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

that you can’t scent his emotions, not even when he’s aroused?” It was apparent that Mihail was uncomfortable with the accusation, but there was also a panicked undercurrent that couldn’t be ignored.

Worse was the flicker of doubt in Rissian’s eyes, as though he was truly considering what the three were saying but didn’t like where it was leading. “If you’re wrong—”

“If we’re wrong, I’ll stand naked in the town square while people throw rotten garbage at me.” Jacobi grabbed Spiro’s wrist and pulled hard. “Please! Just believe us!”

“Marcel was in our room when I left.”

Spiro nodded calmly, though his heart pounded painfully against his ribs. His lion roared for blood, beating against him so violently that his fangs burst through his gums. He tried to remind himself that they had no proof that Zuriel was hurt, but logic and reasoning had abandoned him.

“Nithron, gather the guards and start searching.” Hopefully, Rissian was correct about Marcel’s location, but if not, Spiro needed to cover as much ground as possible.

“We’ll help, too,” Mihail announced as he gathered his friends and sprinted out of the room after Nithron.

Rissian was the next through the door, and Spiro was just half a step behind him while their other siblings watched on in a kind of stupor. “I can’t believe it,” Rissian said as they hurried toward the staircase. “I would have known. This just doesn’t make any sense. If it’s true, he…he…”

“I know.” If the allegations were true, it had been Marcel who’d murdered four people, including their brother. It was horrific to think about, but if he was found guilty, if he’d harmed one hair on Zuriel’s head, Spiro would have little mercy on him.

They were more than halfway up the stairs when Rissian suddenly stumbled to a stop and grabbed the railing in a white-knuckled grip. “Oh, gods,” he breathed. “I…I can hear him.”

Having not claimed his own mate yet, Spiro had completely forgotten about the telepathic bond between pairs. “Where is he? Where is Zuriel?”

“Marcel has him.” His head snapped up, and his pupils dilated until they completely dominated his eyes. “He’s going to kill him.”

Without waiting for more, Spiro turned and began charging up the stairs again, only stopping when his brother called him back.

“They’re not in the room. He has to make it look like someone else did this, like it was a stranger to the island, and he was trying to save him.”

Spiro assumed Rissian was paraphrasing, because that didn’t sound like a very well-thought-out plan to him. “Where are they?” Grabbing his brother’s shoulders, he shook him roughly as he growled. “Tell me!”

“It’s only glimpses of inner monologue. I can’t see what he’s seeing right now.” Stopping abruptly, Rissian twitched, and his nostrils flared. “Zuriel was taking the shortcut to town. He knew he wasn’t supposed to go alone.” He blinked several times, his eyes focusing on Spiro once more. “They’re in the forest near the edge of town.”

Spiro nearly fell to his knees, knowing he’d never make it in time. Still, he had to try, had to pray that Nithron had sent guards to search the grounds as well. “Try to talk to him,” he ordered. “See if you can stall.” Then he flew down the stairs, and ran toward the doors. His lion would be able to move faster, but he couldn’t risk the time it would take to shift.

“Fuck,” Rissian screamed, and footsteps pounded over the wood floor behind him. “He won’t listen.”

“Keep trying!”

“I’m only making it worse. He knows he’s caught now.” Rissian stumbled, and an agonized moan echoed around the entryway just as they reached the front doors, stopping Spiro in his tracks as well. “No.” Rissian waved him away. “Go. I’ll stop him, but you have to get to Zuriel. He needs your blood.”

“Rissian, you can’t stop him from here. C’mon.”

“I can.” Rising to his full height, Rissian unsheathed his dagger from his belt and bowed his head to Spiro. “I’m sorry, brother.”

Backing away, Spiro kept his gaze on the gleaming blade in his brother’s hand. “What are you doing?”

“I’m the only one who can make this right. I’m the only one who can stop it.” So swift that Spiro almost missed the action, Rissian turned the dagger on himself, plunging it into his heart.

“No!” As he watched his sibling crumple to the ground, Spiro was torn between saving his brother and rescuing his mate. “No, no, no!” This wasn’t what he wanted. In a thousand years, he’d never have guessed that Rissian would sacrifice himself to stop his lunatic mate. It wasn’t fair, and it damn sure wasn’t right.

“I’ve got this.” Locien appeared seemingly out of nowhere, kneeling over their brother’s body and wrenching the knife from his chest. “I can heal him.”

“C’mon, brother.” Aradan appeared on his right side, while Sadron took his left, pulling him back and pushing him out into the chilly courtyard. “Zuriel needs you.”

With no choice but to trust that they’d be able to use the ancient magic to revive Rissian, he spun around and darted toward the tree line. His feet flew over the frozen ground, beating out a frantic rhythm with each slap of his boots against the hard dirt path. He was getting closer. He could smell it on the wind—Zuriel’s scent, coupled with that of freshly spilled blood.

Then, there he was. His beautiful, perfect mate sprawled limply across the narrow trail with four bleeding gashes cut into his slim chest. Marcel lay just feet away, his sightless eyes staring blankly up toward the treetops.

Paying no attention to the bastard other than to kick his lifeless form as he passed, Spiro dropped to his knees at Zuriel’s side. “Hey, lirimaer. We’re going to get you fixed up, okay. Everything is going to be fine.”

Gently sliding his hands beneath his mate’s body, Spiro lifted him into his lap, careful to cradle his head. Then he lifted his other arm to his mouth, using his sharp canines to bite into his wrist until blood poured