Sixteen names. Sixteen lives that had been altered and that could never go back to what they had been. Sixteen people who were suffering because they had been changed on an elemental level. Sixteen people who didn’t know who they were anymore. “You think Craig could help us?”
“I don’t know...he never told us about experiments on humans, so he might not know about it. Then there’s the fact that we haven’t heard about him for a while.”
“Should we be worried?” Craig was a human who worked with the company as a guard. He had helped Nolan, Casey’s mate, to escape the lab in which he’d been held, then Jayden and the twins. He’d had to stop before getting discovered, but he should have called at least to let the pride know that he was fine. Shit, that was another problem adding up to those they already had.
“I think you should go talk with Dominic. The council is planning to raid several labs at once, so if I manage to reduce the places in which Gabriel could be at down to a few of them, you might be able to find and liberate him, that is if...” Isaiah didn’t finish, but Joshua heard the words anyway. If Gabriel was still alive. God, he hoped so.
He thought about something else, someone else. “What about John Smith?”
“Huh? The man who kidnapped Jamie?”
“Yes. We still have him. Could he know something?”
“Well, he’s been with us for nearly a year, but you can try.”
Next Joshua went to Dominic’s office. The lion was there with Keenan and Ani, his mate. Joshua told him what had happened since they’d found Adrian unconscious in his hotel room, except for the part in which he and Soren were fighting over Adrian. Well, not really fighting, but still. He could feel Keenan’s eyes on him and he prayed to whoever was listening that the human kept out of his business. It was the last thing he needed—a nosy human playing matchmaker. He had enough of that with Fate.
“What are Adrian’s projects now that he’s free?” Ani asked.
“I don’t know yet. I’ll see him in a few hours, so I’ll ask him.” Joshua sure hoped the man was planning on staying in the mansion. He knew Jared could use a hand treating the guys they had rescued from the labs, and he hoped Adrian wanted to stay with him. It was weird how in only a handful of hours his life had gone from perfect just the way it was to missing the most important part of it—Adrian. Joshua hadn’t known he longed for love and companionship until he finally admitted to himself that he did want Adrian, and that it wasn’t a bad thing. “I want to find Gabriel.”
“We’ve been trying, Josh, but we haven’t found anything,” Dominic said.
“I know. I talked to Isaiah, though, and we think John Smith could help us. Maybe he knows something.”
“It’s a long shot, but if you want to talk to him, go on.”
“I also want to be part of the raid of the lab he’s in, if it’s possible.” He had to find him first, but he would. He was nothing but stubborn when he wanted to be.
“If you find him, you’ll be there. Now go. I’m sure you have better things to do than being here.” The smirk Dominic gave him was all-knowing, but Joshua didn’t stop to think about how on earth the man knew he had a date. He really had better things to do, like getting ready for his date with Adrian. Should he buy him something? Maybe flowers?
“There’s a nice flower shop where I used to live.” Keenan’s voice was loud next to Joshua’s ear and he scowled at the man. Did he read minds or something? The kid was annoying as hell, but Joshua was going to take his advice and go for the flowers. Yup. What type of flowers, though?
Chapter Four
Had Adrian ever been more nervous? Probably not, at least not in a good way, and this was a good nervous. A what-is-going-to-happen nervous. It still felt as if Adrian had a whole colony of bats flying around his stomach, which was not really pleasant, but it was almost over.
Adrian had showered and dressed, but it was way too early, so he had been reduced to pacing around his room. He knew he should start studying and thinking about what he was going to do from now on, but he was too nervous to do any of those things. He jumped when he heard a knock at the door and hurried to open, the smile on his face falling a bit when he saw that it was Soren on the other side.
“Hey, don’t be so happy to see me, man.”
“Sorry, I thought it was—”
“You thought it was Josh, I get it.”
“Soren...”
The tiger raised his hands. “I get it, don’t worry. I’m not hurt or anything because you’re choosing him. As much as I like you, I don’t think it would have worked between us, not with you pinning for Josh and me worrying because I betrayed my friend.”
