Mate or Meal 8

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong
Lynx

Best friend or beloved? All his life, seahorse Layton believed he

loved lynx shifter Corbin. But when his body and heart reach out

to Corbin's brother, Preston, instead, he is left in absolute

confusion, humiliated and afraid of his own emotions.

For years, Preston has known Layton is his mate. The only thing

more painful than his mate choosing his brother over him is the

knowledge of Layton's pain at Corbin's rejection. But then, his

friendship with Layton suddenly becomes more. The knowledge

that it could still be a one-time thing hurts more than Layton's

platonic affection ever did.

When, as a result of their passionate encounter, Layton becomes

pregnant, erratic emotions explode. What will happen when the

reason behind Layton's confusion is revealed? Can Preston and

Layton overcome the threat on their hearts, lives, and families?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 37,834 words

THE SEAHORSE WHO LOVED

THE WRONG LYNX

Mate or Meal 8

Scarlet Hyacinth

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

THE SEAHORSE WHO LOVED THE WRONG LYNX
Copyright © 2012 by Scarlet Hyacinth
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-533-8

First E-book Publication: March 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of The Seahorse Who Loved the
Wrong Lynx by Scarlet Hyacinth from BookStrand.com or its official
distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of
this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing
rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this
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The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying
readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Scarlet Hyacinth’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please
respect Ms. Hyacinth’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION

Thank you to all the supportive readers who’ve waited for this

book. I know some of you wanted a different pairing, but not to
worry. Corbin will get his book as well.

THE SEAHORSE WHO

LOVED THE WRONG LYNX

Mate or Meal 8

SCARLET HYACINTH

Prologue

Layton and Morgan slipped through the house unseen and

unheard. Supposedly, they were visiting with their father’s best
friend, Garth, but at present, Garth was distracted with their dad. So,
Layton and Morgan had taken the opportunity to explore a bit, or
better said, spy.

Layton knew exactly what he wanted to see, or rather who. He’d

been hunting for a chance to get close to Garth’s older son, Corbin,
for a while now. Okay, so Corbin was ten years older than him, and
realistically, Layton knew Corbin would never pay him any attention,
at least not now. But Layton wouldn’t be a teenager forever, and he
wanted Corbin to understand that.

Voices reached Layton’s ears. At first, Layton couldn’t discern

what was said, but that was only a temporary problem. Soon, the
words became clear.

“Oh…Oh, yes. Harder. Please harder.”
Layton’s eyes widened as he heard the moans and pleas. Morgan

arched a brow at him, wordlessly inquiring if they should go on with
their spying. Layton just glowered at his twin. They wouldn’t give up
now when they were so close.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

They advanced a little more and saw Corbin’s quarters straight

ahead. The door to Corbin’s room was cracked open, and Layton
peeked inside. Layton nearly choked at the sight that met his eyes.
Two bodies writhed on the bed, one male, the other female. Layton
couldn’t have cared less about the woman, but the man was the same
one who inhabited his dreams and desires. Corbin’s muscles shone
with sweat, his delicious ass clenching as he fucked the bitch under
him. Layton’s hand clenched around that of his brother as a mix of
pain and arousal assaulted him. Merely watching Corbin set his body
aflame, but at the same time, the bitter taste of betrayal filled his
mouth. He wanted to burst inside the room and pull Corbin off his
damn whore. He wanted to punch her in her stupid face and tell
Corbin that the two of them were meant to be together.

Before he could do either of those things, a familiar presence

appeared behind them. Corbin’s brother, Preston, grabbed his arm and
forced him to turn around. “You shouldn’t be here,” Preston
whispered.

Layton glowered at Preston. “And he shouldn’t be doing that,” he

fumed. “He shouldn’t be fucking anyone but me.”

“Lay, stop it,” Morgan chastised him. “Preston’s right. We need to

go.”

Layton shook his head stubbornly. “I don’t need to go anywhere

but inside that room. Can’t you see how wrong this is?”

“Lower your voice,” Preston told him. “He’ll hear you.”
Layton didn’t care. He wanted Corbin to hear. The damn lynx had

been too focused on his fucking to sense Layton and Morgan’s
approach, but Layton needed to face him, to tell him what was on his
mind.

As it turned out, he got his wish. The door opened, and Corbin

stepped into the hallway, half-dressed. “What the hell are you doing
here, kid?” Corbin looked pissed. “Are you spying on me again?”

Faced with Corbin’s anger, the certainty Layton felt melted into

apprehension. But he’d never been one to back down and he

Scarlet Hyacinth

straightened his spine, meeting Corbin’s gaze. “I’m not a kid. And
we’re guests in your house, remember?”

“Guests don’t sneak by private rooms and get off on their hosts

having sex.”

Layton felt his face flame with anger and embarrassment. He

really couldn’t find a reply to that, but thankfully, Preston answered in
his stead. “And you shouldn’t be having sex when you well know Dad
invited the Cunninghams here.” There was reproach in Preston’s tone.
“You know better.”

Corbin crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Whatever,

Preston. So I got a little carried away. I was going to come greet them
after I finished here.”

“That’s no excuse,” Preston shot back. “You were rude, and

you’re embarrassing Dad.”

“Christ, Preston, get over yourself. We’re not children anymore.

And just so you know, I’m moving next week. Then, I won’t have to
worry about stupid little voyeurs and pesky brothers who can’t mind
their own business.”

And just like that, Corbin closed the door in their faces. Layton

suppressed the urge to burst into tears. He would not cry. He refused
to cry. No matter what Corbin said, he wasn’t a kid, and he would
prove it. He could satisfy Corbin as well as any whore he picked.

He reached for the door, but Preston caught his hand. “No. Leave

him alone now. He’s upset and doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

Layton took another look toward the door then allowed Preston to

drag him off. Morgan followed silently behind them, and Layton
could feel his twin’s anxiety. They’d always had a strong mind bond,
and Layton hated that he’d dragged Morgan into this.

Preston took them into the library and gestured for them to sit

down on a couch. He took Layton’s hand and squeezed it. “It’s all
right,” he said. “For the moment, you’re just too young for him. You
have to be patient.”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

“It’s not fair,” Layton cried. “I know I pester him a lot, but we’re

mates. Mates should be there for each other, right?”

Preston hugged him tightly. “You’ll get it right eventually,” he

said as he caressed Layton’s hair.

Layton leaned against Preston. He was warm and smelled so

comforting, like home. A distant thought passed through his mind.
Why couldn’t Corbin be more like Preston? Sure, Preston wasn’t as
wild and untamed as Corbin, but who cared? He’d always been a
great friend to Layton.

Unfortunately, Layton remembered all too well the earlier

argument, and he didn’t want the two lynx brothers to get into other
conflicts because of him. For once, he’d listen to Corbin and get out
of their hair.

Layton broke away from Preston and took Morgan’s hand. “We

should go,” he said. “Our parents must be looking for us.”

Preston nodded, although he still seemed thoughtful. “Sure. Come

on. I’ll take you to the living room.”

Compared to Layton’s family mansion, Garth Mckenna’s home

was actually quite small, so it didn’t take them long to reach their
destination. Thankfully, Layton’s parents didn’t comment on their
earlier disappearance, but judging by the brief look from their father,
it had been noted and would be discussed extensively once they said
good-bye to their hosts.

Layton sighed to himself and couldn’t help remembering the

earlier scene. Would Corbin really be moving? And if so, when would
Layton see him again?

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter One

Ten years later

Layton leaned against the cool glass of the car window, watching

the familiar silhouette of the United Paranormal Academy become
clearer as they approached. Normally, he would have driven here
himself, but he was too out of sorts to focus on anything, let alone
driving. Hell, he didn’t think he could even have much luck with his
studies, but if he’d stayed one more second in his parents’ house, he’d
have grown mad. As it was, he’d gone with a compromise. He had a
chauffeur to drive him and another to bring his car along.

It had all started with the appearance of Morgan’s supposed mate,

the incubus, Alexis Whitaker. Layton had been suspicious of Alexis
from the beginning, but he’d done his best to befriend the incubus,
especially after Alexis had suffered a severe burn to the face. But
then, Alexis had betrayed them all. He’d seduced Layton, using him
to flee Layton’s family home. To this day, Layton didn’t realize the
purpose of Alexis’s actions, but he did know he felt dirty, used, and
fucking guilty. He couldn’t look at his twin in the face, knowing how
much Morgan still cared about Alexis. The current situation brought
Morgan in the face of making a terrible choice, a choice between his
lover and his brother. Layton hated that his weakness had put them all
in this position. He hated Alexis and himself with a passion.

Truly, he didn’t think he was capable of anything except ranting

and raving right now, but he hoped that seeing his mate would make
him feel better or at least anchor him in normality.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Corbin had never given him the attention a shifter should give to

his mate. According to some of their friends, it could be because
Corbin seemed most inclined to sleep with women or because of the
age difference between them. As time passed, however, the ten years
or so that separated them would no longer mean anything. Layton
hoped that once he finished university that would change. For the
moment, though, even Corbin’s rejection would help.

The cars finally drove up to the university and reached the C

dorm. C, for carnivore. What a laugh. The heads of the university
must have been really amusing themselves when they’d decided to
place seahorses in the same building with sharks and tigers. Okay, so
it was convenient for Layton, since he was a hybrid, but in the end,
he’d still been separated from his twin and had been forced to room
with another seahorse. Perhaps it would be for the best. God only
knew what would happen when Morgan returned to the school. Still
brooding, Layton had the chauffeurs help him with his bags then sent
the two men off. He needed to be alone.

For a while, he waited in his room, simply looking out the

window. His friends would soon come to visit. He’d have to find
something to tell them, some way to avoid looking as pathetic as he
felt.

For the moment, they weren’t in the academy, though. Almost

everyone had gone home for the holidays, so Layton could take
advantage of the occasion to go see Corbin. Decision made, Layton
abandoned his unpacking for later and rushed downstairs. The
excitement he felt over seeing Corbin gave him focus as he slid into
his car.

The town next to the United Paranormal Academy had been taken

over by shifters years before Layton had even arrived here. Corbin
and Preston had both come to live there. They had businesses of their
own, but also dropped by the academy for the occasional class. Since
their families were still very close, they often got together, but

Scarlet Hyacinth

somehow, with all the Alexis mess, Layton had been unable to see
much of either of the two lynxes.

The first step to reach normality was to start a new campaign to

reach out to Corbin. Preston might also be able to help out. In spite of
their age difference, he was one of Layton’s best friends.

Layton drove into town and stopped in front of Corbin’s auto

repair shop. He wiped his sweaty hands against the material of his
trousers, welcoming the nervousness that usually came with a visit
here. Sometimes, when Corbin was in a better mood, they’d hang out,
even if Corbin only treated Layton like a pesky little brother. Layton
would be content with that today.

He found Corbin fiddling on one of his ongoing projects. Corbin

rolled out from under the vehicle and got up as he heard Layton
approach.

“Hey, Corbin,” Layton said, his stomach already fluttering.
“Oh, hey.” Corbin grinned at him, wiping his face with a nearby

rag. “What’s up, kid?”

“I’m not a kid,” Layton replied automatically. The greeting and

response were almost a ritual now. “Just came back from home.”

“I thought you’d be there for a while longer.” Corbin’s expression

turned thoughtful. “Preston and I were going to drop by during the
weekend, too. Anything wrong?”

The lie fell easily from Layton’s lips. “No, nothing. I just wanted

to see you, that’s all.”

Corbin’s eyes narrowed. “Why don’t I believe you?”
He stepped closer, invading Layton’s personal space. With each

step Corbin took, Layton took one back, until there was no place to
go. Corbin pinned him against the wall, his powerful arms blocking
Layton’s escape. He’d never been aware of Corbin’s presence so
intensely. Every nerve in his body seemed aflame, and his heart
hammered. His breathing grew labored. They were so close now that
Corbin’s scent surrounded Layton, drugging him, calling out to him.

“Tell me,” Corbin murmured. “Tell me what happened.”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Technically speaking, Layton could have broken free of the other

man’s hold. Courtesy of his ancestry, he had a great many abilities
normal seahorses didn’t. But his knees buckled and he couldn’t have
moved to save his life.

Instead of replying, Layton crushed his mouth to Corbin’s. It was

the most daring thing he’d ever tried with his mate. Corbin had
always put up an invisible wall around him, not allowing him to get
close. But now, Layton finally had what he wanted.

Corbin’s lips were soft, but firm, his body hard and muscled

against Layton’s. Layton pressed closer to Corbin, seeking more of
the heat. At one point, Corbin actually started responding to kiss. But
even as their tongues dueled, Layton couldn’t help but feel something
was missing.

He rubbed against Corbin, seeking friction, trying to climb inside

Corbin’s body, to find what he’d been looking for all his life. Their
hard pricks rubbed against each other, making shocks of pleasure
course through Layton’s body. But as much as he tried, he couldn’t
get enough.

The sound of a cleared throat interrupted the kiss. Corbin broke

away from him, and Layton looked to his right to see a woman
closing in.

“Hi, baby,” she said. “Should I come back later, or are you ready

to go now?”

She didn’t give Layton a single look, although she couldn’t have

missed his presence. Layton gaped at her. He was right there and he’d
had his tongue down Corbin’s throat. Was she crazy?

Corbin passed a hand through his hair. “Let me just clean up, and

I’m coming,” he said.

Layton couldn’t believe his ears. “What the fuck?” he shouted.

“What about me? What about us?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Please…You’re not important,

Layton.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

The sound of his name on her lips was like a slap in the face.

“How do you know my name?” he asked.

“I know everything about you. I know you stalk Corbin like an

obsessed maniac. I know he’s the ultimate goal of your wretched little
life, and also that you’re never going to get him.”

“Enough, Cherise,” Corbin said, a warning in his tone.
“No.” Cherise shook her head. “Let him listen. You’re pathetic,

Layton. In fact, I almost feel sorry for you. You’re so ridiculous,
throwing yourself at Corbin, spreading your legs like a whore. He’ll
never love you. Whatever you might think, he’ll never be yours. You
simply don’t have the right equipment.”

This was not the first time people had told Layton to let go of

Corbin, but the truth was that his supposed stalking of the lynx hadn’t
gone beyond a close circle of friends. Their brothers and cousins
knew, of course, but other than that, they’d kept it silent.

Humiliation burned through Layton at the realization that a

stranger knew all about the torment in his heart and was mocking him
because of it. He looked at Corbin and saw the guilty expression on
his face. Just like that, he knew. Corbin had been the one to tell her.

For a few moments, the pain of the betrayal was too strong for

him to endure. Sure, Layton knew Corbin slept around and, in a way,
had even grown to accept it. He’d gotten used to the fact that one day,
when he matured enough, Corbin would stop and take Layton as a
lover instead. But this was different. His advances toward Corbin
aside, they’d been friends since they were kids. They’d grown up
together. Corbin had thrown all that away for a piece of ass.

Layton glanced away from Corbin, suddenly unable to stomach

the sight of the other man’s face. He focused on the bitch, instead.

“You know what, Cherise?” he asked. “You’re the idiot. Because

you see, Corbin might not be in love with me, but I certainly made
him hard just a minute ago.”

It was Cherise’s turn to gape at him. “Liar. Corbin’s straight.”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Layton just laughed. “Yeah, right. You tell yourself that. Maybe

you’ll even believe it.”

He pushed past her, stalking out of the building. Corbin’s voice

reached out to him as he reached his car. “Layton, wait. Come on,
wait.”

Corbin’s hand landed on his arm, forcibly turning him around.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have told her about you, I know. I
just…I got drunk one night, and I kind of lost it.”

Layton shook his head. Things had been much easier when

alcohol didn’t affect shape-shifters. But either way, he couldn’t
forgive Corbin. “Drunk or not, you betrayed me. Now, let go.”

“Not until you tell me you’ll be fine,” Corbin insisted.
Fury coursed through Layton. For the first time since he could

remember, Layton used his power on a close one. The electricity
coursed through him, immobilizing Corbin and pushing him away. It
was an ability Layton had inherited from his shark father, and he did
his best not to abuse it. Right then and there, however, he was too
pissed to think clearly. “You don’t deserve to make demands.”

He got into his car, leaving Corbin standing there, frozen. He

dropped the paralysis spell as soon as he was far enough away. He
couldn’t focus on keeping it up. Even under normal circumstances,
he’d have trouble, and now, he was a mess. He drove away, heading
back toward the university as fast as he could go.

God, what a disaster. Layton couldn’t remember ever feeling so

betrayed. His vision blurred as tears threatened to come. He’d always
trusted Corbin, beyond their strange relationship, and Corbin had
gone ahead and destroyed that.

Layton wiped at his eyes, angry with himself. What was wrong

with him? He should have stayed. He should have fought for his mate.
It must be that bitch Cherise’s fault. Corbin wouldn’t have done
anything like that of his own accord. Or so Layton told himself,
except he knew that the Corbin he’d fantasized about for so long

Scarlet Hyacinth

wouldn’t allow some prissy woman to order him around and make
him betray his family and friends.

And then there was the kiss. Corbin had yielded to it, but Layton

couldn’t help but remember the way it had felt. It wasn’t at all like
Layton imagined it would be. He’d always thought that finally
touching Corbin would be mind numbing, earth shattering, an
experience he’d remember for the rest of his days. The kiss had been
amazing, and Corbin’s touch skilled, but…Something had been
missing.

The smoother road of the town yielded to the rougher one over the

mountain, the road which led to the academy. In this part of the drive,
all those with vehicles were encouraged to drive slower, but Layton
couldn’t be bothered. On and on, he remembered Cherise’s words, the
kiss, and wondered what it meant. The humiliation and the betrayal
tore at him, but at the same time, questions filled his mind and his
soul. Had Alexis’s seduction damaged him somehow? Was this why
he could no longer be close to his mate?

Tears flowed freely now, and he accelerated, just wanting to get to

the academy already. Perhaps he could even shift and swim for a bit.
It might make him feel better.

All of a sudden, a shadow appeared in front of the car. It was an

animal, and through the blur of his tears, Layton barely managed to
identify it as a deer. Layton tried to avoid hitting it and veered away.
The speeding car wouldn’t obey him, and he lost control. Layton
screamed as the car flipped several times, crashing into the ravine.

Pain exploded over Layton’s body, and his mind was swallowed

in darkness. He must have lost consciousness for a few precious
moments because when he recovered, the car had come to a standstill.
The smell of gasoline reached his nostrils, forcing him to focus.
Modern gas might be more expensive, but it was still flammable as
fuck. If Layton didn’t get out of there soon, he’d be roasted seahorse.

With a groan, Layton undid his seat belt and forced the distorted

metal door open. It wasn’t easy, but thankfully, his shark father had

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

also given him a good amount of physical strength. His entire body
wracked with pain, he crawled out of the vehicle. He looked up,
trying to figure out where he was and what to do. The car had fallen
against a heavy tree, which was the only thing that had stopped it
from fully collapsing into the ravine. If that had happened, Layton
would be dead by now. Still, the incline was steep, and in his
condition, Layton didn’t know if he could climb it. Well, he didn’t
have much choice. If he stayed there, the inevitable explosion of the
car would kill him.

Every breath he took was painful, and he thought that the shock of

the crash must have broken his ribs. Gritting his teeth, Layton
struggled to climb, using every piece of vegetation he could find,
roots, rocks. He slipped several times since, this time of year, the
ground was particularly slippery and hostile.

At last, he reached the top, exhausted, his ribs aching like hell and

his vision darkening more and more. Just in time, too. Below him, the
car exploded with a resounding boom. Layton rolled away from the
edge of the ravine, managing not to get caught in the blast. Briefly, a
familiar face flashed through his mind’s eye. It wasn’t Corbin, but
Layton’s exhausted mind couldn’t identify it. He tried to reach for the
image, but it dissipated, and darkness took him. This time, he could
not escape it.

* * * *

“And here’s your order, sir.” Preston handed the books to his

customer, forcing a smile. Business had been great today, even better
than usual. One would think that in a small town like this, there
wouldn’t be too many people intent on buying print books, but
actually, shape-shifters were a nostalgic bunch. Many still preferred
the feel of the paperbacks in their hands to the more widespread e-
books on the computer. Around the holidays in particular, he got a lot
of sales.

Scarlet Hyacinth

But today, he’d been anxious and unable to focus on anything.

