Under the Bayou Moon Read Free Page B

manages the day-to-day operations, I think it’s best to discuss things while you’re here…i-in case she h-has questions.”
    Jacques continued to stare at the man without reacting. He always found silence did more to unnerve a person than any amount of brute force, and he wanted him nervous. The more nervous Michael was, the more information he’d be able to obtain.
    The elevator pinged and Jacques froze. Without warning, his skin began to itch the way it did before he shifted. The urge to shift had steadily decreased the farther he’d gotten from the bayou. Their pod’s priestess had warned him this would happen. It was dangerous for a gator shifter to stay away from the bayou for long periods. Eventually, the desire to shift could become so suppressed, a gator shifter could lose the ability altogether. The only exception was for gator shifters who’d never shifted before.
    Jacques had been away from the bayou for two weeks, and in that time he hadn’t wanted to shift even once. It was as if his beast had been slumbering. Yet at that very moment, he was nearly on the verge of a full shift. Jacques tried to keep a measure of control but knew his urge to shift could only mean one thing. His mate was nearby and in just a few minutes would finally be in the same room with him. He’d nearly waited his entire life to meet her. Her disappearance had become somewhat legend in the bayou.
    “H-here she is now,” Michael said, stuttering and hopping up from his chair like a scared rabbit before striding toward the office doors.
    The doors opened and Michael stood in front of the occupant. Jacques was already on his feet, arms held loosely by his sides.
    “I have some business to discuss with you, so please be nice, Angel.”
    His sensitive hearing picked up Michael’s whisper before he ushered his sister into the room. The moment Jacques saw her, he could feel his skin grow cool and rough. He didn’t need to glance down to know dark-green leathery patches were spreading down his arm and peeking out from the cuff of his shirt, ready to creep up the back of his hand. He balled his hand into a fist and tried to get control of his beast before it was too late. He could feel the texture change on his shoulders, back, and chest. It was her. Without a doubt, he was face-to-face with his mate, and she was beautiful.
    “Angel, this is Jacques Bertrand.”
    Angel. Yes, indeed she was an angel. Her skin was the color of the golden sunset on the bayou. Wide, cat-like eyes with perfectly arched eyebrows looked up at his six-feet-two-inch height with curiosity and caution. He was a big man and was used to uneasy stares. As she drew closer, he noticed her solid curves and the clean smell of a lush rain forest. What a contradiction since Las Vegas was in the middle of a desert. He liked it.
    “H-hello.” She nodded at him before looking at Michael.
    “Angel, have a seat,” Michael encouraged, motioning to the chair next to Jacques.
    “Angel is my adopted sister,” Michael nervously explained, trying to give an explanation for the differences in skin tone.
    Angel sat down, looking at them impassively. He couldn’t read her emotions, which threw Jacques off. He should have been able to read her thoughts. If they were mates, their consciousness should have formed an instinctual bond. He looked at the base of her neck and saw the flutter of her pulse there. She was not immune to him after all.
    “Angel, I’ve decided to sell the business.”
    “What?”
    That got her attention. She sputtered, struggling for words.
    “Yes, I’ve sold my share of the Tiki to the Bertrand family.”
    “Wait, I’m sorry. Come again? What do you mean sold? The Tiki was not up for sale, Michael.”
    “Well, my half was. I grew up in a casino and I’m tired of it.”
    “You didn’t even offer to sell it to me!”
    “Listen, I called you in here to introduce you to your new business partner. You never wanted me in the business anyway. So now