“We can still be friends, right?” Soren was Adrian’s only friend, but beside that, he really liked the tiger. He was funny and he always made Adrian laugh, even when he was worried and down.
“Of course. I’ll always be there if you need a friend.” Adrian didn’t have the time to say anything before he was engulfed into a bear hug. He laughed when Soren started to chuff and stroke their cheeks together. Oh, the man was sneaky! Adrian knew exactly what he was doing, and he didn’t really mind. Maybe it would give Joshua an incentive to get closer to him.
A low growl made Adrian look up. He froze when he met Joshua’s dark brown eyes. The cat was close to the surface and Adrian could see so many things in the dark pools. Lust, longing, hunger, jealousy. Soren chuckled and pulled away but not before placing a soft kiss on Adrian’s cheek, his eyes never leaving Joshua’s. He was teasing him!
“I’ll see you later, Adrian.”
“You’ll see him tomorrow...maybe,” Joshua replied, his voice deep and growly.
Soren’s laugh faded as he walked away, and Adrian was suddenly feeling shy. They had never been like this. The few times he and Joshua had been together, Joshua had bitched and pushed Adrian away, and Adrian had ranted that he didn’t want a man who didn’t want him. What did he do now? Did he kiss his mate hello? Did he shake his hand?
Joshua moved so fast that Adrian couldn’t have pushed him away even if he had wanted to. The man grabbed his hair and tilted his head to the side. It was forceful, but it didn’t hurt. If anything, the show of force, of who was the dominant one between them, was arousing, especially when Joshua did exactly the same thing that Soren had just done. He stroked his cheek against Adrian’s, the light stubble rough on his skin. He would have never thought he would like that, but he did.
Adrian knew his cheek was going to be reddened, but he didn’t mind wearing the mark his mate had put on him. He shivered as Joshua continued, passing to the other cheek and going down his neck. Damn, if they’d been in his room right now...but they were still in the hallway where Adrian had been with Soren.
Adrian wanted to jump his man, but instead he just clutched Joshua’s shoulders as he tried to keep himself upright, not an easy thing with the way Joshua was now lightly biting on the soft skin of his neck. God, he wanted so much more, but it was too soon. They needed to talk first. “Joshua?”
Joshua didn’t seem to be able to stop, though, and Adrian cared less and less as his mate licked a path from his neck to his lips before taking his mouth into a heated kiss. Adrian’s buried his hands in Joshua’s soft brown hair and held tight as the leopard ravished him. He didn’t think he had the force to push the man away. Not the physical force, although he knew he would never be able to beat Joshua in a fight, but the mental force. It felt too good. This was what he had dreamt of for months, and he didn’t want it to end.
Adrian was about to send everything to hell and to pull Joshua into his room when someone cleared his throat somewhere in the hallway. He was relieved yet disappointed when Joshua ended the kiss before turning to whomever it was that was interrupting them.
Jared was standing there, pointedly looking at his shoes. “I’m sorry...I didn’t want to disturb you guys, but I was wondering if Adrian could come and see me at the infirmary tomorrow.” Jared peeked up to
check if it was safe to look and a relieved expression appeared on his face when he saw that Adrian and Joshua had separated. “I’d like to have your help on Troy’s situation.”
Adrian didn’t know what Troy’s problem was, but he was ready to help. He wanted to help, to atone. “Sure. I’ll come by in the morning, is that all right?”
“Yes, thank you.” Jared walked away, leaving Adrian and Joshua alone.
Adrian wasn’t really sure what to do or even where to look. When they kissed it had been all instinct and heat, but now that they actually had to talk, he was feeling shy. What did you talk about with your mate? Adrian didn’t have a lot of free time, so his life had been pretty much all work until now, which was the reason his relationships usually ended rather quickly.
