Matt: Tales of the Were (Redstone Clan Book 5) by Bianca D'Arc Read Free Book Online

and dearest friends. I’m sure she’d come help us if she can get away.”
    Lissa walked over to Morgan and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek in greeting. Then, she went to Matt, who had stood, and hugged him, too, which surprised Morgan. Atticus didn’t let just anyone get close to Lissa. It was yet another indicator of the depth of Atticus’s friendship with Matt.
    When she stepped away, she headed for the sideboard that was laden with glasses. Morgan knew a wine cooler was located inside the antique cabinet, stocked with all of Atticus’s favorite vintages.
    “Can I offer you wine? Or other refreshments?” Lissa asked graciously.
    Morgan accepted, needing a bit of fortification. Alcohol didn’t affect shifters as strongly as humans, but a little wine might just help soothe her frazzled nerves. As Lissa handed Morgan a glass, they all heard a car coming down the drive. The motor had a deep-throated hum that spoke of an expensive, high-performance engine.
    “Ah…” Atticus stood, heading for the doorway. “That’s probably Marc and Kelly. Sebastian and Christy are on their way, as well.”
    That was news to Morgan. Seemed the Brotherhood was having a party.
    “Marc, of course, wants to see the plans for the nature preserve, since it means more mortals in the area. But I think he’ll like the way you’ve designed it, Matt. With a few tweaks in the forest, we’ll have complete control over where the mortals roam. And when Sebastian heard you were in town, he wanted to come by and say hello. Hope you don’t mind.”
    “Mind? Not at all,” Matt answered jovially. Seemed the cougar was looking forward to being surrounded by bloodletters—which was not the reaction Morgan had expected, at all. “I’ve been meaning to visit them but have been too busy with this project before now. Once the plans are accepted by the human authority, then we can get down to the regular schedule of construction and there’ll be more time for socializing.”
    Atticus nodded and left the living room to greet his guests. A few moments later, Marc LaTour and his mate, Kelly, arrived. Kelly went straight to Lissa, greeting her with a hug. The two were old friends from college and both had only been recently turned by their vampire mates.
    Matt was respectful of Marc, as was only right when greeting a Master. Marc may not be the oldest vampire in the area, but he was the strongest and best suited to the role of Master. For that matter, Atticus could have been Master, but he didn’t want the job, leaving it for his slightly younger, and very formidable, friend.
    Since Marc had found Kelly, he’d been a different man. Once solemn and, sometimes, cold, Morgan had seen the real personality Marc must’ve had when he was mortal come to the fore. Kelly had brought that out in him. She had brought him happiness—and a reason to carry on. For that alone, Kelly was someone Morgan would lay down her life for. No questions asked.
    Marc may have adopted Morgan, but she had adopted him, as well. He was her family—her father figure, her older brother. And all his friends were her extended family. Uncles, sisters and cousins, so to speak.
    She knew it was odd for a shifter to be so close to a nest of vampires in this day and age, but they had taken her in and cared for her when nobody else had. They’d never asked anything in return. None of them had ever—not even once—asked for a hit of her powerful shifter blood. She knew there were no ulterior motives behind Marc’s adoption of her. He simply had done it out of the goodness of his heart. He was her true friend. As were his extended family of vampires, and now, their mates.
    Kelly and Lissa sat near Morgan, paying only scant attention to Matt and the guys as they went over the plans again. Morgan had come to respect the ladies after initially being wary of them. The addition of mates had changed the dynamic of their little family, and at first, Morgan had feared the change. But it had