The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf Read Free Page B

way.”
    It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Reed wanted them to
    speak in private. Anson led the swan away from the three young
    wolves and into the office. Thankfully, Soren was out running with
    Daniel and most likely wouldn’t be back for a few hours.

    The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf
    19
    As soon as he closed the door, Reed was on him, literally. He
    pounced on Anson, wrapping his slender arms around Anson’s neck.
    He crushed their lips together in a kiss that stole Anson’s breath and
    threatened to scatter his thoughts. Unable to deny Reed, he thrust his
    tongue in the other man’s mouth, tasting, claiming, devouring his
    mate, just like he dreamed to every moment of the day.
    When they broke apart to breathe, reason started to return. “We
    can’t do this, baby,” Anson said, even as he peppered kissed over
    Reed’s face. “You know that as well as I do.”
    “Of course we can,” Reed shot back. “We’re doing it now, aren’t
    we?”
    Anson lifted Reed in his arms, and Reed wrapped his long legs
    around Anson’s waist. As if of their own accord, Anson’s hands went
    to Reed’s ass, kneading those tempting cheeks. His cock throbbed,
    hard and aching. In that moment, there was nothing Anson wanted
    more than to tear Reed’s clothes off and bury his prick inside Reed’s
    tight little ass.
    But he knew better than to surrender to these urges. Leashing his
    wolf, Anson released Reed, placing him down on a couch. Reed
    refused to let him go, pulling Anson on top of him instead. “Reed,
    please,” Anson begged. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
    “You’re the one making the situation unnecessarily horrible.” His
    determined expression turned sad. “Do you really not want me to be
    your mate?”
    That was the problem. Anson wanted that with a desperation he
    couldn’t even begin to explain. But no one would understand,
    especially not Reed’s parents and friends.
    “You know that’s not it,” he replied. “I’m too old for you. For
    crying out loud, I could be your dad.”
    Reed rolled his eyes. “But you’re not. Besides, age is irrelevant
    for shifters.”
    “Uh-huh. And what about my history with your father? Is that
    irrelevant, too?”

    20
    Scarlet Hyacinth
    A vein twitched in Reed’s forehead. Anson hated upsetting his
    mate, but the swan had to acknowledge the extent of the factors
    separating them.
    Once upon a time, during his youth, Anson and Liam had been
    lovers. In a way, Liam had been Anson’s first love, and he had been
    shocked when Liam had taken Shiloh as his mate. He’d probably
    reacted poorly during those first days, as even now, Shiloh hated his
    guts. The older swan was very jealous and possessive of Liam, not
    that Anson could blame him.
    It made for a tense pack dynamic to say the least, and while
    Anson had managed to safely tread through the minefield of his social
    life for a decade or so, that had all changed once Liam and Shiloh’s
    adoptive son had grown up into a very handsome young man.
    The truth of the matter was that Anson had always felt close to
    Reed, ever since Reed was only a cygnet. At the time, he hadn’t
    acknowledged the reason, but once Reed had grown up, sexual
    attraction had set in. By now, Anson had five years of controlling his
    body, leashing his wolf, and barely managing to keep himself from
    claiming Reed.
    “So what do you suggest, then?” Reed asked defiantly. “Are you
    going to hide behind your past to avoid claiming me? Are you never
    going to take me as your mate because you’re afraid of what my
    father will think?”
    Anson dropped on the couch next to Reed. “I know I’m being
    unreasonable, but I’m worried about you, baby. They love you so
    much, and you love them. And you know as well as I do that Shiloh
    hates me with a passion. What will they think if we go through with
    this?”
    “I don’t care, Anson,” Reed replied. “Do you know how many
    people would have missed out on their