Joshua leaned down to gather something on the floor and handed him flowers. Yes, flowers. Adrian might be a man, but he appreciated the gesture, especially since Joshua had forgone the usual roses and had bought him red tulips mixed with lily-of-the-valley. He hurried to put them in water and wondered if they actually had a meaning. Adrian didn’t know the language of flowers, but he was going to check when he came home later.
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.” He wondered where Joshua was taking him. The man was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, so it was someplace casual. Oh yeah, he was a sight for sore eyes. Six foot something of lean muscles and olive skin, dark hair that shone bright in the light of the hallway, equally dark eyes, strong jaw that betrayed how stubborn Joshua could be, straight nose. The man was positively perfect, and so not in Adrian’s league.
He knew he had to be grateful to Fate for giving him that hunk of a man. Hopefully his personality would be just as beautiful as his body was.
They headed out and Joshua took Adrian to the diner. It was pretty full, since it was Sunday evening, but it was exactly what Adrian needed. He had been alone for so long and he needed the crowd, the noise, and the feeling of being part of a group.
The shyness and embarrassment he’d felt before evaporated when their gazes met over the table and Joshua softly smiled at Adrian. It was amazing that a man who looked so hard could make Adrian’s heart melt with only a smile, but he did.
They made small talk over their burgers, keeping the more important talk about feelings and future for later, when they would be alone. For now talking about favorites was enough.
“Food?” Joshua asked between two fries.
“Mmm...I eat about everything, but I love pasta. You?”
“Meat.”
Adrian laughed and pointed at Joshua’s plate. He had bacon added to his already loaded burger. “I can see that.”
So by the end of the meal Adrian knew Joshua’s favorite color—green—that he liked foreign movies and cinema d’essai, that he was a park ranger and that he was a solitary man. “Favorite book or type of books?” Adrian asked as they stepped out of the diner into the cool night air. They had passed a few hours inside eating and chatting, and so far the date was a success. Joshua had seemed a bit distant and cold in the past, but Adrian had seen tonight that he was anything but. It just took him a little while to get used to people he didn’t know.
“Medical thrillers.”
“Really? Like the ones where the main character is a doctor but also investigates? You know that’s all wrong, right? It’s not like the doctors go around with the cops and ask questions.”
“I know that, but they’re still fun.”
“I don’t really like them because I always think this is wrong and it gets on my nerves.”
“What do you read, then?”
Adrian blushed. Was he really going to reveal his guilty secret?
“Adrian?”
They were at the car, but Joshua didn’t seem to have any intention of climbing in until he got his answer. “Well, since I was always stressed at work I usually read something light, and I’m also lonely, so...”
“So?”
“I like romances, okay?” Adrian waited for the laugh that usually accompanied his revelation, but nothing came. He looked up into Joshua’s eyes and was startled to see that the man was standing right in front of him. He moved even closer and Adrian ended up against the side of the car with Joshua leaning over him.
“So you read romance because you feel lonely?” Joshua’s voice was husky and Adrian shivered.
“Yeah.”
“You won’t need them anymore then, because you’ll never be lonely again.”
* * * *
Joshua wanted to kick himself. Could he have uttered anything cheesier than that? He risked a peek at Adrian, and the soft expression on his mate’s face actually made him feel better about being so flowery. He could do it more often if Adrian liked it. Maybe.
“Are we going home?”
“Actually I planned a second part for the evening, if you want to.”
Adrian arched a brow and Joshua realized that what he said could have a double meaning, and while he did want to get into Adrian’s pants, now was not the moment to do it, although he had to remind his cock of that. The thing had been half-hard since he’d first seen Adrian in the hallway, looking like a vision from heaven in his jeans and green shirt. The only thing he could think about was slowly unbuttoning that shirt and enjoy the yards of pale flesh that he would reveal...but not now. “What I meant is that I thought we could take a walk. We’ve talked during dinner, but I guess we have other...things to talk about, things that require a little more privacy.”
“Oh. I was kinda hoping you’ll throw me in the back seat of the car and fuck me, but we can talk if it’s what you want.”
