To Have A Human by Amber Kell Read Free Book Online

of him.” Whatever faults Broden had, he was a good alpha.
    “It was. I hear you have a concert tonight.” Lucan scuffed the floor with his shoe. “Is it okay if I come along?”
    “Sure, the more the merrier.” Carey sighed. “I’m not making much progress with this right now. I’m going to run a few programs, then leave it for tomorrow. We’ll be at Feathers on Capitol Hill. It starts at ten, come early if you want a seat.”
    “Cool. I always wanted to go there,” Lucan exclaimed. “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome.” He smiled as Lucan all but bounced out of Carey’s office.
    Lucan was a cute kitty. He’d be a good hacker if he could stand being seated for more than a few seconds at a time. Maybe he should ask Broden to look into one of those standing desks for Lucan — that way he could fidget and still get work done.
    Pulling on his jacket, Carey headed out the door.
     
     

 
     
     
    Chapter Four
     
     
    The club pulsed with life and dancing as pre-recorded music pounded from the speakers positioned all around the building. Carey spied his band mates on the small stage, setting up gear. Sometimes it struck him odd that he was the only human in a band of shifters, but his father called him a shifter magnet for good reason. If there were sick or injured shifters within a hundred mile radius, they always found Carey.
    “Hey, guys.” He waved to his friends as he approached.
    “Hey, rock star,” Eaton called out.
    Carey laughed. If either of them looked like a rock star, it was Eaton. The man’s gold hair and perpetual tan gleamed under the stage lights.
    Catching sight of the familiar bag in Carey’s hand, Eaton’s smile went nuclear. “You are the best, dude.” He grabbed the sack Carey held out and opened it eagerly.
    “I figured you wouldn’t have time to eat.” He didn’t mention he doubted Eaton had the money. His eagle shifter friend sent all his extra funds to his parents to help raise his five brothers and sisters in Guatemala. His family didn’t have a lot of money and Eaton worked two jobs besides playing with the band. Despite everything, Eaton’s sunny nature always shone through his exhaustion and he’d never let the band down.
    “The double cheeseburgers are on top.”
    Eaton grabbed two from the top and handed them to Harris.
    “Thanks, Carey, I freaking love their salmon patties.” The sandwiches looked almost dainty in Harris’s large hands. A nicer guy hadn’t been born despite the hardships life had dealt him. If Carey hadn’t found Harris crammed into a small cage in a sicko’s backyard, the bear shifter might not be alive today. By mutual consent, they never discussed Harris’s condition when Carey found him. Some things didn’t need to be talked about between friends.
    “Did you get my steak burger?” Denton stepped forward, his ripped shirt exposing his six-pack abs. The man didn’t have a single ounce of fat on him and as a crocodile shifter, he burned off tons of calories whenever he transformed, leaving his human form lean and muscular.
    “Have I ever forgotten?” Carey asked, mildly insulted.
    Denton’s eyes flashed reptilian for a moment. “Sorry, dude, I didn’t eat lunch,” Denton apologized.
    “You know you can’t skip meals,” Carey scolded. When Denton got super hungry, his croc half took over and bit down on whatever was closest.
    A flush crossed Denton’s cheeks. “Sorry, I was working on a new song.”
    “Ah,” Carey nodded. Denton got lost in the creative process and forgot to eat or drink or do anything except the music.
    Carey got his own chicken sandwich out and sat at the end of the stage next to Eaton. “How’s it going?”
    Eaton scanned the stage. “Pretty good. I think we’ll be ready in ten minutes or so. We should have a nice crowd tonight.”
    Carey followed Eaton’s head nod toward the audience. The tables were filling up quickly.
    “Anyone playing after us?” Carey dared not hope the crowd was there for