The Moonlight Breed 8: Leap in the Dark by Gabrielle Evans (chrysanthemum read aloud .txt) 📕

“You look like mutated broccoli,” another stranger called from the fireplace where he was roasting marshmallows over the flames with a pair of metal tongs. The minute he set eyes on Xander, however, he dropped the utensil with a clang and scrambled to his feet. “I’m sorry, Alpha, I didn’t see you there.”

“None of that. I’m just Xander, and it’s nice to meet you. Nikola, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What did I just say?”

“Sorry, sir. Shit.” His eyes went wide, and he gulped audibly, causing his Adam’s apple to bob. “I mean…what I meant to say…I just, well…oh, crap.” His cheeks tinted pink, he shifted nervously from foot to foot, and the tension in his neck and shoulders was giving Xander a headache.

“Relax, Nikola. We’re all family now, and I don’t stand on formalities. Call me Xander, or asshole, or whatever strikes you as clever. It doesn’t much matter to me.”

“And just where is that incredibly sexy friend of yours?” Jacobi asked with a lascivious purr. “He’s delicious.”

“Uh…”

“Talon,” Braxton whispered up to him.

Xander tried to look stern, but it probably just came off as confused as he felt. “I’d guess he’s with his mate, Jackson.”

A wistful sigh puffed from Jacobi’s plump lips. “That really is too bad.” Then he shrugged, and that on-the-prowl smile came back at full wattage. “Well, I’ll just have to set my sights elsewhere.”

“Me, me, me!” Zuriel jumped up and down and waved his hand in the air. “I’m elsewhere!”

Oh, the gods have mercy on him, because he so wasn’t prepared to deal with this. Zuriel’s flirtatious behavior was practically legend around Haven, and the guy had only been there a few months. As far as Xander knew, he hadn’t actually taken anyone to his bed, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. One of him was bad enough. Two was just trouble looking to happen.

“Ah, now you’re a darlin’, but we’ve talked about this.” Jacobi blew a kiss to Zuriel. “You, my precious little cupcake, are just not my type.”

“Well, at least he has standards,” Xander mumbled.

“Nah.” Braxton’s eyes shone back at him with a spark of humor. “He just likes them big and muscled. There’s a difference.”

“If you say so.” He was rather indifferent to the sexual pursuits of the pack. As long as no one got hurt and everyone was consenting, it just wasn’t any of his business. “Okay,” he said louder, addressing the new guys in the room, “the full moon is tomorrow night. If anyone doesn’t want to shift, there is a drug you can take that will prevent it. I’ll be honest, though, the side effects are nasty.”

“I’d really like to run with another tiger,” Mihail answered immediately.

“Oooh, can I be a tiger, too?” Holding his hands up beside his face like claws, Jacobi wrinkled his nose and actually fucking meowed.

He vaguely remembered Braxton telling him one of the newcomers was a true shape-changer. Since Shenhari favored cats as their animal of choice, the transition should be an easy one for the little troublemaker.

“We never got to shift at the lab,” Nikola added. “I think we’d all really like a chance to spread our legs.” His cheeks flushed again, and Xander could practically feel the heat pouring off his skin. “Uh, I was going to say ‘spread our wings,’ but then I was going to say ‘stretch our legs,’ and it just kind of all blended together.” His shoulders slumped, and he hung his head so that his chin rested on his chest. “Please, just shoot me now.”

“Oh, no, we’ll have none of that.” Jacobi was bent over with laughter as tears of amusement streamed down his pink cheeks. “I think that was a smashing idea!”

“Slut,” Braxton said through a fake sneeze.

Jacobi didn’t miss a beat. “Bless you. You know, sweetheart, you should really get that stick up your ass removed. Apparently, you’re allergic to it.”

“Jacobi, don’t look now, but your bitch is showing,” Mihail said, coming to Braxton’s defense. Braxton, however, just looked like someone had slapped him—with a two-by-four.

“Well, at least she’s polished and shined.” Jacobi huffed on his fingernails and rubbed them across his chest. “It’s okay to be jealous.”

The pack often referred to Braxton and Keeton has the Trouble Twins, but these guys made the pair look tame in comparison. Trouble didn’t even begin to describe them, and Xander saw a lot of headaches in his future. He also saw a lot of laughter and good times to be had with this bigger family. At the end of the day, he supposed that was all that really mattered.

“Aren’t there supposed to be some Enforcers from Cloud Peak here?” He hadn’t seen hide or hair of the men since their supposed arrival.

While they might not be part of his official pack, they were still under his leadership for the duration of their stay. He might not care much about formalities or protocol, but he took the safety of his brothers deathly serious. If someone wasn’t doing their job, he wanted to know about it.

“They’re here,” Demitrius answered from near one of the front windows. “Creed and Rhodes are making a grocery run into town with Cicero. They should be on their way back by now.”

“Everything is working out, though? No problems?”

“They’re cool, man. You know I wouldn’t blow smoke up your ass about something like that.”

He trusted the big shifter’s judgment, but if shit went down, it was on his head, not Demitrius’s. “I don’t doubt you, but I’d still like to meet them when they get back.” He turned back to the others and increased his volume to get their attention. “We’re going to head up to the main house to see Dr. Woods. Did he tell you about the microchips when you first arrived?”

“Yes,” Nikola and Mihail answered together.

“Right, well Destin can better explain about the procedure, but everyone should be feeling well enough to shift tomorrow night. Removing these chips