Joshua stared in shock at what Adrian said, and when Adrian actually realized what he had said, he slapped his hand on his mouth and blushed fiercely. “Oh god, sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Joshua laughed. “I actually liked that idea, but I’m not sure I could stop my leopard from claiming you if we did that, and I think we need to clarify some things before we think about it.”
Adrian nodded, his face still flushed, and he was so adorable that Joshua just couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and cupping the man’s face before laying a soft kiss on his lips. Adrian sighed and opened his mouth, but Joshua knew that if he deepened the kiss they would never make it to the park in which he had planned to do the talking, so he kissed Adrian on the nose before moving away. Adrian looked a little dazed but Joshua didn’t give him the time to protest. He grabbed Adrian’s hand and pulled him along as he started walking along the sidewalk.
The park wasn’t far, and they reached it within a few minutes. There were several people around due to the mild temperature, but it was getting cooler and the families were heading home. They would manage to be alone, especially since Joshua knew a particular spot near the pond that was secluded. Just what they needed.
He spotted the fallen tree log and dragged Adrian to it, their hands still clasped. Adrian came willingly and Joshua hesitated before letting his mate go and sitting on the log. He wanted to pull Adrian on his lap and kiss him senseless, but they really had to talk, so he let the man sit beside him. They were facing the pond and the night was silent and peaceful.
“Were you really going to go out with Soren?” He had to know. He wasn’t angry with either of them—much—but he needed to know.
Adrian let his head fall back and looked up at the starry sky. “I don’t know. You want me to be honest?”
Joshua’s heart felt heavy in his chest, but...”Yes, please.”
“I probably would have.”
God, the pain. It was spearing Joshua’s heart as he imagined his mate with Soren, but as much as he wanted to growl and snarl and close Adrian in his room, maybe chain him to the bed, he knew he had deserved this. If Adrian wanted Soren...he would let him go.
“But, I don’t think we would have been good together. I mean, he’s a great friend, but I don’t see him as a boyfriend. We’re not compatible like that.”<
br />
“What made you change your mind?” Was he really doing this? It certainly sounded like he was trying to push Adrian into Soren’s arms when really he wanted to keep them away as much as he could.
“Aside from the fact that I want you and that I couldn’t have been happier when you asked me out, kissing him felt wrong.”
Joshua’s vision blurred and he tightened his fists. Soren had kissed Adrian? He couldn’t stop the growl that rose from his throat, nor the need to mark his mate as his. He wouldn’t bite Adrian, not yet, but he needed to see his mark on him. Joshua turned to the side and grabbed his mate, hauling him up, then down on his lap. Once Adrian was straddling him, Joshua moved the collar of the man’s shirt aside and dove on his neck, finding the exact spot he was going to put the mating bite, and proceeding to suck a big hickey right there.
Adrian squeaked, reminding Joshua of his squirrel, but he didn’t attempt to move away. It surprised Joshua, since he hadn’t told Adrian what he was doing, so for all the man knew he could be planning on claiming him. It would be a one sided bond, but it would be a bond still. The man didn’t move, though, not until Joshua’s lips left his throat.
“Happy, stud?”
Sense came back to Joshua and he realized what he had done. Adrian didn’t seem angry, though, so maybe he hadn’t ruined his hopes of a happy mating. “I’m sorry.”
Adrian patted his chest. “Don’t be. I might have been angry if I was still a human, but I’m a shifter now, so I understand the urge you had to mark me after you found out another male had kissed me. I would do the same thing, heck, I want to do it even if no one kissed you.” He seemed to think about it for a few seconds before asking hesitantly, “No one kissed you, right?”
Joshua smiled and shook his head. “No. There has been no one else since I first met you.”
“Good.” Adrian settled against Joshua’s chest, his head just under Joshua’s chin. As much as Joshua would have preferred to stay like this and enjoy the evening, he knew he had to tell Adrian why he had been so hell-bound on not wanting him for a mate.
Adrian [Whitedell Pride: 8] Page 6
