Two Mates for a Magistrate Read Free Page A

of grief and guilt when he realized she’d hung on for so long, withstanding the pain of the separation from her husband, just so that she could be by Dietrich’s side.
    Lost in his thoughts, Dietrich wandered on the streets aimlessly.
    Each corner reminded him of something, a distant memory from his past here. A shiver went through him when he recalled their desperate dash through the little town and their swim through the river and to safety. The images were so vivid, even after all this time. It had been the beginning of their new life, a life spent on the run, hiding from shadows, moving to a new place every year or so, whenever Aarika deemed it necessary. By the end, Dietrich thought paranoia had driven her. He’d never once seen, in all his years of existence, the creatures who had slain his father. He’d intended to find them and take revenge, but all his searching had been in vain. Perhaps they’d have come to him, if only he opened himself to the beast within. But now more than ever, Dietrich feared what would happen if he did so. The restlessness of his wolf increased with each passing day, and it was only the magic he’d learned from his mother that allowed him to keep it leashed.
    Dietrich shook himself, pushing back the glum thoughts. He should never have come here. It just made things worse instead of 18
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    fixing them. Perhaps he should return to Tibet. The monks there had helped him before, when he’d been lost and desperate.
    Just as he considered this new course of action, Dietrich felt something, an odd attraction reach out. It called out to the instincts of the beast, fighting the veil of magic that held them back. Any other time, Dietrich might have been able to control it, but now, he couldn’t have done it to save his life.
    He kept on walking, until he reached a sort of construction site. It seemed like the workers erected a new hospital of sorts, although only the skeleton had been put up so far. Dietrich scanned the area for anything that might have triggered this instinct. His eyes fell on a masculine silhouette, high up on the beams. With his keen eyesight, Dietrich could take in all the exquisite features even from this distance. Sweat shone on a strong, naked, masculine torso, muscles flexing as the man worked on securing the building. The human’s close-cropped blond hair spoke of a distinctive Arian heritage.
    Dietrich inherited a mixed look, since his father had been French, but not so with this man. Alas, the sun prevented Dietrich from seeing his face.
    A shout sounded above him, and Dietrich had the time to jump back before a heavy beam hit the spot where he’d just been. Still, the sudden motion made him lose his balance, an odd thing given that he’d never been caught off guard in his life. Alarmed yells filled the entire area, with every human rushing to check on him. Their distress was entirely justifiable, given the size of the thing that had fallen from above. Even someone like him would have been severely injured, not to mention a frail human.
    A heavy hand helped him up, and Dietrich looked up to see the man from before. The bluest eyes in existence scanned him with concern. “Are you all right?” the man asked in German.
    “Fine, thank you,” Dietrich replied. His voice sounded weird to his own ears. He hadn’t spoken his native tongue in many years now.

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    The man didn’t look convinced. Dietrich gripped his hand, and the moment their skin made contact, electricity sizzled over his skin. He started, almost breaking free of the human’s hold, but the stranger held on. Dietrich caught a flash of arousal in the other man’s eyes, and his senses were invaded with the distinctive scent of desire. It would seem their attraction went both ways.
    “Are you sure?” he asked Dietrich. “You seem a bit dazed.”
    Dietrich wanted to laugh. Of course he was dazed, but not because of any fallen beam. The man’s presence felt