There was something in his heart and in his mind that told him things
were not right. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. His chest ached,
and his skin itched. A hidden instinct knew it was not his own
feelings he experienced, but someone else’s. His mate’s. Layton’s.

He’d barely managed to stop himself from contacting the

seahorse, knowing Layton had the support of people he loved more
than Preston. Preston had always been a friend and nothing more. So
Preston gritted his teeth and waited, vowing to himself that he would
call tonight.

Preston rubbed his temple, a sudden feeling of familiarity

encroaching on his senses. Layton was closing in. Why would he
leave his family? Something was wrong.

Everything inside Preston screamed for him to track Layton down

and demand an explanation. Instead, he waited. He knew Layton had
not come for him. It was Corbin he sought, and Preston’s presence
would be unwanted.

At one point, two cars passed his shop, and instinctively, Preston

knew Layton had been inside. They didn’t stop, not that Preston
expected them to. Layton was probably hurrying to see Corbin.

There was nothing quite as painful as the knowledge that his mate

had chosen his brother over him. Sure, Preston had always known
Corbin was cooler, more rugged, and more “Alpha” than him. He’d
always gotten all the girls, as well as the boys, although he kept his
same-sex meetings more under wraps for Layton’s sake. Cancel that.
There was something more painful, the knowledge that in spite of
Layton’s obvious affection, Corbin didn’t feel the same.

A secret part of Preston had guiltily been happy about it. How

could he not? After all, his beast instinctively knew Layton was his.
But as time passed, Preston was increasingly torn up inside about
Layton’s obvious disappointment and pain. At this point, his own
sorrow aside, Preston would have preferred it if Corbin accepted the
seahorse, as long as Layton was happy.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Sighing to himself, Preston leaned against the counter, staring at

the door without really seeing it. Was it too much to wish that one
day, Layton would come into his shop and smile at him the way he
only smiled for Corbin? Probably. It was high time he got used to the
idea that Layton would never love him.

Still, Layton’s affection for Corbin aside, the fact remained that

something was definitely not right. Preston fidgeted, both his human
side and his animal one restless. Every second he spent away from his
mate felt like wasted time. He should be comforting Layton right
now, not waiting here like an idiot.

For the moment, judging by the general feel of Layton’s presence,

Preston had to guess the seahorse had gone to the academy, probably
to unpack or something. He would return shortly, though, and Preston
had every intention of intercepting him and finding out what had gone
wrong.

Preston nodded to himself and started packing up. At the end of

each work day, he always checked inventory and noted the income
he’d earned that day. It gave him something to do until Layton
returned.

He finished just as his instincts started screaming at him that

Layton was close. Hastily, he set the notice of closed on the door, left
the shop, and locked up. With brisk steps, he headed in the direction
of his brother’s business. There was no doubt that Layton would be
there.

All of a sudden, an intense feeling of arousal struck him. Preston

went dizzy, choked, and had to lean against the wall of a building to
keep himself from falling over. A brief image formed in his mind, so
fleeting he almost thought he’d imagined it. Layton and Corbin
kissing.

He could not believe it. He’d always been convinced Corbin

didn’t like Layton like that. Resentment, anger, and pain coursed
through him. He’d never told his brother the truth about how he felt
about Layton, but still, he couldn’t help a feeling of betrayal.

Scarlet Hyacinth

And then, the sexual episode stopped. At first, it was replaced by

confusion, but then, an onslaught of agony and fury assaulted his
senses, this time, not his own. Fuck. Corbin had messed up somehow.

Preston gathered his wits and started running. Unfortunately, his

brother’s shop was farther away from Preston’s than he’d have liked.
Truth be told, they were often at odds these days. They were still
brothers and still hung out, but Layton was always between them,
something Preston couldn’t let go of.

By the time he reached the auto shop, Layton was long gone.

Preston found his brother standing in the middle of the street, staring
blindly at the road toward the academy. Preston grabbed Corbin’s
shoulder and forcibly turned him around.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice nearly a growl.
For a few moments, Corbin just stared at him. “I…I did something

stupid,” he finally admitted. “I told Cherise about him, that he
believes I’m his mate.”

Preston spotted Corbin’s current squeeze over his brother’s

shoulder. She was leaning against the wall of the auto shop, looking
quite pissed but, at the same time, somewhat satisfied. Preston could
only imagine what she must have told Layton. He took a few deep
breaths, forcing himself to remember that he couldn’t kill her, no
matter how much he wanted to.

“You’re an idiot,” he told his brother. “You don’t deserve

someone like him.”

At that, Corbin snapped out of his trance. “Fuck you, you self-

righteous prick. You’re only angry because you’d want him for
yourself, but he never gives you a second look.”

The words hurt, mostly because they were true, but also because it

was his brother who was saying them. “Christ, Corbin,” he said. “You
know, you’re right. I do want him for myself.” He shook his head and
gave Cherise a disgusted glance. “But this…Whatever disagreements
we have between us, you shouldn’t bring a random stranger between

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

us. I don’t recognize you at all. Snap out of it because the way you
are, you’re not my brother.”

The words hung between them heavily, but Preston didn’t take

them back. It was the only way Corbin would understand just how
much he’d hurt both Preston and Layton. Pushing past his brother,
Preston raced toward the academy. His mate needed him.

He started running, feeling Layton’s anxiety increase by the

moment. And then, the anger and frustration changed into pure panic.
The emotional pain exploded into physical agony. Preston couldn’t
even bring himself to care about appearances anymore. He shifted
into his lynx form and ran as fast as he could, desperate to reach his
mate.

Every second that passed increased his certainty that he might lose

Layton. He followed the instinct that led him to his mate, and he’d
almost reached his destination when the sound of an explosion
reached his ears. Smoke rose in the distance, and Preston would have
collapsed in despair had something inside him not told him Layton
was still alive.

He found Layton at the edge of a ravine, bruised, unconscious,

and bloody, but definitely still breathing. The relief almost crushed
him. He took his mate in his arms, trying to judge where he should go.
The academy was still a good distance away, farther than the town.
The best bet was the hospital. Of course, that would imply that
Preston would have to run naked through the entire town, but he could
stop by Corbin’s to borrow a car.

Layton’s injuries were clearly not life threatening, and by the time

they reached the city limits, he was coming to. Preston stopped as he
heard his mate moan. “What is it, lovely? Where are you hurt?”

At first, Layton didn’t reply, but then, he managed to gasp out.

“Ribs…Head…Hurt…”

Okay, so Layton’s ribs must be broken. Preston had realized the

possibility existed, and he’d paid close attention to carry Layton
gently, so as not to jostle his mate. The most dangerous thing about

Scarlet Hyacinth

these injuries was the possibility of lung puncturing, but given that
they were shape-shifters, it wouldn’t get to that. Still, Preston’s
concern for Layton didn’t diminish one bit. “Just don’t move, lovely.
I’ll take you to a hospital.”

Layton shook his head, now sounding a little more aware. “No

hospital. I don’t want anyone to know.”

Preston wanted to protest, but Layton’s pleading expression

stopped him. He nodded, mentally reevaluating his plan. He might not
be a doctor, but he knew enough of medicine so as to be able to care
for his mate.

In the end, he took an alternative route, using back alleys until he

got to his brother’s shop. There really was no need to be embarrassed,
since the town only had shape-shifter inhabitants. Still, Preston
preferred to be dressed in public if he could help it. Thankfully, he
had no trouble getting to his destination, but when he reached the auto
repair shop, he found Corbin had already left. Prick. It was just like
him to leave to fuck that bitch Cherise when Preston most needed
him. Worst of all, the shop was locked. Unlike other inhabitants of the
town, Corbin tended to be paranoid and used shape-shifter-proof
locks, so Preston couldn’t get inside. Once upon a time, he’d had a
key, and maybe he still did, but it was at home. Fuck.

Well, there was nothing for it. He had to go to his own place

because he certainly didn’t trust other people with Layton and he
couldn’t exactly wait for Corbin to come back.

“It’s okay,” Layton told him. “I’m already feeling better. I’m

stronger than I look.”

Preston suppressed the urge to cry as he rushed toward his home.

By some miracle, he managed to reach the shop without being
stopped. He thought that he’d been spotted several times, but since he
was going very fast—or, as fast as he could given the
circumstances—they didn’t manage to say anything to him or
interrupt his race.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

At last, Preston reached his destination. He used the back door to

go inside and went to the topmost floor, where his small apartment
was. He placed Layton on the bed, panting as he cupped Layton’s
cheek. “Okay?” he asked.

Layton nodded, grimacing. “Hurts.”
“You gotta stay with me, all right? Let me look over your ribs.”
Preston rushed to his bathroom and found some rarely used

bandages. He returned to his room, only to find Layton leaning
against the headboard, a grimace of pain on his face. “Leave the
bandages,” he said. “Just get me in some water.”

Of course! He was such an idiot. If Layton shifted, the broken ribs

would mend on their own. Preston dropped the bandages and rushed
back to run water into his tub. Leaving it to fill, he returned to the
room. “Let me help you out of your clothes.”

Layton nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he watched Preston

approach. Preston knelt next to the bed, and his hands trembled as he
started working on Layton’s clothing. He did his best to be gentle, but
the motions still caused Layton pain. Preston hated every second of it.

It was actually quite ironic. He’d always lusted after Layton and

wanted to see him naked. He’d never thought that the day it would
actually happen, it would be like this.

At last, Layton was nude. Swallowing around the lump in his

throat, Preston took his mate in his arms and slowly walked to the
bathroom. Slowly, gently, he lowered Layton into the tub and waited.
Almost instantly, Layton’s form melted into that of a seahorse.

Preston couldn’t help a small smile as he watched the tiny sea

creature swim in the tub. There was just something about Layton,
both in shifted and in human form, that made Preston’s heart swell
with affection. A hidden strength lurked under the delicate nature of
the seahorse, along with a temperament worthy of the Cunningham
name.

A few minutes later, Layton changed back into his legged shape.

He looked a million times better, but he also seemed exhausted.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Wordlessly, Preston took Layton out of the tub and rubbed him

dry with a large, fluffy towel. He then carried Layton into the
bedroom and placed him on the comfortable mattress. Thankfully,
shape-shifters didn’t get concussions, so it would be safe for Layton
to sleep. Layton’s eyes were already drifting shut as Preston tucked
him in. “Thanks, Corbin,” Layton murmured.

Preston pushed back the pain he felt at hearing his brother’s name

on Layton’s lips. “My pleasure, lovely,” he replied. “My pleasure.”

As his mate surrendered to sleep, Layton pulled up a chair next to

the bed. He couldn’t be Corbin, but he could be by Layton’s side
when his mate awoke. He stole a look at the phone and wondered if
he should let anyone know. Layton’s family? Perhaps even Corbin
himself.

No. Layton would decide what to do when he woke up. For now,

Layton needed his rest. If that meant Preston would have him to
himself for a few hours, well, it couldn’t be helped, could it?

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Chapter Two

There was something about being a shape-shifter that didn’t allow

any of them to stay down for long. Layton’s family had always
benefited from particularly strong abilities, and when he opened his
eyes, for a moment there, he couldn’t quite remember why he was in
bed in the first place. Then, a throbbing headache exploded at the
back of Layton’s skull. His throat was dry, and he rubbed his eyes,
struggling against the dizziness.

A glass of water appeared in his line of sight, and Layton snatched

it, gulping down the cool liquid. “Easy,” a gentle voice said. “Take it
easy. You don’t want to make yourself sick.”

Layton obeyed and finished the water slower. He looked at his

companion, surprised when he saw Preston.

“Preston? What? Where am I?”
“You’re at my place,” the lynx replied. “Do you remember what

happened?”

Layton nodded reluctantly. He wished he could forget. He’d had

an argument with Corbin and had been so stupid and angry that he’d
gotten into a car crash. He’d managed to leave his car in time to avoid
getting blown up with it. But after that, everything was a blur. He
could swear that at one point, he’d felt his mate there. His instincts
remembered it. But Corbin didn’t seem to be around. God, he was so
confused.

“I remember the accident, but after that, I can’t figure out much.”
“It’s okay.” Preston reached out to him, took the glass, and placed

it on the nightstand. Their fingers touched briefly in the process,

Scarlet Hyacinth

causing an odd sense of awareness to course through Layton. “You’re
safe now,” Preston added. “Don’t strain yourself. It’s not important.”

Layton shook his head stubbornly. “What about Corbin? Is he

around?”

“He…uh…” Preston fidgeted uncomfortably. “He had to leave for

a bit, but he’s coming right back.”

Layton eyed Preston, sensing the man was hiding something. But

as he looked at Preston, he felt strange. Something inside him was
different. All of a sudden, Preston seemed different.

The lynx had always been a great friend to him, almost like a

brother. He’d been the one Layton had always run to when Corbin
rejected him. Oh, he had other friends he cared about deeply, like
Angel and Clark Williams-Wade. Clark in particular had always been
great to him, and recently, Layton had finally figured out the reason—
Clark’s affection for his adoptive brother. But in spite of all of this, no
one had truly been as comforting as Preston.

This feeling, however, was entirely different. It was like he saw

Preston there and someone else. Intellectually, Layton had always
known Preston was gorgeous, but now, much to his dismay, he found
his body responding to it.

His heart started to race as their gazes met, and his palms began to

sweat. His headache had disappeared completely, but there was a new
ache now of an entirely different nature, this time settled in his groin.
Layton realized in shock that he was hard. Because of Preston.

He might have pulled away, or tried to run. The new sensations

frightened him, and he didn’t know what to make of them. But then,
Preston spoke again. “Layton, are you okay? Do you need me to take
you to the hospital? Talk to me.”

The memory of the same voice whispering different words

slithered through Layton’s consciousness. Just don’t move, lovely. I’ll
take you to a hospital. Realization struck. “Corbin was never here,
was he?” he asked.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Preston ignored his question. “Just lie back down, Layton. The

accident was really bad, and you’re not fully recovered yet.”

His hands were warm as he tried to coax Layton to relax on the

pillows again. It was in that moment that Layton realized he was
naked, with Preston just inches from him. And Preston smelled so
damn good. There were many advantages to being a shifter, and one
of them was detecting arousal. Layton had never really used it, going
so far as shutting it down except with Corbin. But now…Now, every
instinct inside him seemed awake. Just that light touch of the lynx’s
fingers on his shoulders made his head spin, this time with lust. He
couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t hold back.

He pulled Preston closer and crushed his mouth to the other

man’s. Preston gasped, and it gave Layton the opportunity to thrust
his tongue in the lynx’s mouth. His fingers threaded through Preston’s
hair as he tasted Preston, and oh, God, it felt so good and so perfect.
He wanted to go on kissing Preston forever. And Preston kissed him
back almost greedily, as if he couldn’t get enough.

But all too soon, Preston broke away from him. “Layton, what are

you doing?” Preston’s eyes were glazed with passion, but his voice
held an underlining trace of despair. “Calm down. You need to get
some rest.”

“I don’t need to rest,” Layton replied stubbornly. “Please, come

here.”

“I’ll get Corbin for you, okay?” Preston smiled tightly, shaking

his head. “Maybe that’s what you want.”

Layton bit his lip, torn between what his body demanded and what

his mind told him. Corbin was his mate, wasn’t he? Layton had
always known that. Then why…Why did kissing Preston feel so right?

Looking at Preston, he knew it would be foolish and selfish to

demand another kiss. If Preston did indeed want him, it meant putting
them both in a very difficult position, especially with Corbin in the
middle. Besides, remembering what had happened earlier, Layton
wasn’t sure if he could trust himself. It just seemed that Alexis’s

Scarlet Hyacinth

seduction had fucked him over, and he could no longer tell which way
was up.

“No, don’t,” he told Preston hastily. “I’ll be fine. You’re right. I

just…I just need to be alone for a bit.”

Preston didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Layton struggled to offer Preston a smile. “And don’t

tell anyone about the accident yet. I don’t want to worry my family.
They have enough problems already.”

Preston’s expression immediately turned more concerned.

“What’s happened, Layton? Does it have anything to do with why
you came here?”

If there was anyone he could tell about Alexis, it was Preston. It

was very unfair of Layton to straddle Preston with all his problems,
but he found himself blurting it all out, even things that he should
have kept quiet.

“I kissed Corbin for the first time, and he felt good,” he explained,

“but then I kissed you, and it’s better. I don’t know what to do
anymore. Did that incubus break me somehow? I don’t understand a
single thing.”

Preston listened patiently, not making a single sound even when

Layton stupidly compared him with Corbin. Layton only realized
what he’d said after everything was out and off his chest. “Oh, God,
Preston. I shouldn’t have said all that. I…I’m so sorry. I don’t want
you to argue with Corbin on my account.”

Preston sighed. “Don’t worry about me and Corbin, okay? We’ll

be fine, once he gets his head out of his ass. As for me, I’m always
here for you, and I’m happy you chose to trust me with this.”

He smiled, and Layton realized that Preston was, indeed, happy,

but also somewhat sad. He really didn’t know what to say to make it
better. He was such a fuck up.

Much to his shame, he realized his vision was blurring as his eyes

filled with tears. Angrily, he fought his treacherous body. He never
cried. It just wasn’t his way. Breaking down once today was more

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

than enough. Already, he’d embarrassed himself in front of both
Corbin and Preston. Weeping like a damsel in distress would be the
cherry on the cake.

Preston pulled him in his arms, gently shushing him. “It’s okay,

lovely. It’s going to be fine. You need to talk to Alexis, ask him what
he did. I have no doubt that your brother will eventually find him.”

“I suppose.” Layton sniffed, allowing himself to relax in Preston’s

embrace. But that could take forever. What would he do in the
meantime? He couldn’t live with this uncertainty. He’d lose his mind.

Mentally, he tried to retrace his steps to the moment he’d first

realized Corbin was his mate. God, he couldn’t even remember. From
the first moment he’d been aware of his sexuality, he’d been drawn to
Corbin, to his raw sensuality and the way he so effortlessly seduced
everyone around him. He’d been convinced that this pull meant
Corbin was his mate. Could it be something different?

The doubt shook him, threatening to crumble the boundaries of

Layton’s existence. Sure, Layton was his own person, but throughout
his life, he’d always had a few certainties. The love of his parents, his
bond with his twin, his affection for his friends…and Corbin, his
mate. The feeling that he might be mistaken about just one of them
made him want to run away and hide, something he’d never done
before. This was a particularly bad time for this to happen since his
bond with Morgan was also being tested.

Without even realizing he was doing it, Layton climbed into

Preston’s lap. He only figured it out when he felt Preston tense. A
shudder went through Preston’s body as Layton settled into his arms.
Layton couldn’t help a little tremor of his own when he felt Preston’s
hard cock against his ass.

Okay, so there was clearly a powerful attraction between them. At

a different time, Layton might have denied it, but suddenly, he
couldn’t hold back. His reason might be questioning everything he’d
considered real, but his body knew better, and his heart sensed this
was real and true.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Layton didn’t know who reached for whom first. Perhaps they did

so at the same time. It didn’t matter. They were so close to each other
now that they acted as one.

Their lips crushed together, and this time, Layton didn’t allow

himself to overanalyze things. Instead, he surrendered to the passion,
moaning as Preston’s tongue thrust into his mouth. Slowly, Preston
lowered him on the bed, removing the blanket that shielded Layton’s
nudity. Now, only Preston’s clothing separated their bodies. Layton
arched his back, silently demanding to feel the other man’s naked skin
against his own. Preston’s prick nudged against him, and Layton’s
anus clenched with the desire to take it in.

Layton had never been with anyone before. He’d always saved his

first time for his mate, but now, he couldn’t think of any person but
Preston he wanted more. Everything inside him was fully focused on
Preston, and the part of his mind that still worked wondered why he’d
waited until now in the first place.

As Preston’s mouth left his, Layton started to struggle with

Preston’s shirt. “Clothes off. Now.”

At first, Preston seemed agreeable. He took off his top, revealing a

mouthwatering chest and a taut abdomen Layton wanted to lick. But
as Layton’s hands reached for Preston’s pants, Preston hesitated. “We
shouldn’t do this,” he said.

But Layton was on fire. He couldn’t remember why in the world

Preston would be reluctant to touch him. “Why?” he asked as he
peppered Preston’s face with kisses.

“Corbin,” Preston managed to pant out. “I’m not him.”
Layton stopped kissing the lynx and gave Preston a bemused look.

His heated brain couldn’t make sense of Preston’s words. “Of course
you’re not,” he said. “Now, please. Please kiss me. I need you so
badly.”

