex said with a soft, embarrassed laugh. "Clearly
someone is using magic on you."
    Kyle knew Alex meant it as a joke, but he
couldn't quite set aside his worry over what was behind everything he and Alex
were apparently feeling. "I'm not sure what's causing it, to be
honest."
    Alex looked more than a little unnerved.
"So magic is real as well?"
    "Sorry, no. Well not in a modern
sense." Yeah that cleared things up, not. "I mean, over the ages
magic has just been science people didn't yet understand. Kind
of like giving a cell phone to a caveman. There are things in this world
I can't explain, but I don't think 'magic' is really the right label."
    Alex laughed softly. "So the attraction
between us is chemical? Pheromones? Something
explainable? Something avoidable?"
    "Of course," Kyle said, trying to
make it sound like he believed it too.
     

Chapter Eight
     
    "Stay put. We'll come to you."
    Alex frowned into the phone as he tried to
understand his contact's sudden change in behavior. This morning he'd expressed
concern for Alex's safety and had advised him to lay low for a few days. Now he
was asking Alex for an exact location.
    "Something isn't right," Kyle
whispered into his other ear, quietly enough that it shouldn't have been heard
through the phone line. "Keep him talking."
    "So…um…you've found enough evidence to
put Terry behind bars for a good long while."
    "Of course."
    "So he's under arrest?"
    "Absolutely," his contact said
nervously. "We'll need your testimony to get a conviction, of course. Just
tell me where you are and we'll come get you."
    As benign as that was supposed to sound,
Alex couldn't shake the feeling that it was some kind of warning. He glanced
over to see Kyle on his cell phone talking urgently to the other person on the
line.
    "Wouldn't it be easier if I just…you
know…came home?" Alex asked. "I can meet you at your office."
    "Um…yeah, that'd be g—" He cut off
his words as if someone was advising him what to say and hadn't liked what he'd
said. "Sorry, no. It'd be best if we came and got you. Just give me the
address and we'll be there as soon as possible."
    Kyle ended his call, moved closer, nodded
and mouthed the words "tell him."
    Trusting that Kyle was ready for any
eventuality, Alex gave his contact the name of the hotel and the address.
    "Okay, that's what…six, seven hours
away from here?"
    "Roughly," Alex agreed.
    "Okay, I'll try to be there as fast as
I can. In half the time if I can manage it."
    "I'll be waiting," Alex said
casually, noting what seemed to be a warning. Half the time… He hung up and turned toward Kyle.
    "You know him better than I do. Did he
sound like he was being coerced to you?"
    Alex nodded, grateful to have his suspicions
confirmed.
    "But I doubt it was him they were
threatening directly—maybe his family or someone he really cares for."
    "That was my suspicion too," Kyle
said with a grim smile. "I've called in some help for him."
    "Okay, thank you," Alex said,
relieved that the man wouldn't be left to deal with hyena people on his own.
    "So right now our priority is
you."
    Alex shrugged. He wasn't familiar with being
the one who needed protecting, but a part of him had known it might come to
this if the internal affairs investigation had revealed what they'd expected to
find. He'd made peace with the possibility a long time ago. He'd just never
expected to need protecting from creatures he hadn't ever dreamed might exist.
     
    ~*~
     
    Kyle was more nervous than he'd ever
remembered being.
    Alex had agreed to the plan. He knew he was
being used as bait, and he knew he was being protected by three of the Alateeka
siblings. Gavin and Derek were both here to help Kyle. Hell, Derek was so ready
for a fight he might not even