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

Xander supposed it was the natural progression of things, but he didn’t like it. Nothing in his life was more important than Braxton. He’d made a lot of promises since they’d met. Some he’d upheld and some had vanished by the wayside. It was a damn shame that it had taken a bullet to the shoulder and Braxton’s car wreck to remind him of how very lucky he was.

He’d grown complacent and taken for granted the gift fate had given him. It was time for one more promise, and one he’d keep until he took his last breath. For as long as he lived, never would he let a single day go by without telling Braxton how much he was cherished. Never would he let the sun set without showing his mate how very much he was loved. The flames that had consumed him in the beginning wouldn’t diminish but burn hotter and brighter.

When they were old and gray and could do no more than hold hands in their rocking chairs on the front porch, the desire and devotion would still be as strong as ever. It was emotional and mushy and something he’d probably never say out loud, but he made himself the promise nonetheless.

To Braxton, however, his thoughts were condensed into four simple words. “I love you, chulo.”

Though Braxton couldn’t hear his thoughts, he could sense the feelings swirling through Xander. It was the gift or curse of their bond, depending on the situation. Perhaps he’d felt those heartfelt emotions, because when he lifted his head, his eyes were wet with unshed tears. Proving why they were so perfect for each other, he didn’t question what he was feeling from Xander, though.

He simply smiled, brushed their lips together, and sighed. “I love you back, Alexander.”

Chapter Ten

“Did Destin check out the girls, too?”

The three shifters living next door were chip-free and fully recovered. However, Xander hadn’t mentioned anything about the two chicks who were staying in the female dorms or the demon currently residing in the main house. Braxton didn’t want to sound paranoid, but he saw nothing wrong with being cautious and covering their asses.

“Chill, Brax. Everything is under control. The girls had the chips removed with Jacobi and the others, and the demon guy will have his removed tomorrow.”

“What? Why tomorrow?” Every day they waited could have horrible consequences for the young man. “What’s his name anyway?”

Xander shrugged as he pulled on a pair of old, ratty sweatpants and swept his long hair out of his face. “I don’t know his name, but Destin said there were complications.”

“What complications?”

“I can’t tell you that, either. Everything is fine, the microchip will be removed tomorrow, and there’s nothing for you to worry about, baby. Stop stressing so much. It’s going to give you wrinkles.” Glancing over his shoulder toward the window, Xander nodded as though confirming something to himself and started for the door. “The sun will be setting soon. I need to get next door and gather up my menagerie of morphing misfits.”

Braxton bit the inside of his cheek, but it did him little good as laughter still bubbled up through his lips. “Nice word usage. I particularly enjoyed the alliteration.”

Xander tossed a wink in his direction. “Yeah, I thought you’d like that.” He reached for the door knob and jerked his head. “You coming?”

Though he couldn’t run with them in the woods, it was kind of tradition for him and Keeton to see the pack off on their monthly hunts. “Yeah, I’m right behind you.” Maybe they’d have company for the night. “Are Cicero and Oscar going?” The last two full moons, both men had chosen to stay behind because of their smaller shifted size. Having a tiny white hedgehog running around the living room was actually kind of fun.

“Ro is staying, but I think Oscar is going to run with Demitrius.”

“I thought Demitrius couldn’t shift.” Destin was working on a cure of sorts, but so far, there hadn’t been any development.

“He can’t. They’re going to stick close to the house, but Oscar wants to run tonight.”

“Oh. Okay.” The ladybug shifter wasn’t nearly as much fun, but Cicero was still kind of cute. Mostly, Braxton just felt sorry for him. There were often times he wished he could shift and run with the pack, but he didn’t think he’d much care to be a bug. There was just too much danger of getting squished.

“Raven is going to hang out here tonight so that the new Enforcers can run as well,” Xander reminded him when they reached the other cabin. “They don’t have to shift, of course, but it will be uncomfortable for them if they don’t.”

“I got it.” It was the third time Xander had explained it, and he seemed nervous about leaving Braxton alone with the vampire. “Do you have something against Raven?”

“No,” Xander practically growled. “He’s a nice enough guy, and I trust him to do his job if something happens.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“He better keep his fucking hands to himself, or I’ll rip his innards out and wear them as a belt.”

Ah, now he understood the problem. Jacobi and Zuriel might be flirtatious, but Raven had a reputation for being the coven playboy. How much of the reputation was actually warranted, Braxton didn’t know, but he’d heard rumors that would scald a prostitute’s ears. “I think Raven just likes to get under people’s skin. I seriously doubt he’d actually try anything.”

“For his own good, you better be right.”

Braxton didn’t know the Enforcer that well, but he did know a thing or two about rumors. That was why he chose not to listen to gossip that traveled through the grapevine but form his own educated opinions. Raven might talk a big game, and people certainly loved to talk about him, but Braxton hadn’t yet witnessed anything that gave him reason to believe some of the outlandish