Something inside Preston seemed to snap. He released a growl

and crashed their mouths together so hard Layton tasted blood. The
kiss from before was nothing compared to this one. Preston simply

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

devoured him, plundering his mouth, ravenous like a wild beast. Their
naked chests rubbed together, Preston’s chest hair teasing Layton’s
nipples, sending shocks of pleasure through his system. Layton could
only submit to Preston’s assault, his mind and body invaded by
sensation.

Preston briefly broke away from him, and Layton dazedly

registered his soon-to-be lover getting rid of his shoes and pants.
Then, Preston was on him again, this time completely nude. Their
bodies made contact fully, from their greedy mouths to their legs and
everything in between. Layton’s cock throbbed so hard it hurt, and he
wildly bucked and rubbed against Preston, seeking friction, looking
for more.

Following his instincts, Layton wrapped a leg around Preston’s

waist, allowing the other man access to his nether opening. Preston’s
hand traveled over his flanks, down his hip, until it reached his
buttocks. His fingers rubbed Layton’s opening, just teasing at the
hole, a promise for more.

Layton tried to push back against the digits, but Preston pulled

away before he could do anything. Pressing another brief kiss on
Layton’s lips, he directed his attention toward the nightstand. “Gimme
a second,” he said.

A second passed, then two. Preston grew increasingly agitated as

he rummaged through the nightstand. “Just let me…I have it here
somewhere.” He cursed and huffed in frustration. Layton was amused
at their predicament, but he also wanted to be fucked, right that
instant.

“Preston,” he said pleadingly. “Hurry.”
“I am. I just don’t do this a lot.”
The tone was matter of fact, not apologetic or even embarrassed.

Layton found himself pleased that Preston didn’t take a lot of lovers
to his bed. He must have made some satisfied noise because Preston
stopped his erratic searching and gave Layton a look. “Lovely? Are
you sure about this? Because we can still stop, you know.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Layton held Preston’s gaze. “No, we can’t because neither of us

wants to.”

He couldn’t have been clearer about his desires if he tried. Preston

nodded, and Layton’s certainty must have fueled his own resolve. He
reached into the nightstand and finally came up with a tube of
lubricant with striking ease.

Layton could have sobbed in relief when Preston reached for him

again. He lifted his legs high up, exposing his opening to Preston.
“Come on, Pres,” he whispered huskily. “Take me.”

Preston grinned at him, and his predatory expression made Layton

shudder in lust. The lynx opened the tube of lubricant and poured a
liberal amount on his fingers. He crawled between Layton’s legs, his
eyes never leaving Layton’s. “You are so very beautiful,” he
murmured as he slid a digit inside Layton’s body. “So fucking
lovely.”

Slowly, Preston fucked Layton with that single finger until he

seemed to ascertain Layton wasn’t in pain. A second one went in.
This time, Layton experienced a light burn, but it pooled straight into
his cock.

Hypnotized by Preston’s blue gaze, Layton was shocked when his

new lover’s fingers hit his special spot. Layton had touched himself
before there, but Preston’s fingers felt so much better. With a lost cry,
Layton bucked against Preston, trying to impale himself, to get more
of the delicious sensation.

Preston mercilessly rubbed his prostate, sending Layton closer and

closer to his peak. Just as Layton thought it couldn’t get any better,
Preston moved lower down, and his wet mouth engulfed Layton’s
cock. Layton’s eyes rolled in his head as pleasure exploded over his
senses. He’d never felt anything so good in his entire life. The
volcanic heat of Preston’s mouth was pure heaven, and Layton was
torn between thrusting into the wet cavern and pushing back against
the impaling fingers.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

He writhed under Preston, his body assaulted by sensations and by

an ever-increasing need to become one with the lynx. He ached to
come, but at the same time, he wanted to have Preston inside him so
badly that the pure carnal urge was like background noise. It was a
blend of feelings and emotions that Layton could not even begin to
grasp. He clenched his fists into the bedspread, struggling to hold
back his climax, clinging to this moment.

And then Preston took his cock fully into his mouth and

swallowed around the glans. Layton could not hope to resist the
onslaught of pleasure. Crying out Preston’s name, he came, sending
his seed down Preston’s throat. Preston drank down every drop,
sucking on Layton’s cock until it was completely spent.

Panting hard, Layton stared at his lover in a daze. “You okay?”

Preston asked.

“I think my mind just melted,” Layton replied, “but I’m better

than ever.”

Preston beamed at him, although Layton noticed the slight strain

in it. From this position, he couldn’t see Preston’s prick, but Layton
could have bet money the lynx was still hard as a rock. Layton could
not imagine anything better than Preston’s naked cock, and
predictably, his own dick responded to it, already starting to fill again.
His lover arched a brow at him, but Layton just grinned. “Come on,
lover. You know what I want.”

Preston moved faster than the human eye could see. Layton could

only keep track of his new lover’s motions because he was a shifter,
and God, Layton could only be thankful for that because Preston was
sex incarnate. He slicked up his cock with a generous amount of lube
then lifted Layton’s legs on his shoulders. He positioned his prick at
Layton’s hole and gently, slowly, pushed in.

In spite of his arousal, Layton was still very relaxed from his first

climax. His body yielded to the invasion, his flesh parting to
accommodate Preston’s big cock. Oh, it hurt. After all, how could it
not? This was the first time Layton had taken anyone inside his body.

Scarlet Hyacinth

But it was a good pain, balanced out by the ecstasy, making Layton
feel complete. It was almost like when his dad used to make honey
ginger shrimp, Layton’s favorite food since forever. It had so many
flavors and textures that Layton could eat it every day and never get
bored. This feeling was like that, only better, so much better,
indescribably so, as if he’d finally found the part of him that had been
missing.

Preston bottomed out, his pubic hair tickling against Layton’s

buttocks. For a few moments, he just stilled inside Layton, panting in
Layton’s ear, the desire to move obvious in his tense stance. Layton
appreciated Preston’s concern for him, but he didn’t need to be
coddled. He wanted to be fucked.

Meeting Preston’s gaze, he whispered, “I’m fine. Just take me.”
To prove his point, he clenched his ass around Preston’s cock.

Preston released a sexy groan. “You’re going to be the death of me,
lovely.”

Those words were the only warning Layton had before his lover

pulled out from his body then thrust back in, so hard Layton couldn’t
suppress a cry. After the gentleness with which Preston had entered
him, the change was quite shocking. At the same time, the motion
awoke every nerve ending in Layton’s body, even some he hadn’t
known existed.

Over and over, Preston drove into him, his cock filling Layton up

perfectly, stretching him and splitting him open in the most delicious
way. Whenever that thick prick hit Layton’s prostate, Layton thought
he’d fallen into some sinful version of heaven. The sensations
coursing through him were simply out of this world, and if he hadn’t
known better, Layton would have believed it was all a dream. But no
figment of Layton’s imagination could ever be so vivid, so amazing,
and so utterly flawless.

Layton clung to Preston’s shoulders in a desperate attempt to find

an anchor in a world that was quickly ceasing to make sense.
Distantly, he registered Preston murmuring soft words in his ear. He

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

couldn’t quite distinguish their meaning, but simply Preston’s tone
added another layer of sensation. Preston’s voice was like a palpable
caress, reaching out to the depths of Layton’s heart where a physical
touch could not. And Preston’s eyes…God, his eyes seemed to see
into Layton’s very soul.

In the circumstances, it came as no surprise that soon, Layton was

on the brink of orgasm again. He sensed the pressure inside Preston,
knew his lover was right there with him. At the same time, Layton
caught a brief flash of something in Preston’s eyes, a need that Layton
felt echoing inside him. It passed without either of them
acknowledging it. One more thrust, one more cry, and Layton
exploded in the most intense climax of his life. His ass clenched
around Preston’s cock, and his lover roared in ecstasy. Streams of hot
spunk filled Layton’s channel as Preston found his peak as well.

After that, there were no words. Preston collapsed next to Layton,

the both of them still riding the aftermath of the incredible orgasm.
For a few precious instants, Layton’s mind was clear of all thoughts,
other than Oh, my God, Preston. Oh, my God. So good.

But when the haze of the climax began to dwindle, the realization

of what they’d just done struck. Layton waited for the guilt to come,
but it didn’t. Instead, a strange feeling of confusion hit him. Why had
he given his virginity to Preston, when all this time, he’d been waiting
for Corbin? Why did that choice feel so right? Why did Preston’s
warmth by his side seem so comforting?

It couldn’t all be Alexis’s power. Layton refused to believe it. He

well remembered the way he’d felt when Alexis had kissed him, and
while it had been good, it was also nothing like this.

Seemingly oblivious to Layton’s thoughts, Preston got up and

gave him a shocked, ashamed look. “God, lovely. I’m…so sorry. I
lost it. I took advantage. Fuck.”

Layton silenced Preston with a finger. “Don’t say you’re sorry.

I’m not.” He was confused because of it, but the emotion could not be
denied. “I can’t say I fully understand it, but I’m not sorry.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“Do you…Do you think it’s because of Alexis?” Preston asked

with a dark look.

“I don’t know,” Layton replied, “but I intend to find out.”
Preston nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Can you stay for a

while longer? At least, until you fully recover.”

Layton knew he probably shouldn’t, but he couldn’t say no. “I’d

love to,” he whispered. Pressing a brief kiss to Preston’s lips, he
relaxed on the pillows. Sleep came to him faster than he expected.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Chapter Three

Two months later

“So let me get this straight,” Morgan said, arching a brow at

Layton. “You slept with Preston, even if you’ve always said Corbin is
your mate. You were in a car accident, and you never saw it fit to tell
me. In fact, you’ve been fretting over this alone for the past weeks.”

Layton shrugged guiltily. “You had too much on your mind

already,” he said. “You didn’t need to worry about me, too.”

Alexis sighed. “Morgan is your brother, Layton. He’s always

going to worry about you, whether you like it or not. Hell, even Rhys
gets concerned about me, and we’ve never been so close as you two
are.” The incubus paused. “Do your parents know about this?”

“They know about the accident.” Layton winced as he

remembered that particular conversation. “It couldn’t be helped since
the car blew up. Dad was so upset that I thought he was going to lock
me up in my room and never let me out.”

“I can’t blame them,” Morgan replied, shaking his head. “And

what about Preston?”

Layton shook his head. He couldn’t imagine burdening his parents

with his doubts. Morgan’s situation had been in the forefront of
everyone’s minds recently, and Layton didn’t want to be selfish and
add his own problems to the mix.

Of course, this whole thing had been going on for quite a while

now, even from before Layton’s family had found out Alexis was
pregnant with Morgan’s child. Now, Elian was born, and Layton still

Scarlet Hyacinth

hadn’t reached a decision with regard to his own issues. It was
childish and his treatment of Preston had quickly become unfair.

Morgan frowned at him, obviously thinking the same thing. “All

right. I’m not going to pressure you to talk to them until you feel
ready. So what happened after that?”

“Well, I left Preston’s the next day, and I eventually came back

here. I haven’t seen either of them since then. We talk on the phone,
but…It’s awkward. He hasn’t mentioned us having sex, and I think he
must believe it was a one-time thing.” Layton gave Alexis a pleading
look as he finished his tale. “What should I do?”

The incubus seemed thoughtful. “Well, you definitely need to talk

to them again. Like I said, my powers couldn’t have influenced
something that was meant to be, like your mating.”

Layton rubbed his eyes tiredly. “I know. You already said that.

But…I’m still stuck.”

Alexis’s son, Elian, cooed in his crib, interrupting their

conversation. Alexis took the young boy in his arms, rocking him
lightly. They made a beautiful picture, and Layton couldn’t help but
be a bit jealous of his brother’s good fortune.

As if guessing his thoughts, Morgan walked to Alexis’s side and

kissed the incubus’s cheek. “You know, brother, there’s one thing
about this situation that strikes me as familiar. Alexis and I fucked up.
That’s clear. You know it as well as we do.”

“Because of that, we nearly lost Elian,” Alexis added. “We nearly

lost ourselves. So you need to think about what you really want. If
you stay here and hide, you’ll never figure it out.”

They were right, Layton knew that, and he felt guilty for his own

selfishness. Alexis had almost been killed, and it was only the
incubus’s bond with Morgan that had saved him and their son. Just
earlier that day, Alexis’s would-be killer, Sophia, had finally left the
United States, sent to her own kind, where her elder would deal with
her madness. Shortly after her yacht had disappeared into distant
waters, Alexis had approached him. Unexpectedly, he’d grabbed

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Layton’s arm, pulled him away and said, “Now, tell me what’s on
your mind. Hiding won’t help, but maybe I can.”

Layton had jumped at the occasion. As he and his family had

returned from the harbor, he’d told his tale, reliving everything that
had happened after Alexis’s seduction. Simply having it all out,
telling it to his twin and his twin’s mate, made it seem much more
real.

Alexis had been correct in his assessment of the situation. Hiding

didn’t help, and in the past two months, it was what Layton had done.
He’d found refuge in trying to fix his relationship with his twin and
his brother-in-law. But he could no longer deny that he had a big
problem, and every day that passed made him feel more and more
miserable.

“You’re right, of course,” Layton told Alexis. “I just don’t know

how I can face them.”

“I need to ask you something, Layton,” Alexis said seriously.

“You…You did use protection, right?”

Layton’s mind went blank. When Preston had taken him, Layton

had been too focused on his ongoing personal drama to think about
anything else. Now that Morgan had mentioned it, he finally realized
how irresponsible he’d been.

Like his dad, Layton was a seahorse. If from his shark father,

Byron, Layton had inherited strong powers, his dad, Skylar, had given
him the ability to give birth. Sadly, Layton had completely forgotten
about it. This meant that he might be carrying Preston’s child now and
not even know about it.

“I…I didn’t.” Preston’s mind whirled. “But surely, I’d had

realized it if something was different. I mean…I remember Dad gave
birth to Morgan and me in a couple of months. I should have at least
gained some weight in two months.”

“Yes, but you’re not a seahorse, Lay,” Morgan explained. “You’re

half-shark. That’s bound to make any pregnancy last longer. God only
knows how the lynx genes would mix up into this.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Oh, fuck. Oh, shit. Morgan was right. Thinking back, Preston

could objectively identify certain mood swings he’d assumed were
connected to the dismal state of his love life. Foods he’d liked before
now made him sick, and he couldn’t quite get his stomach to agree on
what he wanted to eat.

“Jesus, Morgan.” A baby was the last thing he needed in such a

complicated situation. “I really messed up.”

It occurred to Layton then that Alexis wouldn’t have asked the

question just because. Incubi had strange powers, some of which
Layton still couldn’t fully understand. “Alexis? Do you…? Am I…?
Can you tell?”

“I can’t be sure now,” Alexis replied. “It might be just my own

mistaken impression. But…There seems to be something there. I’d
advise you to check, just in case.”

Layton didn’t have to check. All of a sudden, he knew that Alexis

was right, and he truly was pregnant with Preston’s child. He buried
his face in his hands. What was he going to do now? The situation had
already been complicated enough with him not being able to figure
out which one of the two brothers was his mate.

He felt Alexis’s and Morgan’s gazes on him and, almost absently,

reached for his belly. Renewed decision coursed through him. Alexis
was right. He could no longer stay here and hide behind his family.
He owed it to his unborn child, and to Preston and Corbin, to figure
things out. Preston in particular deserved to know he was going to be
a father.

Shaking himself, Layton got up. “You’re completely correct. I’m

going to find out if I’m truly pregnant. And then I’ll talk to them.
They deserve that much.”

Morgan nodded, his expression somber. Alexis’s look was,

however, gentle. He handed Elian to Morgan and made his way to
Layton’s side.

Layton looked at the incubus, a bit confused. He’d long ago left

behind Alexis’s seduction of him, knowing it had been a product of

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

misguided emotions and self-doubt from Alexis’s part. Still, the
relationship between the two of them was still somewhat confusing
since they couldn’t exactly settle on a balance of emotions.

Then Alexis wrapped his arms around Layton, engulfing him in a

tight embrace. “You’re a very brave man,” Alexis whispered in his
ear. “I know you can do whatever you set your mind to, and we will
be here for whatever you need.”

Layton tentatively hugged Alexis back. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Alexis released him from the embrace and beamed. “Go on. Talk

to your parents. I’m sure they’ll want to know they might be
grandparents again.”

Layton smiled back and, with a wave toward his brother and

Alexis, left the room. It wasn’t hard to find his parents. His senses
could easily detect their familiar presences. Layton headed toward his
father’s office, and he was not surprised when the door opened just as
he reached it.

“Hello, honey,” his dad told him. “Something wrong?”
His parents always had an uncanny knack of knowing whenever

he had a problem. In fact, they’d called him just shortly after his one
time with Preston, or rather, they’d called Preston because they hadn’t
been able to reach neither him nor Corbin. They’d also realized
something weighed heavily on his mind these past weeks, although
they’d allowed him his privacy.

“I wanted to talk to you about something, if you have time.”
“Of course,” his father said, gesturing him inside the office. “We

always have time for you.”

Layton sat down on the couch, fidgeting uncomfortably as he

struggled to find a way to begin. It wasn’t that he feared his parents
would not accept his baby. He knew better than that. But the situation
didn’t imply only his child. It also involved the baby’s father, and on
that side, things could get messy.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Layton shook himself. If he and Alexis were right, hiding it would

soon not be an option, and his parents needed to know. “I’m
pregnant,” he blurted out.

For a few moments, his parents just stared at him. “Pregnant?”

Byron repeated at last. “Did I hear that right?”

Layton nodded. “I’m not sure, to be honest. But…it’s very

possible.”

“Who was it?” Skylar asked softly.
“I can’t tell you that.” Layton would have liked to come clean and

confess, but it would just complicate things further, especially since
he himself wasn’t sure of his own feelings.

Skylar looked very pale. “Did someone…Did someone force

you?”

Layton gaped at his seahorse dad. It had never occurred to him

that they could interpret things that way. “No!” he said, far more
vehemently than he even intended. “It was consensual.”

His shark father slammed a fist into his desk. “Then it must have

been Corbin. He might be Garth’s son, but that son of bitch will take
responsibility for what he’s done.”

“No!” Layton shouted again. “It wasn’t Corbin. There’s someone

else…”

Comprehension dawned on his dad’s face. “You said that once

before, didn’t you? That you cared for someone other than Corbin.”

Layton nodded. “I’m really not sure about anything right now, but

I need to know if I truly am carrying a baby, and if that’s true,
whether or not you’ll support me in this.”

“Oh, honey.” His dad embraced him tightly. “Of course. A baby is

a gift in any circumstances.”

“But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”As always, Byron was the

voice of reason. You’re coming with us to the clinic right this
moment.”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

His tone came out quite curt, and Layton couldn’t help but wince.

He hated disappointing his parents. They’d been his idols all his life.
The baby he carried might be a gift, but obviously an unwelcome one.

“Byron,” his dad snapped at his father, “calm down. You’re not

making things any easier.”

A sigh sounded, and then Layton’s father made his way to

Layton’s side. “I’m sorry, son,” he said. “It’s just…” He seemed to be
struggling for words, something that Layton understood quite well.

“What your father means is that we’d have liked this moment to

be flawless, for you to have your mate by your side and enjoy these
months together,” Skylar explained. “I wanted that for both you and
your brother. But whether that happens or not, we’ll always be here
for you. Okay?”

Layton barely managed to suppress his tears. “Thanks.”
His dad waved his gratitude away. “Now come on. Your father is

right about one thing. You need to see a doctor.”

* * * *

Layton left the car in front of Corbin’s auto shop. “Are you sure

you want to do this alone?” Morgan asked from the driver’s seat.

Layton nodded. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “Go on to the dorm. I’ll call

you if I need you to come pick me up.”

Morgan didn’t look convinced, but nodded. Layton closed the

door of the car and headed inside the building without looking behind.
He heard his brother drive off and suppressed the irrational desire to
run after him.

In a way, he felt guilty because he’d allowed Morgan to come

with him. Morgan should be at home with Alexis and their son, not
holding Layton’s hand while he attempted to sort the mess that was
his love life. But both Morgan and Alexis had insisted. For his part,
Layton had drawn the line before his twin decided to be there when he
talked to the two lynx brothers as well.

Scarlet Hyacinth

He dragged his feet into the auto shop, half wanting Corbin not to

be there. He just wanted to get this visit over with and then go see
Preston. Wasn’t that telling?

