Jaded [The Moonlight Breed 9] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Gabrielle Evans (best free novels txt) 📕

It had hurt, sure, but the humiliation and pitying stares had been worse. That was just the beginning of his father’s reign of terror, though. “Once I shifted for the first time, he had this ingenious idea to raise money for the circle. Every full moon, he invited werewolf and shifter packs to hunt me. Each member paid an entrance fee, and the winner won the pot.”

“Jesus Christ,” Zuriel breathed. “How old were you?”

“It started when I was fifteen.” He chuckled darkly. “I was fast, though. Plus, I knew how to hide, and I knew how to fight.” Spiro didn’t know why he was telling his mate all of this, but once he’d opened the flood gates, he couldn’t dam the memories from spilling out.

“I don’t even know what to say. Why didn’t you leave sooner?”

He’d thought about it. There had been many nights when he’d stayed awake, dreaming of disappearing from the island and never returning. “Rissian was just a baby when it started, and then along came the others. As long as Father’s attention was focused on me, he left the younger ones alone.”

Of course, the man had a name. Spiro hadn’t spoken it since the day he’d left, though. To give a name to the monster made him real, and he’d spent a lot of years trying to forget the things he’d suffered at the bastard’s hands. It was bad enough that he’d ever existed, but Spiro refused to immortalize his father by speaking his given name.

Lost in the past, he hadn’t noticed Zuriel making his way across the room until he was standing in front of him. There was no pity in his red-rimmed eyes, but there was sadness. Guilt assailed him, because he’d been the one to put that look in those beautiful baby blues.

“I’m sorry, lirimaer.” His head was beginning to clear, and he felt ashamed of his outburst. He had no right to complain about his life when Zuriel had lived through so much worse.

“Hush,” Zuriel whispered thickly as he reached out to take his hand. Leading Spiro to the small sofa, he encouraged him to sit before kneeling on the floor between his feet and resting his head on Spiro’s knee. “I’ve never met my parents. A few months ago, right before you came to Haven, we all got really sick. Zavion saved us. He’s always looked out for us.”

Then Spiro had waltzed in and taken away the only family he had. Fuck, he hadn’t thought it was possible for him to feel any worse, but he did. “I’ll take you home.”

Zuriel was right. He didn’t want to be king, and he didn’t have to be. There was no acceptable reason for him to cling to it so hard other than the fact that he felt he could make things better for his people, finally move them forward and give them a better life.

Rissian could do just as much, though, and he could probably do it better. He’d made a lot of mistakes in his life. Some he’d learned from and some had no lessons to teach. However, he never made the same blunder twice, and he wasn’t about to begin with something as important as his relationship with Zuriel.

“Once again,” Zuriel said with a grin, “you’re missing the point. You were thinking that I had it worse off than you, but it’s not a competition.” His head lifted from Spiro’s knee, and he peeked up at him though long lashes. “I suspect my parents were part of a breeding program at The Hive, but I’ll probably never know. I made it out, though, and I have Zavion.”

“Do you miss him?”

“Yes. He’s my brother, my twin, and I’ll always miss him. This is where I belong, though. This is where you belong.” He jabbed one finger toward the window behind the desk. “These people need you, and I think you need them. The things that happened in your past aren’t your fault, and you need to stop blaming yourself.”

“That’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black.” Spiro wasn’t the only one who couldn’t let go of the past. Their entire relationship had been hindered by Zuriel’s adamant belief that he wasn’t worthy of love because of the things that had happened in that hell hole.

“No.” The pleasant smile never left his lips. “I don’t blame myself for what happened in The Hive. I don’t blame myself for being a genetically engineered freak. I just have a hard time believing that anyone can love me once they know the whole sordid tale. I mean, who wants to spend the rest of their life with a whore?” He shrugged flippantly, but Spiro could see the tension in his shoulders. “See, not the same at all.”

The alcohol-induced buzz had finally worn off, probably killed by the depressing topic of conversation, but Spiro was grateful. He had something very important to say, and he wanted no doubts of his sincerity when he said it.

“You’re wrong, you know.”

Zuriel arched an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. “About which part exactly?”

Scooting forward to rest on the edge of the cushions, he cradled Zuriel’s cheeks in both hands, holding him delicately like the precious treasure he was. “You are very easy to love, lirimaer. Your beauty, your kindness, your zest for life, and your unwavering loyalty—everything about you takes my breath away.”

Those gorgeous blue eyes misted, and a single tear slid down Zuriel’s soft cheek, but Spiro wasn’t finished. Lifting his mate to his feet, he took Zuriel’s place on the floor, kneeling before the small shifter.

“You are everything good in my life, and I’ll never take that for granted. I love you, Zuri, for everything that you are, and I’ll love you every day for the rest of our lives if you’ll let me.”

Zuriel sniffled as another tear trickled from the corner of his eye. “You said I didn’t understand yet, but I would soon. I