Love Beyond Loyalty by Rebecca Royce Read Free Book Online

appreciate that at the moment. For him, finding out he was an Outsider wasn't such a big deal. He'd always been weird. He could fly; he could move people or objects through space. Alexa had been different too, so he'd never been alone in his oddness. Finding out there was a whole slew of people who were the same was not such a big leap.
    Of course, the idea that he had a prophesied destiny was a little bit hard to take, since he'd practically taken care of himself since birth. But for Loraine this had to be hell. Apparently the fact that she could speak to animals hadn't been enough to tell her that she was significantly different from regular humans.
    "It's going to be okay, Loraine. There are benefits." At least he hoped he was a benefit and not a downer. However, maybe Loraine would think a man who was basically a low-life like him was more of a problem than a plus. God, could that happen? Could they be saddled with each other if she thought he was a stupid, ignorant criminal?
    "What are they?"
    He cleared his throat. He really needed to get something to drink. "The eighteen children were born as pairs. Nine groups of soul mates."
    "There's someone out there who is my soul mate?"
    Gabriel pinched his forehead; a migraine had taken hold between his temples. "There is someone out there, yes." He should just tell her? Shouldn't he? But it sort of irked him that she didn't know immediately that it was he. It might have taken him an hour but he'd figured out who she was. Shouldn't it be one of those organic things that happened? Hadn't Charma and Jason just known? But then they'd shared dreams at night when they'd slept. As far as he could tell, he never dreamed let alone communicated with Loraine in them.
    Silently, Loraine pulled the car back onto the road. He knew he should say something but silence was just easier.
    The GPS signaled they'd arrived at their destination, which brought Gabriel out of his musings. Loraine parked the car, still thinking whatever thoughts consumed her.
    Before he did anything he had to figure out what to do about Alexa. Sebastian had her so deeply indoctrinated in a belief system where Gabriel—not Sebastian—was the evil one that he wasn't sure he would ever get her back. He'd never told the other Outsiders about her. Everyone, especially Kal, who had been the one Gabriel and Alexa had helped Sebastian capture before Gabe had seen the error of his ways, knew there was a woman out there working with Sebastian, but Gabriel had refused to discuss her.
    Maybe he would turn out to be wrong but it seemed to him that the last thing Alexa needed was the whole Outsider crew showing up to try to convert her. That might make her disappear all together.
    Loraine looked out her window. Her head was turned so all Gabriel could see was the way her long red hair fell against the side of her face. He reached up to touch it just as she looked at him and he ended up banging her in the nose. She yelped, and Futon barked.
    "Sorry." He quickly withdrew his hand before looking at Futon. "It was an accident. I didn't mean to hit her."
    Ah, hell, now he was talking to the dog.
    "He didn't think you did." Loraine laughed and rubbed her nose. "He's more concerned about this place. Something doesn't feel right to him."
    Gabe nodded. "I bet it doesn't. It's a homeless shelter founded by Sebastian, also known as the demon who Futon's been talking about."
    "The demon?" Loraine swung her head around to look out the driver-side window again. "He's here?"
    "I doubt he's here right now. He does, however, use it as his own personal hunting ground. Someone goes missing and no one notices."
    "And your Alexa works here?"
    That was kind of a strange way to put it. 'His' Alexa? "Ah… yes, she does." Gabriel pushed open his door, making sure he was still wrapped in the blanket. The good news was that since this was a shelter he'd be able to clothe himself. The bad news was he was going to have to explain to Alexa what happened, and