But there were so many questions in Layton’s mind, the most

important one being whether or not he was using Preston as a crutch
because Corbin had betrayed him.

He didn’t see Corbin in the main part of the shop, but the door to

the side office opened just after had Layton taken a few more steps.

“Hey, Layton.” Corbin’s expression was one of relief, guilt, and

apprehension. “How have you been?”

Layton studied Corbin’s handsome face, mentally comparing him

to Preston. He frowned. What had he seen about Corbin that was so
irresistible? True, Corbin was gorgeous, and his handsomeness
reached out to Layton’s libido. But thinking back, remembering
Preston’s kisses, that feeling of dim arousal was empty.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ve been with my family. You know Morgan is

a dad now.”

He didn’t mention he himself would have a child soon. The doctor

had officially confirmed it. After they’d gotten over their slight
dismay and shock, his parents had become thrilled and doted on
Layton like crazy. It was only at Morgan’s insistence that they’d
allowed him to come here in the first place.

“I’ve heard, yes.” Corbin smiled tightly. “Preston told me. He also

told me about your accident.”

Layton supposed that it was bound to happen since Preston had

still been very pissed at his brother when Layton had gone. “It was
nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Corbin shook his head, his shoulders slumping. “It was all my

fault. If I hadn’t treated you that way…God, you can’t imagine how
sorry I am.” Corbin gave him a pleading look. “I’ve seriously never
considered you as my mate. Perhaps I was wrong. Look, I broke up
with Cherise. And if you’d just teach me…”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Layton stared at the lynx, giving the words time to compute. He

couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Corbin was actually
considering mating Layton because he felt guilty.

A few months back, Layton would have punched Corbin. The

mere suggestion was humiliating. It felt like a pity fuck, and a selfish
offer from Corbin’s part, whether the lynx realized it or not. But now,
Layton had reached a realization, and it allowed him to stay calm.

“You’re an idiot,” he shot back. “I don’t want to be your mate. I

don’t think I ever did.”

Corbin gaped at him. “You can’t be serious. Layton!”
Layton stopped Corbin with a raised hand. “No, look. I’m sorry

I’ve been stalking you all this time. I don’t know why, but I was
convinced that you were my mate. But recent events have made me
realize I was wrong. So, let’s say we’re even and shake hands, okay?”

It was true. In the end, Layton had been haunting Corbin’s steps

for many years now, and Corbin’s reckless, insulting words were
nothing compared to that.

Corbin reached for his hand, still looking doubtful. “If you’re

sure.”

It was strange that Corbin questioned Layton, especially now,

when Layton had finally found a certainty again. Oh, he still couldn’t
understand many things, but one was absolutely clear. He’d been
mistaken about one of the most important aspects of his life. He had
no idea how that was even possible since he’d always been convinced
shape-shifters could identify their mate on sight. But whatever the
reason, Alexis’s powers seemed to have snapped him out of that
mistake, and Layton intended to make use of this chance.

He nodded and smiled at Corbin. “Take care, okay? I’ll be off.”
“Are you leaving again?”
Layton shook his head. “I need to talk to Preston.”
“Ah.” Thankfully, Corbin didn’t ask what Layton meant to tell

Preston. Instead, he asked, “Could you put in a good word for me?

Scarlet Hyacinth

We’ve been at odd and ends with each other for weeks. I really need
him to hear me out.”

“I’ll tell him.” Layton squeezed Corbin’s shoulder. “Don’t worry

about it. He’s your brother, and he loves you. He’ll come around.”

They said their good-byes, and Layton left the auto shop, heading

toward Preston’s home and business. The bookstore was open, and
Preston was behind the counter, seemingly going through some
paperwork.

He looked up as Layton came in. Butterflies fluttered their wings

angrily in Layton’s stomach. How could he have missed this? It
seemed impossible.

“Hi, Preston,” he croaked out.
Preston beamed at him, although his eyes were a little sad. “Hey,

Layton. Welcome back. So, did you make up with Corbin?”

“I suppose I did, in a way.” Layton shook himself, knowing he

wasn’t making much sense. He also realized that he’d visited Corbin
first could easily be misinterpreted. Layton owed Preston a huge
apology. In fact, he didn’t know if he could ever make it up to the
lynx. “Preston, I want to tell you something, but I really don’t know
where to begin.”

Preston’s expression softened. “With the beginning, of course.

Wait, let me just close the shop down so we can talk calmly.”

Layton was thankful when Preston placed the “closed” sign on the

door. There were so many things he wanted to tell Preston, but when
he was finally faced with it, he thought that he might not be able to do
so. It occurred to Layton then that, in spite of them having sex,
Preston might not want him for a mate. After all, Layton had fucked
up once. How could he be trusted to not make a mistake?

Layton gestured him to a couch, and as they sat down, Layton

reached out to Preston and took his lover’s hand. “I need to ask you
something.”

“Whatever you want,” Preston replied in a startled tone. “What is

it, Layton?”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

“Do you…Do you think I’m your mate?”
The lynx tensed visibly. “That’s an unfair question,” Preston said

in a pained tone.

“I know. Just be honest. Please. It’s very important.”
Preston looked away from him. For a few excruciatingly long

moments, he remained silent. Then he met Layton’s gaze again. “I’ve
known you’re my mate for years, lovely,” he replied, his voice not
shaking one bit. “I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but
yes, I am convinced that’s true.”

A sense of relief flooded Layton, and this time, he couldn’t stop

his tears. He pounced on Preston, hugging him tight and blurting out,
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.”

Preston held him patiently until finally Layton ran out of

apologies. He broke away from Preston and wiped his eyes,
embarrassed about his outburst. It was official. This pregnancy had
his emotions even more erratic than usual. “Sorry,” he said again.

“Okay, you already told me that.” Preston seemed puzzled. “Care

to tell me what you’re even sorry about?”

“All this time, I’ve been convinced Corbin was my mate, but in

fact, it was you. You were the one for me, and I couldn’t see it.” He
clenched his fists, frustrated with himself for his blindness. “Can you
ever forgive me? Can you give me a second chance or have I ruined
things up beyond help?”

“Layton, lovely, please don’t fuck with me.” Preston’s voice was

calm, and the profanity sounded almost out of context. “Don’t say
anything you don’t mean.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you,” Layton replied. He swallowed around

the knot in his throat and looked down at his hands. “I really can’t
imagine how it must have been like for you. I mean…Knowing that.
With me being such an idiot jerk.”

“Sure you can.” Preston’s tone was too kind to be dismissive.

“After all, my brother did the same thing to you.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

And didn’t that put things into perspective? Layton had hated

every single time Corbin had pushed him away for someone else. If
he’d been someone else, he would have cried himself to sleep for half
of his mature life.

“I deserve it,” he said. “You don’t.”
“Let’s not play the blame game now,” Preston said. “No one ever

wins, and I’m not exactly an angel, either.” His fingers landed on
Layton’s chin, forcing Layton’s head up. Their eyes met again and
Preston smiled. “Hi.”

Layton’s self-flagellation began to dim when faced with that

bright expression. “Hello,” he replied stupidly.

“Tell me, lovely,” Layton said huskily, “do you really mean this?

Did I hear you right? Do you think I’m your mate?”

“I know so.” Preston looked like he wanted to say something, but

Layton stopped him. “Please, listen. I won’t deny I wanted Corbin. I
wanted him very badly. But…compared to that, this…It’s different
somehow. It’s like that need I had for him was empty, fake. I can’t
explain it. Maybe it was just lust and I confused it with something
else.”

“Maybe.” Preston licked his lips. “Are you sure, though? It isn’t

because of Corbin being an ass?”

“You know, I asked myself that same question. It’s why I went to

see him again. I wanted to know how I truly felt about him.”

Preston’s blue gaze pierced into his very soul. “And you got your

answer.”

Layton nodded. “I want you to claim me, Preston. If you still think

you can give me a chance, if I haven’t fucked this up beyond repair, I
want you to claim me.”

Preston released a sound that seemed like a cross between a growl

and a sob. Before Layton even knew what was going on, his lover, no,
his mate, shot to his feet and pulled him up. Layton found himself
draped over Preston’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He might have
protested—there were still many things they hadn’t discussed—but

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

then Preston’s hand caressed his bottom, lingering over the crease,
and Layton’s mind and body went into “fuck now” mode.

Preston carried him upstairs into the same small apartment they’d

first made love in. It was tiny, but comfortable and cozy, with that
lived-in look. Most importantly, it was all Preston, with books
cluttering every available space and plenty of couches and armchairs
available for any reader who wanted to cuddle up with one of the
volumes or, alternatively, for a couple who couldn’t wait to get to the
bed. There was even a fireplace, a lingering trace of the age of the
building. It was hardly practical this day and age, but Layton’s parents
owned one, confirming Layton’s theory that his father was a closet
romantic. It seemed Preston shared this trait because the remnants of a
fire still burned there.

Preston made for the bedroom, but Layton poked him. “The

fireplace,” he said.

Preston snickered. “Your wish is my command,” he replied, his

voice filled with gravel.

There was a fur rug in front of the fireplace, but thankfully it was

fake. Layton didn’t fancy fucking on a dead animal, and it seemed
neither did Preston. The lynx deposited Layton on the fur, and Layton
relaxed as he waited to see what his mate would do.

Preston tossed a couple of logs in the fireplace, seeming to avoid

looking at Layton. When a joyful flame blazed, Preston turned toward
Layton again. There was something in his eyes, a sort of disbelief, as
if he couldn’t quite fathom the concept of Layton truly being there.
Layton smiled at him. “Come to me, Pres. Claim me.”

When Preston didn’t move, Layton took it upon himself to prepare

a more irresistible invitation. He started unbuttoning his shirt, hiding a
smirk when Layton’s gaze followed his every motion. Once he
revealed his chest, he advanced to his lower garments. He got rid of
his shoes then slowly began to lower his zipper.

Preston released a gurgling sound. Clothes started flying off, but

unlike Layton, Preston didn’t bother with a slow strip. Seams ripped

Scarlet Hyacinth

and material tore as Preston made short work of his outfit. Layton
didn’t even know where his mate’s shoes landed because a few
moments later, Preston was on him, pressing their mouths together,
and technicalities ceased to matter.

With their lips still fused, Preston helped Layton out of his jeans.

At last, they were both naked, skin to skin, rubbing against each other,
seeking the pleasure they could only find through their bond. Layton
didn’t know how he could have ever doubted the identity of his mate.
It seemed so obvious now, and the relief just added to the pleasure he
felt at Preston’s touch.

Preston’s tongue made love to Layton’s mouth, wildly, sweetly,

taking and giving. His hands roamed over Layton’s skin, mapping
every inch of him, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Layton could
only surrender to his mate’s masterful touch. He wrapped his arms
around Preston’s neck, pulling the other man closer.

They only broke apart to breathe, and then the kisses and the

touches started all over again. At one point, Preston decided tasting
Layton’s mouth was not enough and proceeded to explore the rest of
Layton’s body with his tongue.

He sucked on Layton’s Adam’s apple, seemingly finding great

enjoyment in licking across the hollow of his neck. All the while, his
hands never stopped kneading, touching, loving. Every caress
appeared to be engineered to drive Layton crazy.

Lower down Preston went, until he reached Layton’s nipples.

When Preston’s mouth enclosed around the tight buds, Layton pushed
up, arching against Preston with a silent cry. Preston chuckled, and
the light vibration only served to augment the pleasure. Layton’s skin
was engulfed by flame, a hotter one than could ever burn in the
fireplace. If Preston didn’t claim him soon, he’d certainly die.

Preston’s tongue traveled from his nipples over his abdomen until

it hovered over Layton’s prick. Instead of going where Layton most
wanted him, though, Preston bypassed Layton’s cock and buried his

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

nose in Layton’s pubic hair. He inhaled deeply, as if he couldn’t get
enough of Layton’s scent.

Layton’s entire body trembled with the effort to remain still. But

as Preston started mouthing Layton’s balls, it was getting increasingly
hard to maintain his resolve. Preston’s teasing licks swept over
Layton’s wrinkled sac, and Layton writhed on the fur rug, the slight,
artificial hairs rubbing against his oversensitized skin.

And then, all of a sudden, Preston took Layton’s cock in his

mouth. Throughout the past weeks, Layton had relived his first time
with Preston often until he’d almost begun to believe that he was
embellishing reality, and it couldn’t have been that good. It was
better. Now that Layton had truly accepted Preston as his mate, his
heart opened up to all the pleasure Preston offered. He thought that he
could almost feel Preston’s pleasure, so close, yet so far away, just
like his own orgasm.

His mate tortured him, the sensual suction a delicious agony.

Layton hovered over the precipice of an amazing climax, his gaze
fixed on the sinful sight of Preston bobbing his head up and down,
when the wet heat around his prick vanished.

Preston shot to his feet and rushed away from him. Dazed, Layton

couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, and he experienced a
brief moment of fear when he actually thought Preston had changed
his mind. However, that panic faded when Preston returned to him,
carrying a tube of lubricant.

Preston dropped on the furs, his grin all but feral. “Come here,

lovely.”

The temptation to obey was very strong, but as much as Layton

would have liked to let his mate devour him, the urgency inside him
didn’t allow it. Layton snatched the lubricant from Preston, finding
secret satisfaction when his mate’s eyes widened. He pushed Preston
down and opened the tube of lubricant. He squirted a liberal amount
on his fingers and reached over to Preston’s cock.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Preston hissed at his touch. “Fuck, lovely. If you keep on doing

that, I won’t be able to hold back.”

“I don’t want you to,” Layton replied. He coated Preston’s prick

with the slick liquid. When he was satisfied, he reached behind
himself and inserted two fingers inside his own passage. His own
touch was a poor substitute for Preston’s, but Layton had completely
run out of patience. It just seemed like he’d waited to have Preston
forever, and the foreplay had only increased the tension inside of him.

“Fuck, lovely.” Preston cursed under his breath. “If you could see

yourself. You’re so beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Layton breathed out. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
The final words came out as a moan as he accidentally brushed his

fingers over his prostate. It was so good, but oh, not enough. The only
thing that could get him off was Preston fucking him, preferably hard
and fast.

With that in mind, Layton removed his fingers out of his own ass.

Holding his mate’s gaze, he positioned himself over Preston’s prick.
Preston’s hands landed on his hips and steadied him. With the lynx’s
help, Layton’s slowly lowered his body over Preston’s cock.

His consciousness dissolved into pure pleasure as Preston’s dick

pierced him. The feeling of being impaled, stretched to the maximum,
took over his senses. Layton thought that surely, he could not take the
whole of his mate’s cock, even if he’d been proven wrong before. But
with each second that passed, more of Layton’s hard prick penetrated
him, until, at last, he bottomed out, feeling Preston’s pubic hair
against his ass.

Preston didn’t move a muscle, the only signs that betrayed his

need the strain in his jaw and the heat in his eyes. He allowed Layton
to get used to the feeling of being invaded. Layton was thankful for it,
not because the penetration hurt. There was some discomfort, but not
enough to deter Layton. However, if Preston moved now, it would all
be over before it began. Layton was so close to coming he could feel
the orgasm already buzzing through him.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

He took a few moments and consciously pushed the pleasure

back. Then, slowly, he lifted his hips and, in one hard motion,
impaled himself on Preston’s cock once again. They both gasped at
the same time. The heat, the friction, the mere sensation of being
joined with his mate in the most intimate way two men could be, they
all got to Layton’s brain, threatening his already frayed control.

Thankfully, from that point on, Preston took over. With a growl,

he started thrusting inside Layton’s ass. Layton met his every move,
riding Preston’s cock furiously. Preston guided him down harder and
harder, his hands clenching around Layton’s naked hips. Claws
pressed against Layton’s fresh, and he loved the realization that at
last, Preston had let go and lost control with him.

They lost themselves in the rhythm, in the passion and the pure

perfection of the moment. Layton fucked himself on Preston’s prick
harder and harder, his cries rising in volume, joining Preston’s grunts.
And still, Layton hung on, instinctively knowing there was something
else he needed.

All of a sudden, Preston pushed him back against the furs,

changing their position. His cock never left Layton’s body. He started
pounding Layton so hard the fur rug threatened to leave burns on
Preston’s back. Every thrust of the lynx’s cock against his prostate
sent him flying closer to heaven. Preston thrashed under his mate,
now out of his mind with the need to come.

At last, Preston took pity on him. Sharp fangs suddenly struck,

embedding themselves in Layton’s neck. A scream echoed in the
room. Layton thought it might have been uttered by him, but he
couldn’t be sure. His mind and body were swallowed by a supernova
of ecstasy, too intense for him to hope to contain or even survive.

His consciousness began to fade into something different, and

Layton actually felt his connection with Preston click into place. He
sensed the moment Preston came, both through his own body and
through their mind bond. Streams of hot spunk filled Preston’s
channel just as incredible pleasure exploded over him, Preston’s

Scarlet Hyacinth

pleasure. It was both carnal and spiritual, and if Layton had kept any
doubts regarding Preston being his mate, their shared climax swept
them all aside. Their thoughts, memories, and emotions came
together, and for a single, perfect moment, they were one.

Alas, nothing quite so beautiful could last forever. Finally, the

nirvana began to fade into a pleasant afterglow. As they both started
to recover, Preston startled Layton by saying one word. “Pregnant?”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Chapter Four

“I’m sorry,” Layton said for the millionth time that day as he

absently stirred his cup. “I was going to tell you. I just got distracted.”

They’d gotten dressed and Preston had made them both hot

chocolate, hoping the brew would smooth the way through an
obviously difficult conversation.

They sat together in front of the still-roaring fire. Preston had

some trouble processing the fact that he was going to be a father.
He’d just gotten a few facts from his bond with Layton, and he didn’t
know how this pregnancy had happened.

Layton’s apologetic expression turned a bit amused. “How do you

think it happened?” he asked teasingly. Apparently, he’d heard
Preston’s mental confusion. This connection would take some time to
get used to.

“So, it’s true then,” Preston said. “You are going to have my

baby.”

Layton nodded. “Yes. I mmmfff—”
Preston cut off whatever Layton wanted to say with a kiss. He

honestly felt like he’d won ten lotteries the same day. At last, the
impossible had happened. He was mated with Layton, and they had a
mind link. And to top it off, soon, Preston would be a father.

Unlike before, the passion in the kiss was restrained and satisfied,

a celebration rather than an urgency. Preston broke away, giving his
mate an anxious look. “Tell me everything. Have you seen a doctor?”
His eyes widened as realization struck. “Were you even supposed to
be having sex?”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Layton snorted. “Calm down. According to the doctor, my

pregnancy could last anything from two months to two years, but it
seems to be leaning toward the longer side of the spectrum. And as
long as I don’t strain myself excessively, I’ll be able to live as before,
and that includes having sex.”

Preston started breathing again. “Okay. Just…Tell me if I ever

fuck up.”

Layton smiled gently. “I won’t have to tell you anything,

remember? We have a bond now. And besides, it’s highly doubtful
that you could ever fuck up as much as I did.”

Preston pulled his mate close, embracing him fiercely. “Don’t

think about that anymore. I don’t want to. We’re starting a new life
together today, you, me, and our baby. No more regrets.”

His mate nodded, but Preston could tell the remorse hadn’t left

Layton’s mind. He doubted it would ever completely disappear. In
fact, their separation would most likely still be a sore topic for a long
time. Preston had resented it for too long for him to be able to simply
wipe it away. Preston could only hope that, in time, they’d forget
about what had happened together. He was too grateful for finally
being granted what he’d wanted for so long. It was time to let go of
the past.

“You’re right,” Layton said. “And you know what the first step

for that is.”

Preston nodded. He’d been ignoring his brother’s attempts to

reach a truce for far too long. In the end, Corbin had been a jerk, but it
wasn’t his fault Preston’s mate had fallen for him. And while during
these past years, Preston had allowed himself to be filled with
resentment, today, it was finally time to bridge the abyss between
them. After all, Preston’s son needed his uncle.

With a trembling hand, Preston reached for his phone. He speed-

dialed his brother and waited for the call to connect. And waited. And
waited. No response.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Preston frowned as he ended the call. “Maybe he didn’t hear it,”

Layton suggested.

“Maybe,” Preston replied dubiously. “Come on. We’ll pay him a

visit.”

