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

had a large, extended family that consisted of vampires, demons, pixies, faeries, elves, werewolves, and other beings that had once just been creatures of fairy tales in his mind.

Instead of rush hour traffic and project deadlines, he was helping integrate a variety of shifter species into their pack. He no longer had to pace the floor and worry when Xander was called to a fire. Now, he paced the floor and spent many sleepless nights when his lover was sent out on assignments that were far more dangerous than any burning building.

Business luncheons had been replaced with Council meetings. A simple trip into town for groceries required an Enforcer escort, and the gated community he called home didn’t have a keypad to enter a security code—it was patrolled day and night by a small battalion of armed guards.

“Well, we’ll never be bored, right?”

Keeton blinked at him for a moment, and then threw his head back on his shoulders as his laughter bounced around the living room. “Right, you are.” Rising from the carpet, he began gathering his sketches and jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Let’s move to the bigger table and get to work.”

“What would you think about donating a portion of the sales to the nursery?”

In recent months, the number of abandoned children being brought into Haven had nearly tripled, forcing the coven to construct a kind of orphanage that was close to the main house but tucked back into the trees out of sight. It wasn’t because anyone was ashamed of the little ones, but it was for their own safety in case trouble came knocking at their doorstep.

“Actually, I think that’s a great idea. We basically have everything we need provided by the coven or The Council, and we don’t need the money. Maybe we can even start story time at the nursery and get some feedback from our targeted audience.”

Most people saw the tight clothes, painted nails, and eyeliner. Then they wrote Keeton off as a flamboyant, materialistic gay man, and that was that. If they took the time to actually look beneath the surface, however, they’d be surprised at what they’d find.

Keeton Taylor had a heart as big as Texas and an almost crippling need for approval that he masked with an over-the-top personality. He was also smart as hell, an extremely talented artist, and one of the most amazing people Braxton had ever had the good fortune to meet.

“I probably don’t say this enough, but I really do love you, Keeton. I’m honored to call you my friend.”

“You are horribly mushy tonight.” There was a suspicious glimmer in his eyes, however, and when he turned his head, Braxton thought he might have heard a quiet sniff. “So, are we going to get to work or not?”

His famous meltdowns notwithstanding, Keeton wasn’t big on emotional displays, especially when they were directed toward him. Humor and sarcasm were his shield and sword, and he wielded them with astounding accuracy. He was so damn afraid of being rejected that he rarely even gave people a chance to get to know him, which was a damn shame. Thankfully, Logan had somehow managed to break through that barrier, and Braxton couldn’t have hand-chosen a better partner for his friend.

“Yeah,” he answered with a fond grin at Keeton’s back, “let’s get to work.”

* * * *

The microchips were removed, and the newest pack members were resting in their beds. He’d had his meeting with Stavion to discuss his return to patrol duty and possible resolutions to their fight with the goblins. Unfortunately, the coven leader didn’t know any more about their enemy than Xander did, and his answer had been to wait it out and hope the goblins grew tired of their pursuit.

According to Spiro, however, this battle was only getting started, and their enemies wouldn’t stop until they were dealt with by force or achieved their goal. The goblins’ goal was to put Braxton and Keeton in body bags, and since that wasn’t fucking happening, they were left with only the first option. While Haven had grown into a sizable coven, most of the residents weren’t in any condition to fight, nor should they be asked to take part in something that had nothing to do with them.

The Cloud Peak Pack and the Snake River Coven had both become powerful allies with a greater number of Enforcers. It would require a lot of manpower to overtake an entire city, however, and neither had the numbers to offer them aide and still protect their own people.

Approaching the dorms, Xander’s inner debate was put on hold when a figure stepped out of the shadows near the front steps. He tensed for only a moment before the breeze wafted a familiar scent in his direction, allowing him to relax his defensive posture.

“Spiro.”

“Good evening, Xander.”

“Braxton said you came by earlier.” Climbing the stairs to the wooden porch, he rested one hip against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest. “So, what’s up?”

“Congratulations on the arm.” Spiro inclined his head and gestured toward Xander’s right arm. “So, I guess you found a way to heal it.”

“Yeah, and that’s partly because of you, so thanks. I owe you one for getting me to pull my head out of my ass.” He hoped the guy got to the point soon, though. Spiro didn’t exactly look upset, but his expression did lack some of its usual confidence, much like Braxton had described. “You didn’t come here to talk about my arm, though.”

“I would like to run with the pack tomorrow on the full moon.”

“Done.” That was too easy, though. There had to be something more he wanted to come looking for him so late at night.

“I realize there isn’t much space right now, but I’ve decided to stay and make Haven my home. It’s been a long time since I’ve been part of a pack or met an alpha I respected enough to follow.” Spiro linked his hands behind his back and dipped his