The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf Read Free

knew he was
    being a hypocrite. Everything he had done, the secrets he had kept,
    they were all actions that his parents, and especially his dad, would
    hate and be hurt by. Reed only maintained the hope that, as mates,

    The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf
    15
    they would understand the bond, even if the unlikely circumstances
    made this connection problematic.
    “Reed? Reed? I asked you a question.”
    “Huh?” Reed realized he’d completely zoned out. “Sorry, what
    did you say?”
    Melanie rolled her eyes. “I asked you what was up with you.
    You’ve been pretty upset and distracted lately. Are you still worried
    about Liam?”
    Reed’s father, Liam, had also been among those injured by the
    warlock’s plan. Reed would have liked to say that concern for his
    parents was the only cause of his recent attitude, but that would be a
    lie. And God, he was so very sick of lies.
    “Yes and no,” he answered. “Let’s just leave it at that. I don’t
    want to talk about it.” Deciding to change the subject, he said, “Come
    on. I’ll take you back home. You need to have a serious conversation
    with your parents and your brothers. Running to me won’t help.”
    “Okay, okay,” Melanie agreed with obvious reluctance. “But
    don’t be such a stranger. Here you are, staying with the pack, and you
    hardly visit the Alpha mansion anymore.”
    There was a good reason why he did that. Truth be told, he should
    probably be returning to the United Paranormal Academy, but how
    could he, with everything that had happened? Recent events had made
    him realize just how short life was. He couldn’t go along with a
    normal existence, not when his destined lover was waiting, so close
    and yet so far away.
    But today, Reed vowed he would not allow this situation to
    continue. Whether his mate wanted to or not, the man had to accept
    the truth, as did everyone else. Reed was Anson Wright’s other half,
    and no amount of running or hiding would change that.

    * * * *

    “Hey, Sonny, have you seen Mel?”

    16
    Scarlet Hyacinth
    Anson looked up from the report he was studying and mentally
    sighed upon seeing Jace and Derek. His Alpha’s pups were a handful
    on the best days, but lately, even more than usual. All of a sudden,
    Melanie had decided she wanted to follow in Carlie’s footsteps, and
    the best way to achieve what her mother hadn’t been able to was to
    become Isaac’s mate. But their supposed bond would have been a
    mockery of everything shifters held dear. For crying out loud, they
    were blood, and they would have never seen each other in a different
    way.
    It was absurd to say the least, a disaster waiting to happen, and
    Anson resented his elder for manipulating Melanie into this. He knew
    better than to believe the young she-wolf could have come up with
    this idea herself. Not to mention that he had known Carlie. She’d been
    his friend, and he thought it was disrespectful to use her memory to
    push Melanie into something she wasn’t suited to.
    Of course, Jace and Derek knew that as well, and while they had
    seemed angry with their twin sister, they were also obviously
    concerned. “I saw her leave earlier,” he replied. “She said she’d just
    be dropping by Liam’s and she’ll come back.”
    There was only one person she could go see there, the same one
    who was on Anson’s mind all day. It was quite amazing, really. He
    well remembered a time when he’d been just as carefree as Soren’s
    kids. Even after becoming a beta for Soren, he hadn’t changed in that
    regard, preserving his sometimes teasing and flirtatious nature. But
    his life had made a dramatic turn with the emergence of an
    unexpected and heartbreaking factor.
    Shaking himself, Anson focused on the two younger wolves in
    front of him. They looked so much like their Alpha father that Anson
    couldn’t get over it sometimes. While they were twins, they weren’t
    identical, but it was their personalities that made them truly unique.
    Jace