They left their mugs in the kitchen of the small apartment and

headed out. As they climbed into Preston’s car, Preston’s mind went
from the happiness of having his mate by his side to the concern over
his brother’s welfare. When he’d last seen Corbin, the other lynx had
been a mess of guilt. At the time, Preston hadn’t been much better off,
but now, he wondered if he’d acted correctly. He’d blamed his brother
for Layton’s accident, even if intellectually, he’d known it hadn’t only
been Corbin’s fault. Alexis Whitaker was guilty of causing Layton’s
emotional vulnerability. Then there was that bitch Cherise, and
Preston himself. He should never have waited to see what happened
once he felt Layton’s volatile mental state.

“It was my fault, too, you know,” Layton’s voice appeared in

Preston’s head.

Preston was startled, but took it in stride. “You blame yourself for

too many things, lovely,” he replied. “It’s time you stopped
shouldering all the burdens.”

Layton chuckled. “And you’re likely to coddle me and keep me

from all my responsibilities. We make a fun pair, don’t we?”

The conversation continued, distracting Preston from his concern.

Finally, they reached his brother’s shop. Preston parked in front, and
they left the car. They heard music from inside, and Preston also felt
his brother’s presence. Corbin was safe. Thank God.

The music stopped as they entered the shop. Corbin met them at

the door. “Hey,” he said with an awkward smile. “Nice to see you
here. What’s up?”

He was fidgeting, as if not knowing what to do with himself. It

was something quite unlike his self-assured brother. Corbin had
always known what to do. He’d always been the decision maker in
their duo, ever since they’d been kids planning pranks for their

Scarlet Hyacinth

babysitter or their adoptive father, Nicolas. But Preston knew the
truth. Behind the façade, Corbin was a very caring person. He just
didn’t know when to shut up and how to say “I love you.”

His heart invaded with fondness, Preston pulled his brother into a

hug. For a few moments, Corbin seemed shocked, but then, he hugged
Preston back fiercely, thumping his back for good measure. When
they broke apart, they were both grinning. “So how’ve you been?”
Corbin inquired, this time more relaxed.

“I’m fine. I’m great. Better than ever.”
Corbin blinked at his enthusiasm. “Okaaay. Anything I should

know about?”

Preston nodded. “Actually, yes. I’m mated, and I’m going to be a

father.”

In retrospect, Preston realized all too well he should have been

more tactful. Corbin gaped at him. “Say what? Who? When?”

“Me,” Layton piped up, his voice steady and warm. “The mating’s

recent. The baby, from the day of the accident.”

Corbin’s expression grew furious. “I thought better of you,

Layton. If you hated me so much, you should take it out on me, not
use my brother as a replacement. And to straddle him with some kid?
Christ…”

The words hurt, especially since it was the same thing Preston

himself had thought before claiming Layton. If not for the mind bond,
Preston didn’t even know if he could have trusted that Layton truly
loved him. But Corbin truly was taking things too far, and Preston
would not allow his brother to insult his mate or his child.

He opened his mouth to answer, but to his surprise, Layton took

action before he could utter one word. Faster than the eye could see,
Layton shot forward and punched Corbin straight in the face. “Fuck
you,” he snapped at Corbin. “You can say anything you want about
me, but you shut your mouth about my baby and my mate. Preston’s a
million times better than your betraying ass. Got that?”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

But Corbin wouldn’t be deterred. “Fine, I’m sorry about what I

said about your baby. But you can’t blame me for wanting to protect
my brother from heartache.”

“The heartache’s over and done with, Corb,” Preston said. His

beast roared at him, pushing him to attack the man who dared to slight
his mate, but Preston contained it. Violence might bring temporary
satisfaction, but it certainly wouldn’t fix his relationship with his
brother. “Layton is my mate. I’ve known that for years.”

“I understand why you doubt me,” Layton said, his voice more

sedate. “I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. But it’s true.
We’re mated now.”

Corbin finally seemed to understand what it all meant. “You

claimed Layton?” he asked.

Preston nodded. When his brother didn’t say anything else, he

added, “Now, why don’t we try this again? I’m mated, and I’m going
to be a father.”

This time, Corbin

reacted just like Preston hoped.

“Congratulations, little brother.” He grinned. “I can’t wait to be an
uncle.”

* * * *

A little while later, Preston and Layton left the auto shop. Layton

was very tempted to return to Preston’s apartment and spend the next
few hours in bed with his new mate, but he still had somewhere to be.
He needed to deliver the news to his own twin.

The drive to the academy took a little longer than the one to

Corbin’s shop, and Layton barely managed to suppress his
excitement. He’d always been close to his twin, and he yearned to
share his happiness with Morgan. Thankfully, his brother must have
anticipated this and met them at the gate.

Scarlet Hyacinth

As soon as Preston parked, Layton shot out of the car and rushed

to his brother’s side. “So I gather things went well, huh?” Morgan
asked in place of greeting.

Layton beamed at him and was rewarded with a wide smile.

“Well, I suppose congratulations are in order.”

Preston joined them and shook Morgan’s hand. “This is where I

tell you to take care of my little brother or I kick your ass,” Morgan
said seriously.

Layton frowned at his overprotective twin. Truly, he’d been the

one to hurt Preston, not the other way around, so Morgan’s concern
was really unjustified. But Preston just wrapped his arm around
Layton’s waist and kissed his temple. “Don’t worry about it. He’s my
world.”

Layton practically melted. If they’d been alone, he’d have jumped

Preston right then and there. Instead, he relaxed in Layton’s embrace,
so happy he thought he was in a dream.

That sensation changed into slight apprehension when Morgan

sobered. “Now that you’re here and mated, I want to talk to you about
something.”

“Anything wrong?” Preston asked.
“I’m not sure yet.” Morgan seemed thoughtful. “It’s just

something Alexis told me. Come inside. We’ll be more comfortable
there.”

Following Morgan’s suggestions, the three of them entered the

dorm. Once they safely reached Morgan’s room, Morgan started
speaking. “After we left, Alexis started thinking. He was convinced
judging by your words that Preston really is your mate, but he
couldn’t understand how you could miss it.”

Layton forced himself to face his brother without wincing. He

really didn’t want to talk about this, but apparently, his twin hadn’t
received the memo. “That’s all over now,” he said.

“Yes, but don’t you want to find out why you lost so much time in

the first place?”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Preston released an irritated sigh. “Look, you heard Layton. We’re

starting a new life together. We’re not thinking about the past.”

“Just hear me out, okay?” Morgan insisted. “Remember when

Alexis said his power might have unlocked a knowledge you were
hiding from yourself?”

Layton nodded and his brother continued. “Well, he gave it some

more thought and concluded that things don’t really work that way
where shape-shifters are concerned. A human might have done that,
but not one of us since we instinctively know who the best person for
us is.”

“Okay, so what are you getting at?”
“Magic,” Morgan replied. “Alexis believes you might have been

under a spell.”

Layton stared at his brother in shock. “You’re not serious. Who

could possibly place a spell on me, and why?”

“Look, he’s not sure. I didn’t understand everything he said

myself. Call him and hear him out.”

Layton shared a look with his mate. He almost wanted to believe

it was true because it meant he wasn’t to blame for hurting Preston all
these years. But at the same time, if a spell truly had been the cause of
it all, it meant someone really didn’t like him and it flushed Layton’s
dream of a content life down the toilet.

In the end, he needed to know either way. He retrieved his cell

phone and dialed Alexis’s number.

Alexis seemed to have been waiting for the call. He picked up on

the first ring. On the vid screen, he looked anxious and relieved. “Hi,
Layton. I take it things went well. Did Morgan give you my
message?”

“He did,” Layton replied. “You were saying something about a

spell?”

“Quite. As I explained to Morgan, I find it hard to believe that

you, or any other shifter for that matter, would make a mistake

Scarlet Hyacinth

regarding the identity of your mate. Something tells me outside
influence must have been involved.”

“Like what?” Layton inquired. “You said incubi powers couldn’t

affect a mate bond like that.”

“They can’t. You see, incubi influence lust, and a mate connection

is far stronger than that,” Alexis explained. He gave Layton an
apologetic look. “Honestly, I’m not sure what kind of spell would be
able to do something like this. By incubus standard, I’m still very
young, and I don’t know everything there is to know about our magic
or that of other folk.”

Layton rubbed his eyes tiredly. “So how do we find out then?”
“I was thinking you should talk to my brother. Rhys is much more

experienced in this sort of thing. He might be able to tell you more.”

Layton hummed thoughtfully. He liked Rhys Whitaker, but the

older incubus was still a stranger, and Layton didn’t particularly look
forward to revealing his most hidden secrets to the man. Even so, if
someone truly had put a spell on him, Layton wanted to find out. He’d
been separated for years from his mate. They’d both suffered
uselessly. Layton had hated himself when he’d thought he’d been the
cause. Now, he needed to find this new target for his hatred.

“All right,” he told Alexis. “We’ll talk to him.”
“Excellent.” Alexis beamed at him. “With your permission, I’ll

mention it to Rhys.”

“You mean you haven’t discussed it with him?” Layton was

surprised. “How come?”

Alexis arched a brow. “Well, I couldn’t actually ask him without

getting your agreement first, now could I?”

Clearly, Alexis respected Layton’s privacy very much, and

Layton’s appreciation of the incubus grew. He offered a tentative
smile back. “We’ll be back home soon,” he told Alexis. “Thanks for
everything.”

“Don’t mention it. Anything for a brother.”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Alexis ended the call while Layton still mused over the incubus’s

words. A new brother. A new mate. A child. He had so many loved
ones now, and so much to lose. He needed to find out whether this
crazy spell thing was genuine and eliminate any further danger. He
couldn’t risk anything happening to his family.

Leaving the academy again meant that he would not be able to

return to his classes like the other students. The holidays were over
now, and soon, Layton had to go back to the university. But Layton
was relying on his parents to put in a good word for him. After all,
they were both powerful voices with the school board and, in many
ways, had been a driving force in creating the academy in the first
place. Layton was not above using that clout for his own benefit if he
needed to.

Morgan hadn’t unpacked, obviously sensing their stay here would

be short. They loaded everything in their car while Preston drove back
to town to make his own preparations. Finally, Morgan and Layton
headed out of the academy. They were supposed to meet Preston at
the bookstore and continue the trip together from there.

To Layton’s surprise, he found his mate waiting for them at

Corbin’s auto shop, with Corbin by his side. As the two lynxes put
their bags in the trunk, Layton left his seat to watch them. Corbin
gave Layton a knowing look. “You didn’t think I’d let my brother go
off to fight a supposed spell without me, did you?”

The words might have sounded defensive or conveying suspicion,

but Layton was no longer wary of Corbin. His mating with Preston
seemed to have propelled him into a different stage of his life, giving
him a different knowledge of Corbin. Layton no longer needed to fear
tomorrow, as Corbin no longer had any power over his heart. Their
friendship could start over.

“I suppose not,” he replied with a smile. “I know Morgan loves to

babysit me.”

Morgan snorted and didn’t offer a more vocal reply. The four of

them slid into the car. Layton allowed Corbin to take shotgun in his

Scarlet Hyacinth

stead and slipped into the backseat with Preston. As soon as Morgan
started to drive, he cuddled into Preston’s embrace and closed his
eyes, simply enjoying Preston’s scent.

A conversation started around him, and Layton distantly

registered his clingy behavior was the subject of teasing from
Corbin’s part. He couldn’t care less. He had the right to be clingy. He
was newly mated and pregnant, and fuck, who wouldn’t want to be
close to Preston? The man smelled so nice, and his hard body gave
Layton a unique feeling of security and arousal.

He forced himself to control the latter since he doubted he could

satisfy his libido with his and Preston’s brothers in the car. “Just wait
until we get there,” Preston said through their bond. “I promise I’ll
fuck you so hard you’ll feel it for days.”

Layton shuddered. “You’re not helping.”
Truly, it was unlikely that any fuck, no matter how energetic,

would immobilize Layton in any way. He was a shifter, for crying out
loud. He’d recovered from a car accident in mere hours. Even so,
Layton’s body responded to Preston’s words. His cock hardened and
he buried his face in Preston’s chest to stifle his moan.

The entire drive was a lesson in sexual frustration and brotherly

teasing, mostly from Corbin. Morgan seemed to be a bit more
compassionate regarding Layton’s plight. Layton gathered that Corbin
couldn’t really understand the pull a shifter felt to his or her other
half. He couldn’t wait until Corbin found his own mate. Then it would
be Layton’s turn to tease.

Of course, Layton couldn’t really be angry, not when Preston held

him in his arms, so they reached the Cunningham home with no
incident. Morgan parked, and Layton reluctantly broke away from his
mate.

As they left the car, they predictably found Layton’s parents

waiting. Byron had his arms crossed against his chest in an openly
hostile stance. Skylar seemed a bit more welcoming, apparently
willing to hear out the result of the trip before making any judgments.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Clearly, Alexis hadn’t told them a thing, and they resented being in
the dark. Layton could only imagine what they must think, seeing
Corbin with him. They’d never suspect that all this time, Layton had
loved the wrong lynx.

His father’s attack seemed imminent, but Layton wasn’t too

worried. He knew the shark would never do anything violent in
Skylar’s presence. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. He stepped
forward and beamed at his parents.

“Hi, Dad, Father.” How did one introduce his mate when the mate

in question had been practically a relative for years? “You remember
Preston, my mate?”

Lame. How could they not remember? Preston and Corbin were

sons of Garth Mckenna, who’d been best friends with Layton’s
parents from before Layton had even been born. In a surprising
development, twin expressions of befuddlement and veiled distressed
appeared on his fathers’ faces. The moment quickly shattered as his
parents reacted to the news each in their own way.

“Excuse me?” Byron spoke in a whisper whenever he was at his

angriest, something no doubt linked to his shark nature.

“Come on inside,” Skylar said at the same time. He shared a look

with Byron, and Layton knew they were probably using their mind
bond to talk mentally.

“I hope there’s a good explanation for this,” Byron muttered under

his breath.

They were led inside, directly into the office. The atmosphere was

tense to say the least, nothing like other times when Corbin and
Preston had visited the mansion. Then again, in the past, Layton
hadn’t unexpectedly announced a pregnancy with one of the two
lynxes.

As quickly and painlessly as he could, Layton explained what

he’d discovered, as well as Alexis’s suspicion. Byron seemed pissed
that the incubus hadn’t mentioned it to them, but Morgan immediately
jumped to his mate’s defense.

Scarlet Hyacinth

“It wasn’t Alexis’s secret to tell, Father,” he said, his calm voice

hiding the anger Layton could feel coming from him. “Don’t you dare
blame him.”

It was not the first time the two sharks fought over Alexis, but

now, Layton’s father backed down, conceding the point. “All right.
So then, this spell…How do you find out who cast it?”

“We’re supposed to talk to Alexis’s brother,” Layton replied.
“And perhaps you’d allow me to see my mate and my son while

we’re at it, too,” Morgan said sarcastically.

As if on a cue, a knock sounded at the door. Layton hadn’t really

been paying attention to his environment, but now that he was, he
sensed the two incubi outside.

“Come in,” Byron said, obviously knowing this as well.
The door opened and Alexis stepped inside, carrying his tiny son.

Immediately, everyone’s focus was on little Elian. After sharing a kiss
with Alexis, Morgan took the child in his arms. Preston and Corbin
had not met the adorable child before, and Layton himself had missed
the baby boy more than he wanted to admit. The proud grandparents
didn’t miss their chance at fussing over Elian. It was quite chaotic, but
Elian just absorbed the attention like a sponge, looking happy and
carefree. He was an amazing baby. In fact, Layton had never once
seen him cry. According to Morgan, it was because Elian’s incubus
abilities allowed him to feel other people’s emotions and soak up their
affection.

Of course, they could not delay the unavoidable conversation

forever. Morgan handed his son back to Alexis and directed his
attention to Rhys. The older incubus had also come in with Alexis and
had been waiting silently while the regular ritual of fussing over Elian
took place.

“So, Alexis said you could shed some light over this situation?”
Rhys nodded. “I might. Judging by what he told me, it does sound

like a spell, but I’ll know more once I take a look at it.”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Layton’s eyes widened. “A look at it?” he repeated. “What are

you talking about?”

“Oh, it’s nothing very fancy.” Rhys waved off his concern. “I just

have to take your hand and focus on tracing anything strange.”

“Do you need us to leave?” Skylar inquired.
“It doesn’t matter,” Rhys replied. “Your emotions won’t interfere

with what I’m going to do if that’s what you’re worried about.” His
black eyes focused on Layton. “So, are you ready?”

No, Layton didn’t feel ready, but he doubted that any delay would

help. In fact, he was pretty sure it might make him more
apprehensive. “Sure,” he replied. “Let’s get this over with.”

Rhys gestured Layton to one of the couches. “You, too,” he told

Preston. Preston wordlessly obeyed while the rest of the group
scattered around the room to wait.

Rhys sat next to Layton and took his hand. Layton closed his eyes,

reaching out to his bond with Preston without consciously intending
to.

“It’s okay,” Preston told him. “He’ll stop whenever you say so.”
Intellectually, Layton knew that, but it still made him

uncomfortable. The last time an incubus had touched him, he’d been
seduced into betraying his own twin. It hadn’t been his best moment,
and he hated remembering it.

He didn’t know what he’d expected, but it certainly

wasn’t…nothing. One moment, he was talking with Preston, bracing
himself for the worst, and the next, Rhys released his hand gently.

“There,” Rhys said. “All done.”
“That’s it?” Layton asked, unable to keep the disbelief in his

voice.

“What did you expect?” Rhys’s voice held a touch of amusement.

“Fire and brimstone?”

“Layton has reasons to be wary of incubi,” Alexis said tensely.
Layton looked up at his brother-in-law, feeling an odd kinship

with the man. The same guilt that lingered in Alexis remained within

Scarlet Hyacinth

Layton. Layton’s crime had been more severe, though. Whether he’d
been under the influence of a spell or not, he had hurt his mate
greatly. In fact, if Alexis hadn’t done what he had, Layton might have
never figured out his mistake.

“No, I don’t,” he said. “At least not incubi who are family.”
“Well put.” Rhys squeezed his shoulder. His expression sobered.

“And now, regarding the reason why you asked my help. There
definitely was a spell on you. There’s only a hint of it left now, barely
traceable, which was why I couldn’t sense it when we first met.”

“What exactly is it?” Layton prodded. “Was I hypnotized or

what?”

“I’m not sure if hypnotized is the right word. This sort of spell is

very difficult because the mate bond between shifters is just as strong
and complex. First of all, there was more than one person involved.
One of them is an incubus.”

Layton stared slack-jawed at Rhys. “But I thought you said

incubus powers can’t affect mate bonds.”

“Not on their own,” Rhys amended. “You see, if you were to

dissect a mate bond, you would find that it is a connection of the
mind, body, and heart. Incubus powers would be able to control the
body, but not the other two.”

That made sense, even if the thought of “dissecting the mate

bond” was weird to say the least. “So who can do the rest?”

“For the mind…I’ll put my money on a siren or vamp,” Rhys

replied thoughtfully. “For the heart, I would say, a Sidhe. A Sidhe
would also be able to control shifters because of their affinity with
nature, but I’d say that whoever cast the spell didn’t take any chances.
There must have been a warlock of sorts to put the spell together and
keep it so discreet. Even so, I don’t think it worked one hundred
percent, did it?”

He was looking at Layton as he spoke, and Layton began to

remember things. Like how he’d always felt so close to Preston, even

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

if his mind was telling him Corbin was his mate. The times he’d
wished Corbin was like Preston or even that Preston were his mate.

He nodded wordlessly, and Rhys smiled. “No one can control the

heart, not even the most powerful Sidhe. You thought Corbin was
your mate, but you never loved him because your heart belonged to
Preston. Deep inside, you knew it. That strained the balance of the
spell, and in the end, Alexis’s powers shattered it.”

Silence fell for a few moments as they all processed the

implications of what Rhys had revealed. Byron was the one to recover
first. “So, is there any way to track this?”

“Normally, I would say no. But the spell is old. Very old. I’d say

it was cast when you were only a child.”

Layton remembered his first foolish attempts to gain Corbin’s

attention and sabotage the lynx’s love life. He’d been maybe ten, a
foolish boy who didn’t understand his own need to push away his
rivals. Later, he’d decided it must have been because of their mate
bond, but what if something more sinister had been involved? What if
the spell had skewed his perspective on life as a whole?

“Calm down, lovely,” Preston told him through their bond. “Even

if that had happened, which is not the case, you heard Rhys. It’s
broken now.”

But Layton was still shaken. “I can’t exactly get over the fact that

I was under mind control for half my life so easily,” he replied,
noticing his own growing hysteria and not being able to do anything
about it.

Preston pulled Layton close and just held him without saying

anything else. He smoothed his hand over Layton’s hair, his touch
calming and soothing. Soon, Layton began to regain his focus. The
spell might have influenced his view of his mate, but it hadn’t broken
into every aspect of his life. He hadn’t been some zombie, unable to
take decisions on his own. His love for his twin, his parents, and his
friends was genuine.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Layton broke away from Preston and faced Rhys again. He was

ashamed of losing it, especially in front of his family, but more so in
front of Rhys. Alexis’s brother he might be, but the incubus was still a
stranger. “You were saying?”

The incubus didn’t comment on Layton’s little fit, which almost

made Layton feel worse. He tried to focus on Rhys’s words. He could
fall apart later, in private.

“Well, because of the age of the spell, the magical signature of the

person who cast it was imprinted on it. Now, magical signatures are
as unique and diverse as people are, and the chances of finding
someone just by using that are slim to none. However, in all this
mess, we are in luck. I know the person who did this. I’d recognize
his magical signature anywhere.”

Layton shot to his feet. “Who is it? Who is the bastard who did

this to me?”

Rhys actually winced. “My dad.”
Out of all the possible things Rhys could have said, that one was

the absolute last Layton expected. Layton had met Rhys’s father, and
the man didn’t strike him as the type to randomly cast spells of this
nature. Besides, had he done so, surely he’d have had more qualms in
allowing his son to mate into this family.

It seemed Alexis felt the same. “You can’t be serious, Rhys,” he

protested. “Father would never do something like this.”

“Not him,” Rhys explained. “My other dad.”
Layton recalled that Rhys and Alexis were only half brothers, on

their father’s side. Layton had never met Rhys’s other parent, and the
topic had never come up. Apparently, they were estranged, and as
curious as the complicated family entanglements of the Whitakers
made Layton, he was discreet enough to know when he needed to
mind his own business and not ask questions. It seemed that today
was his lucky day because the spell certainly made Rhys’s parentage
Layton’s business.

“Do you know where he is?” he inquired.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Rhys nodded. “We still talk to each other, even if only rarely.” He

paused. “I’m going to contact him on your behalf, but I’d like to ask
for one favor first. I don’t want him harmed.”

Anger coursed through Layton. “Pardon me? Do you have any

concept of what he’s done? He essentially raped my mind and my
soul.”

Rhys winced. “I understand your pain. But he’s my father. I can’t

forget that.”

Layton looked toward his own parents sitting together, holding

hands. They still loved each other the same way Layton loved
Preston. Rhys’s parents didn’t have that. Rhys hadn’t been as lucky as
Layton insofar as family was concerned. And as fucked up as Layton
had been because of this spell, he couldn’t bring himself to separate
anyone from his family. Besides, Rhys had trusted him and he’d been
very helpful. The least Layton could do was to offer trust in return.

“I can promise he won’t be harmed as long as he doesn’t attempt

to hurt me or mine again,” he told the incubus.

Rhys breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”
The barely audible “I hope” that Rhys added almost absently

didn’t comfort Layton much. Preston squeezed his hand and kissed
his cheek.

“You made the right choice, lovely,” he murmured. “Don’t worry.

I’ll be there for you, and I won’t allow anything to happen.”

For Rhys, and for himself and everyone else, Layton prayed his

mate was right.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Five

As a rule, shape-shifters and magical creatures of all types lived a

long time. Many of them accumulated great wealth throughout their
lifetime. For that reason, their accommodations, wherever Preston had
gone, were quite luxurious.

In a way, Romaine Arceneau confirmed the rule. The beautiful

farmhouse in the Rhône-Alpes where Rhys took them must have cost
a fortune. However, compared to other places Preston had seen, the
space was actually quite discreet, peaceful, and quiet. Preston liked it.
Perhaps one day, he could buy something like this for himself and
Layton.

Layton gave him a weak smile, and Preston guessed his mate must

have overheard his thought. That twist of lips held no amusement,
though, and Preston wished Layton had agreed to stay behind and
allow Preston and their family to deal with this.

Rhys led them up to the farmhouse, and none of them made any

effort to cloak their approach. According to Rhys, his dad had long
ago ceased his spell-casting days and was now a family man. Of
course, in spite of Rhys’s words, both the Cunninghams and Preston’s
parents had immediately enlisted themselves to go along for the visit.

Preston’s dads, Garth and Nicolas, had taken the news regarding

Preston’s mating a bit better than Byron. Apparently, they had always
suspected Layton was not Corbin’s mate because, as many people
kept saying, Corbin would have realized it himself by now. The spell
thing had made them furious, though, and only finding out about
Preston’s impending fatherhood had kept Nicolas from taking Rhys
on and shaking the location of his dad out of him.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Now that they were here, though, Preston couldn’t help but be

worried. Layton had promised no harm would come to Rhys’s father,
but could they really guarantee that? Preston himself wanted to kick
Romaine’s ass. His actions had caused Layton great pain, and no
matter what Layton said, Preston couldn’t forgive that.

The door opened just as Rhys readied himself to knock. Preston

was surprised to see a woman there. She almost glowed, the rays of
the winter sun making her blonde hair look like a halo. “What a
surprise. Come in, Rhys, come in. Romaine didn’t mention you were
coming.”

Rhys seemed uncomfortable. “He didn’t know. It’s a surprise.”
“How lovely.” She beamed at them. “And you brought guests,

too. Please, everyone come right in.”

She didn’t ask any questions, nor did she check their identities.

Instead, she ushered them in a large receiving room, where Rhys
finally made the introductions. “This is Ysanne Arceneau, my father’s
mate. Ysanne, my friends, Skylar and Byron Cunningham, Morgan
and Layton Pierce-Cunningham, and Garth, Nicolas, and Preston
Mckenna.”

“Pleased to meet you.” She beamed at them, her smile so sunny

Preston wondered how it hadn’t melted the snow outside. “How did
you meet Rhys?”

“Rhys’s brother, Alexis, is my mate,” Morgan explained. “So,

we’re sort of extended family.”

“We want to consult Dad on something,” Rhys added.
“I see.” She eyed them all and sighed. “But how rude of me. I

haven’t offered you anything. Would you like some refreshments?”

“Yes, thank you,” Skylar replied.
Ysanne brought them all drinks, and Skylar took a sip of his own

then said, “You have a lovely home.”

Preston watched in awe as Skylar engaged Ysanne in

conversation. Skylar had an uncanny knack for socializing, and
somehow, even if everyone else remained silent, the seahorse

Scarlet Hyacinth

managed to draw out of her that she was Sidhe—Seelie, as she put
it—and she’d been mated to Romaine for ten years, give or take.

Preston wondered if she had anything to do with the spell. She

was a Sidhe, and Rhys had said that one of them had been involved in
it. Somehow, Preston couldn’t see this innocent, angelic woman as
doing anything like that, but appearances could be deceiving.

As enlightening as the conversation with Ysanne ended up,

Preston began to get restless. It was getting late, and Romaine still
hadn’t shown up.

As if guessing Preston’s thoughts, Byron interrupted the merry

chat between Skylar and their host. “Where is your husband, if I may
ask?” he asked the Sidhe.

“Oh, he took our son skiing.” Ysanne giggled. “I’m not much for

the sport myself. I’d much rather stay home and read. But the two of
them love it.”

Great. A son. The guy really was a family man. Preston now had

trouble creating a picture of Rhys’s father in his head. He wondered
what Romaine would tell them and if he would lead them to the
others. He wondered why Rhys’s father had cast the spell in the first
place.

At last, it seemed that his questions would be answered. Preston

sensed someone approaching outside, and a few minutes later, two
people entered the house. They came directly into the receiving room.
Ysanne rushed to greet them.

Preston took advantage of that to study the duo before they could

do the same. He identified Romaine as the older of the two. Romaine
kissed Ysanne’s cheek and, as the Sidhe directed her attention toward
the second new arrival, scrutinized them with keen eyes. As soon as
he noticed the Cunninghams, he froze. Obviously, he remembered
what he’d done.

When he broke away from his mother’s embrace, the younger

man studied them curiously, as if he’d never seen a shifter before.
Perhaps he hadn’t. This place was very reclusive. Romaine didn’t

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

allow him to continue his examination for much longer. “Go to your
room,” he ordered.

“Papa?” The younger man sounded confused. “What’s the

matter?”

“Just obey, son,” Romaine said.
Romaine’s son shook his head. “At least let me talk to my brother,

will you?”

“Now is not the best time,” Romaine protested.
“But it is.” Byron got up and gave the incubus a predatory look.

“I’m sure your son would love to hear all about your past activities.”

He walked toward the two men and idly wrapped his arm around

the shoulders of Romaine’s son. “We’ll all have a nice chat here.”

Terror filled Romaine’s eyes. “Leave Chantay out of this. He

hasn’t done anything wrong.”

He moved toward his son, obviously meaning to free the youth

from Byron’s grip. Predictably, he froze before he could even touch
Byron. The shark smiled pleasantly. “Of course he hasn’t. We’re just
talking.”

Ysanne seemed to have realized she’d made a mistake in allowing

the strangers into her house. “Mr. Cunningham, please,” she said
weakly. “I don’t know how we wronged you, but Chantay is not to
blame.”

It was highly unlikely that Byron would listen to anything she

said. Clearly, the Cunninghams were furious on Layton’s behalf. But
Preston’s mate was intent on keeping his word.

“Father, please,” Layton said. “Mr. Arceneau is right. It’s not his

son’s fault.”

“No, it’s not,” Byron replied. “But I’d just love to see how he

feels when his offspring suffers.”

“Byron.” Skylar’s voice was barely audible. “Let’s hear him out

first, okay?”

If there was anyone on the world that could influence Byron, it

was Skylar. Indeed, Byron seemed to calm down a bit. He released

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chantay, and Preston half expected the young man to take heed of his
father’s warning and rush off. He didn’t. Instead, he glowered at the
gathering. “What in the world is going on? Who are you people?
Rhys, who did you bring here?”

He actually sounded hurt, and Preston didn’t envy the incubus. He

wondered what he’d have done had he been in Rhys’s position.
Would he have risked it all to help Layton, who was, in a way, a
stranger? He didn’t know. In many ways, incubi were still a mystery
to him.

“I think you should explain, Father,” Rhys said. “And no one is

going to be harmed, as long as you cooperate. I have Layton’s word
on that.”

Romaine didn’t seem convinced, but when Byron released him, he

no longer looked so panicked. He took a seat as far away from
Preston’s group as he could, and his mate and son plopped down next
to him.

The incubus stole a look toward his family. “I don’t want Chantay

to hear this.”

“Too bad,” Morgan offered. “He deserves to know.”
Preston was growing irritated. They’d been understanding enough

with the incubus. Preston had no intention of hurting the man’s
family, but he wanted to find out who was behind the spell. He very
much doubted Romaine would have any personal interest in hurting
the Cunninghams.

“Just talk already,” he said. “We’ve been patient enough. Why did

you cast a spell on my mate? What do you have against him?”

The blunt questions made Romaine wince again. For his part,

Chantay looked shocked, but Preston could no longer bring himself to
care about this family’s sensibilities.

“It was never about Layton,” Romaine finally said. “The fact that

the spell was on him turned out to be just a bonus.” When Byron
tensed, ready for attack, the incubus hastily added, “Not for me. For
the people who hired me.”

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

“Who hired you?” Garth asked softly. “And if it wasn’t about

Layton, what was it about?”

“About you and your family.” Romaine’s gaze went to Preston.

“Do you really think it’s a coincidence that your mate fell in love with
your brother? It was engineered to be that way.”

Preston gaped at the man. “But why?”
“To hurt you. To hurt your brother. Layton would always be

between you two, and it was only a matter of time until you’d be at
each other’s throats. At one point, you might not have been able to
control your beast, and you could have even killed your own brother.”

“I’d never do that,” Preston shot back.
“Oh, no?” Romaine arched a brow. “What if you saw them

together, every day? What if you felt them fucking, every night? You
might not do it now, but that sort of thing can drive a shifter crazy.”

Preston remembered how he’d felt when Layton had kissed

Corbin. It had been only a kiss, and still, it had angered him so much,
made him so nauseous. Just the idea of Layton sleeping with Corbin
urged his beast to attack.

Thankfully, Layton was there. He pressed closer to Preston, and

his presence gave Preston a measure of calm.

“Who was it?” Nicolas finally asked. “Who did this?”
“Does the name Bella Valentino sound familiar?”
Preston froze. His father looked sick and his adoptive dad angrier

than Preston had seen him in a long time. Preston was only thankful
he’d managed to convince Corbin to stay behind and oversee their
father’s responsibilities. He had no idea how his brother would have
reacted upon hearing this.

Bella Valentino. Preston hadn’t heard that name in a long, long

time. The last time he’d seen the person in question was when he’d
been only a child, before Layton had even been born. Preston
remembered that day well. She’d come to see Preston and Corbin
while they’d been out in the park with their new adoptive dad,
Nicolas. She’d told them they’d always been a burden to her and their

Scarlet Hyacinth

father nothing more than a trophy. Then she’d disappeared, never to
be seen again. Bella Valentino. Preston and Corbin’s mother.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Romaine chuckled, but the sound was bitter.

“Well, you have powerful enemies, Mr. Mckenna. And you know
what they say. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

“But how could she recruit you and all the others?” Rhys inquired.

“She might have been angry, but you should never have abused your
power like that.”

“I had no choice.” Romaine looked away. “I was desperate, all

right? My son was growing up away from me, and my mate was
withering away without me. How could I say no?”

Preston was officially confused, but Ysanne clarified things. “My

family never agreed to me marrying Romaine. Incubi are demons and
my kind are Seelie. We don’t mix. I was forced to separate from
Romaine, and for ten years, I lived only for my son, the last thing I
had left from the man I loved.” She paused, suddenly looking very
old. “I have no idea how this woman got him to help her with this
spell you mentioned. Until now, I never knew what Romaine even did
to convince my father to leave Chantay and me alone. “

Layton’s emotions echoed through Preston. Layton felt a strange

sense of kinship with Romaine and his family. Clearly, they’d been
victims as well. But at the same time, neither Layton nor Preston were
willing to trust them just like that. They’d be given the benefit of the
doubt, for Rhys’s sake, but if it turned out they’d lied, all bets were
off.

Preston’s dad seemed to believe at least part of the story. “That

sounds like something Bella would do,” he said. “All right, then.
Whether you were forced into it or not, you must know where Bella
and the rest of the people who participated in this plot are.”

“I’m not sure about anyone else. Hell, I don’t even know their

names,” Rhys replied. “But I have the address of Ysanne’s father. He
can probably tell you more.” He paused and gave Preston and Layton
a regretful look. “I swear to you that what I did then has been one of

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

my greatest regrets. I’d hoped that one day, your love would be
stronger than the spell. It seems I was correct.”

“My brother, Alexis, helped,” Rhys explained. “The spell was

frayed, and Alexis’s magic shattered it.”

“Well, I’m happy for you. I know what it’s like to be separated

from one’s mate. I don’t wish it to anyone.”

As approachable as the words made Romaine seem, Preston

wasn’t willing to stick around and tell stories. “The name and address,
please,” he said.

“Ignace Girard. He lives in a mansion in Paris. It’s a fortress.

You’ll never get inside unseen.”

Byron snorted. “We’ll just see about that. No one messes with my

family.”

* * * *

As Romaine had told them, the Girard domain was strongly

guarded, to the point where Layton wondered what in the world the
Sidhe were hiding. According to the incubus, Girard was an
influential family among the Seelie, but they were also known to have
some shadier dealings with the Dark Sidhe, the Unseelie.

Layton’s father didn’t seem at all concerned. Layton was not

surprised. His father had once immobilized an entire carrier ship
single-handedly. But that ship had been one of humans. The thing that
worried Layton most was the Sidhe used magic. His father’s powers,
while quite incredible, came from a different source. Layton was
pretty sure his father was one of the strongest shifters in the world—
maybe even the strongest—but Byron had not yet been tested against
magic.

Thankfully, Rhys came with them, eager to help now that he’d

seen Layton keep his promise. Morgan had explained that incubi had
a thing about respecting boundaries and not abusing their powers. It

Scarlet Hyacinth

must be why Rhys had decided to tell them about the magical
signature and his father’s involvement in the spell.

“There are wards around the mansion,” Rhys told them as they

watched the distant mansion from their cars. “Even if you snuck past
the guards, those things will still feel you.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Byron arched a brow.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any suggestions, Mr. Cunningham,” Rhys

replied. “I was only pointing out what you could not do.”

“And I appreciate that, Rhys.” Byron’s smile was feral. “But who

said we plan to sneak past the guards?”

Byron turned the car around, and no more was said until they

reached their own home. The first trip had supposedly meant to be for
reconnaissance purposes, which was why Layton had been allowed to
come along in the first place. But now, Layton wondered what his
father was thinking.

“He always has a plan,” Preston said through their bond. “It will

be fine. You’ll see.”

Layton agreed, but he couldn’t help but continue to muse over it

all throughout the drive back. When the car slipped into the courtyard
of their own mansion, he felt marginally better, but not by much.

Layton’s parents owned private residences in capitals all over the

world, but this particular one belonged to Layton’s grandparents,
Skye and Lark Pierce. It was also the current base of operation of
their “task force.” It was not the first time Layton had been here, but
in the past, he’d never had the urge to go out there and kick
someone’s ass.

His father parked the car, and Layton shot out of it, followed by

his mate. His father walked ahead of them, seemingly lost in thought.
Layton somehow doubted that was the case.

The first thing Layton noticed was that there were unfamiliar

people on the premises. Two cars were in the driveway, and men
wearing dark sunglasses stood by them, their spines ramrod straight.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

They weren’t shifters, though. No, these guys reminded Layton of
Ysanne. Sidhe.

Once inside, his father led them unerringly to a receiving room.

And just as Layton had begun to suspect, his dad was there, together
with Preston’s parents, talking with a Sidhe woman. She looked
somewhat like Ysanne, but Layton guessed it was only because they
shared a species.

Layton’s dad got up as they entered the room. “Oh, honey, come

here,” he told Layton. “I’d like you to meet someone. This is Elder
Adele Mercier. Elder, this is my second son, Layton, and his mate,
Preston. You remember my mate Byron.” Always the gracious host,
he didn’t forget to mention Rhys. “And this is our good friend, Rhys
Whitaker.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Layton.” She pronounced his name

Lei-ton, which for whatever reason, struck Layton as funny. “Your
sire has explained the unpleasant situation we find ourselves in.” Her
gaze went to Rhys. “Alas, such things

happen when

more…unpleasant species mingle with our own.”

“With all due respect, Elder, it was your kind who forced my

father’s hand,” Rhys said bitingly. “He only wanted to be with his
mate. If Ysanne’s father hadn’t stood in his way, he’d never have
gone along with it in the first place.”

“So you say,” the elder replied. She waved a hand, as if physically

waving away his protest. Suddenly, Layton saw the snobbishness
behind the angelic façade and no longer saw any resemblance
between her and Ysanne.

“At any rate,” Skylar piped up diplomatically, “we’ve agreed that

the people behind this are not Rhys’s father and his mate. And we
have reason to believe Ignace Girard was involved.”

The elder nodded. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” she replied as

Layton and his companions sat down. “He’s always been
somewhat…rebellious regarding the norms of our society.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Rebellious, huh? How about a hypocrite? Consorting with an

incubus seemed just fine for dear old Ignace when he needed to use
them. But when the same person wanted to marry into the family, he
was a filthy demon. It made Layton sick to the stomach, more so
when he realized his own family had acted much like Girard when
they’d first met Alexis.

Layton knew his father well and he realized Skylar felt the same.

Unpleasantly enough, though, they needed this woman if they were
going to get to the bottom of things. “I will help you, Mr.
Cunningham,” she said. “And I’m sure this will be the beginning of a
beautiful friendship.”

She gave Rhys a long look, as if to suggest his presence there was

a threat to that supposed friendship. But Skylar just beamed, ignoring
the cue. “Certainly, Elder. And you simply must call me Skylar.”

Layton hid a smile as his father worked his magic. Truly, he

supposed he should have figured out what his parents were going to
do before they actually did it. Whatever the Girard family had done,
Layton’s dads couldn’t engage them in an open conflict, not without
risking an outright war between shape-shifters and magical creatures.
With all the effort Skylar had put in reaching out to other
paranormals, it would suck tremendously if it all went down the drain
because of Layton.

Fortunately, Elder Adele finally decided it was time to go. She

excused herself with polite farewells to everyone except Rhys.
Apparently, she’d decided to ignore the incubus altogether. Did she
know Rhys’s brother was Morgan’s mate? It seemed unlikely, and
perhaps something better left for a later conversation.

In spite of the unpleasantness, the result of the meeting was quite

profitable. The elder promised to arrange a meeting with Ignace that
very evening, using any pretext she could come up with.

“Do you think she’s on the level?” Preston asked as soon as she

was gone.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

“Oh, I’m quite certain she despises anyone that isn’t a Sidhe.”

Skylar shrugged. “As long as she gives as a hand with this, I don’t
care.” He turned toward Layton. “Go and get some rest, honey. All
this excitement can’t be good for you or the baby. We’ll let you know
when it’s time to go.”

Layton opened his mouth to protest but then decided that he did

indeed feel quite tired. He was tired of intrigue and spells and never-
ending hatred and prejudice. He was tired of trying to figure out
which way was up in a life he’d once thought so clear. He just wanted
to take a break and enjoy his mating. Had his parents felt like this? It
must have been so hard for them to continue their attempts to control
the brave new world where humans knew about shifters and, at the
same time, take care of their relationship and have a family. Layton
supposed that compared to that, he was whining for no reason.

“You can whine all you want, lovely,” Preston whispered in his

mind. “Everyone deserves a break from time to time. I assure you
even your parents took them.”

Probably, since there had been those days when Layton and

Morgan had slept over at Garth’s, much to Corbin’s great dismay.
“Okay,” he told his father. “But promise you won’t go anywhere
without me.”

“Of course, Layton,” Skylar replied with a smile. “Didn’t I say

that already?”

Layton might have pressed his point further, but then, Preston was

dragging him out of the receiving room and upstairs. Truly, they
hadn’t had much chance to spend more time on their own since they’d
found out about the spell. It had all been such a rush, what with flying
from the States into France, tracking Romaine in his reclusive
farmhouse, then coming here and scoping out Ignace Girard’s place.
There was so much going on that they’d neglected their relationship.

“Not exactly,” Preston responded to this last thought. “We just

neglected our sex life.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

That was true. Alexis was almost jealous of his brother. Morgan

had returned to the United States earlier that day since he couldn’t
leave his mate on his own for long periods. The feeding on sex thing
still creeped Layton out somewhat, but as long as they were happy,
Layton was fine with it. And Morgan got to be with his mate often,
without anyone asking questions or bursting in with problems.

Layton sighed. He was being an idiot. His friends and family had

dropped everything just to come here and help them. It was his
problem waiting to be solved. Even Morgan had sacrificed his time
together with Alexis to stand by Layton’s side. Layton felt like an
ungrateful bastard for even thinking such thoughts.

It was just that…He felt fucking horny. Trying to find out where

their enemies were put a damper on his spirits, but only temporarily.
His body demanded Preston’s touch. His libido had gone straight
through the roof, which, given the fact that Layton had been a virgin
before his mating, was quite a change.

Preston took him to their room and led him to the bed. “It’s

normal, lovely,” he said. “We’re recently mated, and you’re months
into your pregnancy. Don’t beat yourself up over things that are
natural.”

As Preston pushed him on the mattress, Layton found himself torn

between arousal and awe. What had he done to deserve such a mate?
He had no idea, but he wasn’t selfless enough to investigate it further.

Instead, he pulled Preston down with him. His mate released a

sound of happy surprise as he fell over Layton. Their bodies came
into contact, and through the material of their clothing, Layton felt his
mate’s cock, already hard and demanding attention. Layton’s own
prick was throbbing, aching for Preston’s touch. Why were they still
dressed? For crying out loud, they should be skin to skin already. The
material of his quality clothing suddenly seemed scratchy, his flesh
unable to bear anything else except Preston’s caress.

Probably catching onto the thought, Preston wildly started to work

on Layton’s clothes and, thank God, his own. He moved with a fierce

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

determination that Layton couldn’t help but admire. Layton forced
himself to remain still and not try to help because, given the trembling
in his body, he’d just get in the way.

Fortunately, Preston didn’t take long in getting rid of the material.

For all he’d said Layton’s libido was completely normal, his own
seemed quite similar, something for which Layton felt quite glad.
Preston was practically broadcasting his emotions through their bond,
and the lynx’s arousal increased Layton’s, so much so that Layton
thought he might come before he could even have Preston inside him.

And God, he needed it so badly. He needed to feel Preston’s cock

pounding inside him, filling him up, completing him. Only Preston’s
touch could eliminate that void inside him, an emptiness that Layton
had always been aware of but mistaken as caused by Corbin’s
rejection. Instead, it had been the separation from Preston that had
tortured him, keeping him up in the dim hours of the night, sometimes
making him fall asleep on a wet pillow when no one was around to
see him cry. But now, he didn’t have to weep anymore. Now, he had
his mate and his family, and no one would separate them ever again.

Preston’s motions grew desperate, Layton’s emotions feeding

their bond, nursing their need for each other. At last, Preston finished
removing their clothes and brought their nude bodies together. The
lynx crushed their mouths together, the kiss greedy and frantic and oh
so good. Preston’s tongue fucked Layton’s mouth, exploring the wet
cavern, no, plundering it, making Layton’s head spin with passion. He
rubbed against his mate, his cock already leaking copious amounts of
pre-cum.

The need to breathe urged Preston to break the kiss, much to

Layton’s dismay. He wanted it to go on forever. He wanted to lose
himself in Preston’s taste, in his scent and his strength. Another image
flashed through his mind. He didn’t know if the idea was his own or
Preston’s, but it certainly had potential.

He imagined himself kneeling in front of Preston, taking the

lynx’s cock in his mouth. If Preston’s mouth tasted so good, he could

Scarlet Hyacinth

only imagine how Preston’s prick would feel on his tongue. He licked
his lips, and Preston followed the motion with his gaze, as if
hypnotized. Layton took this as encouragement. Even pinned down by
Preston’s larger bulk, he had no doubt that he could push Preston off
of him if he so desired.

True enough, a bit of maneuvering changed their positions, and

Preston ended up on his back on the bed, with Layton on top of him.
Layton already missed Preston’s weight pressing him into the
mattress, but he would not be deterred from his goal.

His mouth watered as he took in the expanse of Preston’s naked

body. His mate was so gorgeous that for a moment there, Layton
forgot what he’d originally intended to do. Then his gaze fell on
Preston’s thick prick. A translucent drop of pre-cum beaded at the tip,
drawing Layton in like a moth to a flame.

With no hesitation, Layton lowered his mouth over his mate’s

prick and took Preston all the way into his throat. Preston released a
choked sound that seemed like a cross between a growl and an
honest-to-God whimper. Clearly, Preston had not expected Layton to
be any good at this. In truth, Layton had never sucked a cock before,
but seahorses were naturally talented at sucking. It seemed like this
particular skill would be very useful in the future.

He bobbed his head up and down Preston’s cock, the flavor of

Preston’s pre-cum a drug that hazed Layton’s already aroused senses.
He alternated lazy licks across the glans with long, rapid strokes,
using his connection with Preston to judge his mate’s response. When
he felt Preston was close, he retreated, drawing it out, sucking lightly
across the head, teasing without giving the final touch needed to bring
Preston over. He felt incredibly powerful. He was controlling
Preston’s pleasure but at the same time offering it and opening
himself to Preston’s invasion. Layton distantly understood why
Preston enjoyed giving head so much and thought he might be
addicted to it, too.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

At one point, Preston’s control snapped. He threaded his fingers

through Layton’s hair, forcing his head down. Preston went with it,
surrendering to Preston’s domination. He closed his eyes, reveling in
the sensation, taking in every emotion, scent, and taste with the greed
only a mated shape-shifter could understand.

This time, when he sensed Preston’s orgasm approach, he didn’t

do anything to stop it. He wanted to taste Preston’s cum. No, he
needed it, like he needed air.

Moments later, his mate found his peak and pleasure flooded their

connection. Streams of hot spunk filled Layton’s mouth, the flavor
uniquely Preston’s. Layton almost came, too, and moaned as he drank
down every drop. At the last moment, he managed to keep his climax
in check. He yearned for Preston’s cock filling his ass, and nothing
else would suffice.

To Layton’s satisfaction, his arousal fed Preston’s, and Preston’s

prick filled again. The lynx growled, that sound that made shivers of
pleasure run down Layton’s spine. Before Layton knew what was
going on, Preston pushed him off and flipped him on all fours.

A quick, brisk search in the nightstand produced a tube of

lubricant. The sound of a snap and a squirt were his only warning, and
then two slick fingers thrust inside his passage. Layton couldn’t
suppress a gasp his seahorse nature turned into a pop, and he pushed
back against the invading digits. Preston crooked his fingers inside
Layton, and sparks flew through Layton’s body as his mate hit his
prostate. He simply went wild, bucking against Preston, trying to get
more.

Preston flipped him over on his back, and his gaze speared into

Layton’s soul. His touch grew gentler, almost too gentle. “Shhh,
lovely,” he crooned. “We don’t want to hurt the baby.”

With great effort, Layton quieted down. The baby would be fine.

Intellectually, he knew that. But in spite of this knowledge, he didn’t
want to take even the slightest chance. Oh, he could not deny himself

Scarlet Hyacinth

the pleasure of Preston’s touch, and there was no reason to. Even so,
it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

Of course, Preston made it very hard for Layton to keep to his

resolve. He scissored his fingers inside Layton, stretching Layton’s
passage with excruciating care. Preston struggled to keep his body
relaxed, but it was a losing battle from the beginning. When Preston
added another digit, the burn made Preston utter an honest-to-God
whimper.

Thankfully, Preston took pity on him. After a few more moments

of preparation, he retracted his fingers and slicked up his cock. The
bulbous head of Preston’s thick prick nudged at Layton’s hole, and
then Preston slid into Layton with the same gentleness he’d used
earlier.

The desperation to couple Layton had felt earlier melted into pure

emotion. The slow rhythm turned what could have been fucking into
delicious making love. There was no other way of putting it. It was
slow, sensual, and oh so perfect. Preston’s cock stretched Layton to
the limit, but they were a perfect fit. Their bodies seemed made for
each other, and as Preston slid home over and over, Layton
experienced a sense of rightness mingled with a pleasure that went
beyond the carnal. They rocked together in perfect synch, as if they’d
been lovers forever. For his part, Layton felt that he had belonged to
Preston for his entire life. He just hadn’t known it. But now, Preston
was inside his body, his mind, and his soul. There were no more
limits between them. And Layton felt so happy he could have wept.

Preston lowered his mouth over Layton’s neck and bit down.

Ecstasy washed over Layton, an almost-soothing wave that swept
away each and every one of Layton’s fears and concerns. He found
his peak at the same time Preston did, and their shared orgasm
swallowed them in an almost quiet, mind-numbing nirvana. There
was no way Layton could have imagined such pleasure before being
mated. But love, it seemed, changed everything, and Layton’s entire
sense of self was saturated with Preston’s love.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

They didn’t speak for the longest time. When the haze of the

orgasm started to dim, Preston briefly left the bed and brought back a
washcloth. He wiped Layton down, and if his hands occasionally
touched Layton’s skin with no real reason, neither of them
commented on it.

At last, Preston abandoned the cloth on the floor and came back to

bed. He pressed a kiss to Layton’s flat stomach, where their baby was
growing. “Get some sleep,” he said. “We still have a lot to do later.”

Layton nodded lazily. Somehow, in Preston’s arms, the idea of

spells and wicked Sidhe hunting them was almost laughable. In the
end, with Preston by his side, he could take the entire Sidhe nation
and win.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Six

Preston didn’t know why he woke up. There was no real reason,

no sound to have alerted him that something was wrong. But still, his
eyes shot open and busily scanned the room. He was relieved when he
saw Layton still by his side, but that still didn’t explain what had
startled him from his slumber.

Layton was awake as well. “Something’s going on,” Layton said

through their bond. “It’s in the air. I can feel it.”

Preston sensed it, too, a strange wrongness, almost like the day

when Layton had his car crash, but not quite. Layton slipped out of
the bed, but Preston grabbed his arm, shaking his head. He knew
Layton was completely capable of caring for himself, but if there was
truly someone with ill intentions inside the house, the intruders must
be well armed and dangerous. It was very risky to meet them head on.

Then again, remaining in the bedroom made Preston and his mate

sitting ducks. Preston released Layton’s arm, giving the seahorse a
look of warning. Layton just rolled his eyes and grabbed a pair of
pants. Good point. If they were going to try to fight someone, it was
better doing it without their bits hanging out, especially in Layton’s
case.

Preston hastily pulled on some jeans, although he didn’t bother

with shirt or shoes. He had a feeling that he would not need them.
Unlike Layton, he fought best when he was in shifter form.

Once dressed, they slipped out of the room and into the hallway. It

was quiet. Too quiet. Usually, there was the slight hum of
conversation, the chatter coming from the servants, and the general
business of a lived-in house. Even if he took into account the idea that

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

their family had left without them—which seemed like something
they would be inclined to do—there should still be other people
around. But Preston heard no one.

And yet there was a strange buzz over his senses, as if a fly were

continuously hovering close to his ear, refusing to leave him alone.
His skin crawled with the same odd awareness. “Magic,” Layton
whispered.

Preston nodded. “Stay behind me, all right? And don’t even think

about taking these guys on.”

He wasn’t afraid for himself, but he felt poorly prepared for taking

care of his mate and son. He’d taken some classes on magical
creatures at the academy, but they had in no way prepared him for
such a confrontation.

There was no time for him to acknowledge his inadequacies,

though. They’d barely taken a couple of steps when the sound of
movement broke the silence. It was very slight, almost inaudible, that
small disturbance in the air that always appeared when someone
moved. Perhaps Preston wouldn’t have even caught it had he not been
paying attention.

Layton and Preston both ducked behind an artistically placed

column just as a group of strikingly blond individuals appeared in the
hallway downstairs. Were all Sidhe blond? So far, evidence pointed to
this conclusion. Confusingly enough, there was another person with
them, a woman who moved differently, more sinuously. She
reminded Preston a bit of Sophia, their jellyfish sort-of-cousin who’d
attacked and almost killed Alexis. The comparison did nothing to
improve his mood. She held a child’s hand, ushering him on as they
progressed through the house.

Preston frowned. Were they keeping the child prisoner? No, that

couldn’t be right. Why would someone bring a prisoner in a surprise
assault? Not only that, but there was something about the kid that
seemed off.

“We have to help him,” Layton said through their bond.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Preston shook his head. “Look. Look at the way he holds himself.”

The boy’s spine was rigid and his stance arrogant. He walked with
certain, noiseless steps, completely integrated in the group of
intruders. When Preston tried to give the boy a closer look, he could
swear the air blurred around him.

“It’s too risky,” he told his mate. “Come on. We have to go.”
“But, Father, Dad…We have to look for them.”
Preston was worried about his family as well. If it was true that

his mother was behind this, she would hunt his dads down. But
hopefully, they’d left to the meeting with the Sidhe, together with
Layton’s parents. Honestly, Preston could not imagine something like
this happening with Byron Cunningham in the house. Or at least, that
was what Preston wanted to believe. As much as he wanted to look
for his family, the truth was that they were severely outnumbered.
Preston’s first priority was to take care of his mate and unborn child.

He pulled Layton back toward their bedroom. They didn’t go in,

though. Instead, they rushed past their quarters and down the
secondary staircase, built there for the use of service staff. Preston
knew there must be other groups of Sidhe than the one he’d seen, but
he’d bet money that those guys were the most powerful. And he had a
strong feeling that he knew who the child was.

Indeed, there were two guards watching the staircase. Between

him and Layton, they took care of the problem before the men in
question could raise the alarm. Preston had no clue what kind of locks
would hold a Sidhe, so he didn’t bother with them. He just left the
unconscious Sidhe in the hallway and rushed toward the back exit of
the house.

As they ran, however, they found themselves facing a striking

sight. In the hallway that led toward the main exit, he found staff
literally frozen in place. A man was immobilized in the process of
reaching for his gun. A woman seemed to be trying to escape. Preston
shared a look with his mate. They couldn’t just leave these people.
For all he knew, the Sidhe were planning to burn the building down.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

“Phone,” Layton said.
Of course. Why hadn’t he thought about it? Preston hastily

fumbled with his pockets and retrieved a tiny device. They ducked
toward a side room, intent on finding a more discreet spot for the call.

Halfway there, Preston sensed a deep feeling of familiarity, distant

and cool. A female voice stopped them before they could leave. “I
would not go anywhere if I were you.”

Preston turned and was not surprised in the slightest when he saw

his mother standing in front of them. More terrifyingly, though, she
had Nicolas in her hold. It was an image Preston had never thought he
would see. His adoptive father was a warrior, and watching him
frozen, motionless in a state of obvious anger, shook Preston more
than his mother’s presence. It didn’t help that she had a knife to
Nicolas’s throat. One of Nicolas’s own knives, if Preston wasn’t
mistaken.

On instinct, Preston pushed Layton behind himself. “What do you

want?” he asked the woman who’d given birth to him.

“Oh, nothing.” She smiled, but it came out as an unpleasant

grimace. “Just planning to take back what’s mine.”

And what was that? Her mate? Her children? She’d never had any

interest in them, not before Nicolas had showed up. Why now?

As if guessing his thoughts, his mother—no, Bella—laughed

again. “Come on. Move it.”

“I can take her out,” Layton said through their bond. “I have my

dad’s power. I could immobilize her.”

Normally, Preston wouldn’t have risked his dad. After all, any

mistake could prove lethal to Nicolas, and Preston had never seen
Layton use his power, not to such an extent, at least. But he trusted his
mate, and he knew Layton would not do anything that could be
dangerous for Preston’s dad.

Obviously sensing Preston’s acceptance, Layton attacked. Bella’s

eyes widened, but it was only for a moment, and she didn’t get the

Scarlet Hyacinth

chance to do anything. Layton’s power crackled through the air,
immobilizing her.

Instantly, Preston rushed to her side and released his father from

her grip. “Dad!” he growled at Nicolas. “Come on, Dad, I know
you’re in there. Wake up.”

A silent tension seemed to slither over Nicolas’s body. For a brief,

horrible moment, Preston thought his dad would not reply. But
finally, Nicolas blinked, his expression dazed and pained. “Can’t
move,” he said in a choked murmur. “Magic.”

Sweat beaded his brow, and even those few words appeared to

take a huge effort. Preston knew he could not snap his dad out of
whatever spell had been placed on him just by using words. Clearly, it
was only Nicolas’s personal strength that even allowed him to speak.

“We need to find Rhys,” he told Layton. “Maybe he can help.”
Layton nodded, but before they could go through with their plan, a

wave of power surrounded them. A foolish little rhyme reached
Preston’s ears.

“Tick-tock
You’re on the clock.
No sense to pout
There’s no way out.”
It would have been amusing, except it was spoken in a serious

voice that sounded like a strange cross between a child’s voice and an
adult’s one. And then there was a song, a hypnotizing song. Preston
couldn’t quite make out the words, but he suddenly felt mellow, and
he couldn’t move a muscle.

In front of them, the boy they’d seen earlier appeared, followed by

the strange woman. The woman gave them a strange smile, and
Preston noticed her teeth were very sharp. “Gotcha.”

* * * *

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

Life was often an accumulation of events that made little or no

sense. Once upon a time, Skylar had told Layton that even the
smallest decision could affect the course of one’s life and that of other
people. He’d given the example of one his friends, Carson. Years
back, when Carson had been a lamb, he’d taken a leap of faith and
mated a wolf, Brody. Later, they’d adopted Angel and Clark, two
good friends of Layton’s. But their choices had changed life for many
of their friends, bringing together people who might not have met
without their involvement.

As the group of Sidhe ushered him and Preston into an adjoining

room, Layton wondered what choices had brought them to this point.
It just seemed amazing that they’d suddenly have not only Preston’s
mother ready to attack them, but also a warlock who looked like a
child, a siren, and a group of warrior Sidhe. And where was
everyone? The Pierce mansions were always very well guarded,
something which Layton had learned stemmed from an old attack,
before Layton had even been born. So how had these people gotten
inside so easily? Had they killed his parents? God, he hoped they
weren’t hurt. At least Morgan had gotten away. Layton would never
forgive himself if something happened to his brother.

The room where they were taken was empty. Layton had half

hoped there would be other people around, someone who could tell
them what had happened, but no such luck. In spite of their efforts to
fight back, even Preston’s dad, Nicolas, had been taken someplace
else. The guards had also confiscated Layton’s cell phone, leaving
them with no way to contact reinforcements.

Preston’s mother and their nemesis had recovered from Layton’s

attack and was currently sitting in front of them, glaring. The warlock
child and the siren were also there. Whatever spell the siren had cast
was being enforced by her presence. Or perhaps the warlock had done
something as well. Layton had no clue, but he was frustrated because
his own power should have been able to fight this.

Scarlet Hyacinth

He’d been right to fear people with magic. Shape-shifters in

general were wary of magic and mythological creatures. Since
meeting Alexis, Layton himself was more disinclined to judge before
understanding someone, but this particular situation clearly illustrated
the reason behind shifter distrust.

For the moment, there was nothing he could do but wait. And

wait, he did. Preston’s mother just eyed them with a sort of angry
satisfaction that Layton couldn’t quite understand while the other two
soon lost interest and seemed bored. Were they waiting for someone?
If so, how did that fit with the original idea that Bella Valentino was
behind it all?

“I’m not sure she ever truly planned it,” Preston said through

their bond. “Years back, Nicolas was kidnapped, and she was
involved, but according to my father, she’d been pushed into it. She’s
a follower, not a leader.”

“Then who started this?” Layton inquired. “Why?”
Their minds worked furiously as they tried to figure out the

puzzle. It simply made no sense. Whoever was behind it all must be
someone very powerful. Otherwise, these guys would never have just
waited around like this. Any moment now, Layton’s parents would
come back, and then these guys would be in trouble. Even with their
amazing magic, they could not take a furious Byron Cunningham.
And God, would he be furious.

And then the door opened and a familiar blonde walked in.

“Hello, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Mckenna,” Elder Adele Mercier said.
“What a pleasure to see you.”

Layton wanted to kick himself. Of course. He’d seen her

snobbishness just earlier that day and instinctively sensed that
something darker was hiding under the façade of politeness. Had his
parents been fooled, too, or did they have a plan in place? Honestly,
Layton didn’t imagine his parents going along with the Sidhe elder’s
plot if they’d known about it. Fuck.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

She made her way to where Preston and Layton were standing. “I

don’t like shifters. I don’t like demons. And I like shifters who mix
with demons even less.” Briefly, Layton wondered what had
happened to Rhys if she disliked him so much. He could not focus on
that, though, not with her so close. Her hand was like a claw when it
cupped Layton’s cheek, her fingernails digging into Layton’s flesh.
“But that’s not what it’s all about.”

Layton had no doubt that was the case. A ten-year-old spell meant

that she’d planned this long before Layton had even met Alexis. So
what did that mean?

“You shifters are animals. Your idiocy led the humans to find out

about our existence. You need to be punished, and the Sidhe can do
that, once our magic focuses on you. You will be wiped out like you
deserve.” She chuckled. “You and yours played right into my hands.
With all of your parents’ ideas of peace between races, they’ll turn to
war once their precious children are killed.” She laughed. “You know
I’d lost hope that you would ever realize it. I had to come up with
another plan. Just goes to show you, things always work out for the
best.”

Layton remembered the attack on the academy, when a

skinwalker had pretended to be Alexis to frame him for several
killings. It ended up with an explosion that had burned half of
Alexis’s face and killed the skinwalker. They never had found out
whether the skinwalker had been in involved in a bigger plot or not. It
seemed those questions might be answered after all.

In a way, she was right. Magical races begrudged shifters for

revealing the existence of the supernatural to humans. While humans
could not in normal circumstances oppose the Sidhe or any other
species, they were dangerous for isolated individuals. Even if hate
crime was illegal, rogue human hunters still made plenty of victims. It
was a problem Layton’s father had been struggling against for a while
now. Not to mention that Layton’s family had been directly involved
in those events.

100

Scarlet Hyacinth

But Layton had never been one to blame himself for someone

else’s actions. He knew that, even without the interference of the
insane shifter who’d changed shapes in the middle of a stadium, the
existence of the paranormal world couldn’t have been kept a secret
from society forever. In fact, whether the Sidhe wanted to accept it or
not, many governmental agencies had already been aware of it by the
time the entire thing had happened.

But Elder Mercier was clearly beyond reason. She sighed in faux

distress. “If only you hadn’t discovered who exactly created the spell.
Just the knowledge that it was our kind who enchanted Layton would
have been enough. But no. You had to go and prod at it. Oh, well.
Perhaps it’s better this way. After all, death is always a better
incentive for war.”

Did all evil geniuses like to talk about their evil plan? It reminded

Layton about something his father had once told him. Never delay. If
you’re going to take someone on, do it as quickly as possible. Every
second that passes brings the opportunity that something will go
wrong. It might have seemed like a strange piece of advice to give
one’s son, but it was just the way their world was built. Even Layton’s
dad, gentle Skylar, acknowledged it.

What she was saying made sense, in a weird, twisted way. She

wanted war between the races, but she didn’t want her name involved
or herself to be personally at risk. Obviously, she was quite certain of
the success of her plan if she’d chosen to come here now. In Layton’s
opinion, that was a gross miscalculation.

Whatever Layton had thought, the elder decided they’d had

enough conversation. “Well, enough chatter. Bella, would you like to
do the honors?”

A cold chill swept over Layton’s skin. That didn’t sound

promising. No, it didn’t sound promising at all. The female lynx got
up and smirked in obvious satisfaction.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

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101

As she approached them, she passed the elder Sidhe, who petted

her hair. Bella turned toward Adele, giving the Sidhe a besotted look.
On her part, Adele had an indulgent smile, like one would give to a
favorite pet. A pet. That was what Bella Valentino meant to the Sidhe
elder. How could Bella not see it?

And yet the female lynx seemed either oblivious or uncaring.

After the brief, wordless exchange, she stood in front of Layton and
his mate, smirking. Suddenly, her fingernails were replaced by claws.
She ran one of the sharp claws over Layton’s cheek. Layton
suppressed his fear as she drew blood.

Once upon a time, Layton had not been afraid of dying. Even

when he’d been in the car crash, he’d taken it in stride, too caught up
in his emotional mess of a love life to care that the accident might
have wiped all that away. Perhaps the Cunningham strength gave him
a sort of fearlessness, the knowledge that he could face whatever
dangers came his way and still come out on top. But since then, many
things had happened, and one of the most important ones was that he
was pregnant. He might be able to survive whatever Elder Mercier
and her cronies had planned, but his child could not. And then there
was Preston. Clearly, Preston’s mother had it out for her own kids.
Who knew what her insanity would make her do?

Bella’s clawed hand hovered in the air. Layton tried to move, tried

to do anything to stop her. His frantic struggles might have paid off,
except he was in a room with three powerful magic users, and he had
a feeling that the spell previously on him made it easier for them to
control him.

In his mind, he could hear Preston desperately crying out.

“Layton! Oh, God, lovely!”

Before Layton could move a muscle, the lynx’s hand swooshed

down. Thin trails of fire rushed over Layton’s face as her claw raked
over his cheek. He tried to scream, but not even his vocal chords were
working. He tried to find refuge in the pain and push his attacker
away, but it was futile.

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Bella then pierced his shoulder with her sharp claws and pushed

him down to the floor. She kicked at him, apparently finding some
perverse satisfaction in torturing him in front of Preston. As she
moved to hit his stomach, a strength he didn’t know he had kicked in.

His bond vibrated with power, and all of a sudden, Layton could

move. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he rolled away from her,
narrowly avoiding the attack. A roar echoed in the room, and Layton
shot to his feet just in time to watch his mate turn into his lynx shape.

Preston was magnificent in his animal form. He might not be as

big as other felines, but there was a grace in him and a silent, hidden
power that Layton admired even in moments such as this. With no
hesitation, Preston jumped on his mother, pushing her away from
Layton. The Sidhe elder hissed in anger, and magic sizzled through
the air, threatening to defeat their rebellion again. As if that weren’t
enough, the siren song swirled around him, trying to seduce his
consciousness and blur his reason. But this time, Layton was warned.
He clung to his bond with Preston, allowing his sense of self to fall
back onto Preston’s strength. Much to his satisfaction, the magic
recoiled in the face of the strength of the bond. Take that, you stupid
fuckers!

Knowing he needed to take advantage of the element of surprise,

Layton allowed his own power to flow freely. It burst out of him,
fueled by his pain, anger, and yes, his fear. The magic users froze in
the process of casting another spell.

Preston shifted back into his human form and cupped his chin,

analyzing his injuries with tormented eyes. “I’m fine,” Layton said.
“They’re just flesh wounds. They’ll close.”

Preston nodded, although he didn’t seem very convinced. “Come

on. We have to get out of here.”

Layton couldn’t agree more. Even if the wounds caused by Bella

were already healing, his head hurt for no discernable reason. Well,
that wasn’t quite true. Layton was pretty sure he knew the cause

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103

behind the ache. Layton had managed to immobilize the spell casters,
but they were far too strong for him to control for long.

Luckily, Preston was there to get rid of the problem for him. With

a few well-placed punches, the lynx knocked out their opponents, and
Layton realized that, in spite of their strong abilities, Sidhe and other
such magical creatures were physically quite weak. Layton distantly
noted it, just in case he needed the knowledge in the future.

They grabbed Elder Mercier, knowing that it was too much to

wish for finding the coast clear. Not to mention that the rest of the
Sidhe still had Preston’s dad and God only knew who else. Indeed,
outside they found the group of Nazi look-alikes. As soon as the
Sidhe spotted Preston and Layton, they immediately became alarmed.

“No funny business.” Preston growled at them, his claws

threatening at Elder Adele’s neck. “My hand just might slip.”

The Sidhe seemed more than a little reluctant to just let them go,

but they didn’t have much choice. They parted in front of Layton and
Preston like the proverbial Red Sea. Layton held his breath, following
his and Preston’s senses to find their loved ones.

Their instincts led them to a room down the hallway. The door

opened, and Layton couldn’t suppress a gasp at what he saw inside.
Rhys and Nicolas were laying on a couch, a male Sidhe watching over
them. They were so still, their eyes open but unseeing. Rhys, in
particular, looked very bad, his beautiful face wrecked by angry
scratch marks and his arms sticking at odd angles, broken. There was
pain there, so much pain, but Rhys couldn’t even move enough to
vocalize or express it. Nicolas was only a little better off.

With the obvious violence that had been inflicted on the two,

Layton’s first instinct was to destroy the hovering Sidhe. He only
stopped when the Sidhe’s gaze shot toward the door. It was Rhys’s
brother, Chantay. What the fuck?

Relief flittered over Chantay’s face. “Oh, thank God. I thought

they must have hurt you, too.”

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Preston briefly handed Elder Mercier to Layton and stalked to

Chantay’s side. “Do you think we’re idiots or what?” he fumed
angrily, grabbing Chantay’s arm. “What did you do to them?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Chantay replied, his eyes wide. “I was

trying to help them.” He broke away from Preston’s hold. “Rhys is
my brother. I came here because I was worried for him. That’s all.”

Given the situation, Layton was disinclined to believe any word

that came out from this guy’s mouth. It just seemed that his parents
had been sent off on a wild goose chase while the elder Sidhe had
been waiting in the wings, ready to attack. Layton was still not
absolutely sure why she’d decided to put the spell on him in the first
place, but he decided he’d worry about that later, when they were out
of danger.

Right then and there, they couldn’t know whether for certain

whether Chantay had been involved in the attack or not. “Just get a
move on,” Preston said. “Grab Rhys, and let’s get out of here.”

Preston grabbed Elder Mercier again while Layton took Nicolas in

his arms. The hummingbird was quite light, so Layton had no trouble
carrying him. He didn’t deceive himself, though. They’d have to be
incredibly lucky to get out of there safe and sound.

But luck, it would seem, was on their side, at least to a certain

extent. Layton sensed a familiar presence approach. Both he and his
mate froze in their tracks, hope coursing through them.

Instead of rushing outside, Preston dumped the unconscious Sidhe

elder on the floor and barricaded the door as well as he could. He
shouldn’t have bothered. Outside, Layton heard a fight, brief, but
intense. He actually sensed the energies unleashed, both shifter and
magic. He felt like a coward for hiding in here while his friends and
family did all the work, but honestly, he didn’t think he could have
taken another battle. He placed Nicolas back on the couch and waited.
Chantay followed his example with Rhys, although he still looked
very nervous.

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105

Of course, there was still a doubt, a fear, until the moment when

the door burst open. His parents rushed into the room, panic and anger
carved in their features. Predictably, Byron was leading the way, and
Skylar appeared from behind him.

They both hugged him tightly, almost choking him with their

affection. They only released him when Skylar noticed the motionless
forms of Rhys and Nicolas.

“Oh, no. Nico…”
Garth looked pale and glum. He seemed to have expected this, at

least to a certain extent. Layton couldn’t say he was surprised. He
imagined that due to the mate bond, Garth must have sensed and
known at least a part of what had happened.

Still, it was heartbreaking to see Garth kneel next to Nicolas and

take Nicolas’s hand to kiss it. Preston hovered over his two dads, and
Layton could sense his mate’s pain. There had to be something they
could do. If the Sidhe were defeated, why weren’t Nicolas and Rhys
snapping out of their trance?

Garth pressed his lips briefly to Nicolas’s, seemingly oblivious to

the presence of anyone else. Layton looked away, remorse coursing
through him at the realization of just how many things he’d crushed in
his attempt to secure his own life.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Preston said through their bond, but his

voice was full of pain and anger. “It’s nobody’s fault but theirs, the
Sidhe’s.”

Layton’s parents looked just as torn apart, probably feeling guilty

for leaving the house in the first place. But much to their relief, a
moan suddenly sounded from Nicolas. He blinked dazedly, his gaze
fixing on Garth’s face. “Garth? What…What happened?”

There was a sob of relief from the older lynx as he clutched

Nicolas in his arms. Layton breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God.
There was hope still.

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Or…Was there? Even as Nicolas stirred from his paralysis,

Chantay was still attempting to make Rhys react. It would seem
things would not be as easy as Layton had hoped.

* * * *

Byron Cunningham was a very efficient man. Preston had always

known this, and now, he had a chance of actually seeing it firsthand.
The older shark dealt with the aftermath of the attack quickly,
organizing the imprisonment of the intruders, bringing in additional
staff to replace the people they’d lost, reinforcing the security of the
building.

The sad thing was that, in spite of all the efforts, many of the

people who’d been in the building during the attack had not yet
recovered from the spell. Only the people with mates had snapped out
of it, the bond apparently too strong for the magic to contain. The
others remained in a coma-like state, and neither Preston, nor any of
his loved ones, had any idea what to do about it.

The only positive thing in the whole debacle was that Chantay

seemed to have been telling the truth. Chantay had indeed notified
Byron and Skylar of his arrival, and his presence here during the
Sidhe attack had been mere coincidence. Unfortunately, his concern
for his brother had turned out to be justified, as Rhys Whitaker was
among those who still hadn’t awoken.

“So what do we do now?” Preston asked the Cunninghams when

they met up again in Skylar’s office.

Skylar was looking over some files busily, scanning them with

almost frantic eyes. He hummed thoughtfully, as if the question
hadn’t really registered.

Thankfully, Byron was there and took over the conversation.

“There’s not much we can do. I’ve never seen this sort of thing,
although Skylar and I have been studying older records and found

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107

mentioning of it. Our pet Sidhe is trying to help, but the spell seems to
be too powerful for him to take on his own.”

“But if we kill the elder, won’t that break the spell?” Layton

inquired. Killing someone might not be a solution either of them
enjoyed these days, but they were shifters, and they accepted the
inevitability and sometimes the necessity of death with far greater
ease than other races.

Skylar shook his head, finally looking up from the papers. “We

can’t kill them,” he said. “Then exactly what the elder wanted will
happen. It won’t matter that she struck first. There will be a war, and
God only knows how many people might die because of it.”

The older seahorse was right, but that didn’t make this situation

any easier to withstand. “So what do we do then?” he asked between
gritted teeth.

“For the moment, I’m having my parents come here and take over

the mansion. I’ve already asked Garth to send the injured to the
Agency HQ here in Paris, and we’re strengthening the guard. Since
we’re not sure whether or not a magic attack is going to occur, I’ve
asked the Whitaker family to send us some reinforcements. Due to
Rhys’s condition, it wasn’t hard to get them to cooperate.” Skylar
grimaced, obviously realizing how bad the latter phrase sounded.
“Once they get here,” he added, “you two, Garth, and Nico will return
to the States. Rhys will come with you. We’ve discussed the situation
with the Whitakers, and they believe the best place for him is at home.
We will send Chantay to his own parents, since him getting involved
in this would just put him at risk uselessly.”

“What about you, Dad?” Layton inquired.
Skylar and Byron exchanged a look, obviously discussing the

issue through their mind bond. “Elder Mercier is a very important
person,” Byron finally said. “Thankfully for us, though, she’s not the
top of the hierarchy. The Seelie Court has a king, and Skylar and I
hope to reach out to that man and initiate a discussion before it is too
late.”

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Skylar gave Layton a serious look. “I won’t lie to you. This might

not work. It’s very risky. You’ve seen what the Sidhe think about
shifters firsthand. I know this is incredibly poor timing, but between
you and Morgan, you have to take over the business in the States.”

He turned his gaze on Preston. “I’m counting on you, Preston, to

give my sons your support. I’ve already discussed it with Morgan and
Alexis, but I need you there.”

“You can count on me, sir,” Preston said a little numbly. He

understood what they were saying. They would try to reach out to the
Seelie court, but the likelihood of them surviving the attempt was
very small.

He sensed Layton’s pain through their bond as the young seahorse

shot forward to reach his parents. “No! You can’t do this. You can’t
leave us.”

“It’s already done,” Byron replied, his voice cool. “Calm yourself.

You’re a grown-up now. You don’t need us to hold your hand.”

The words were harsh and unfair, and Layton froze in his tracks.

Preston wrapped a protective arm around his mate’s shoulder, waiting
as Layton took a few deep breaths. “I understand, Father,” he finally
said. “I’m sorry for losing my head.”

A small smile appeared on Byron’s face. “It’s okay. I trust you to

do the right thing.”

Skylar got up, and Preston released his mate, allowing Layton to

go to his birth father. As the two seahorses embraced, Preston heard
Skylar whisper encouragements to Layton.

“I know it hurts, honey, but you gotta know that we wouldn’t do

this if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. And your father is a very strong
man. We have a chance.”

Layton nodded against his dad’s chest and broke away from the

embrace. As he did so, Byron unexpectedly hugged him, too. Preston
looked away from the scene, feeling a bit like a voyeur for watching a
very personal moment.

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109

He’d never quite understood the dynamics of the Cunningham

family. Skylar and Byron were so very different that sometimes
Preston had wondered how they made their relationship work. But
Layton was a lot like his shark father, and Preston realized that
Byron’s behavior was something natural for them.

The hug was brief but strong, and then Byron released Layton

from his embrace. “Go on,” he said. “Go pack. I want you out of here
as soon as possible.”

Wordlessly, the two of them obeyed. Preston felt a little like a kid

being sent to his room, but he admitted that he saw the reason in
Skylar and Byron’s plan. The image of his mother stabbing Layton
refused to leave his mind, and he shuddered, knowing just how close
he’d come to losing Layton and their child.

His lynx paced angrily inside him just at the memory, and he had

the urge to hunt his mother down and tear her throat out. Layton
squeezed his hand, his voice slipping in Preston’s mind. “Don’t think
about it anymore. It’s done. We’re fine.”

Yes, the injury had healed, but it had been a close call. How could

Preston just let it go? Of course, if he wanted to be perfectly honest,
committing matricide wasn’t something he felt comfortable with, not
now when he was supposed to begin a new life with his family. In the
end, he didn’t have much choice. Instead of attempting to find the
prisoners, they went and packed. One hour later, they said good-bye
to Layton’s parents and headed out of the Pierce mansion, together
with Preston’s dads. Preston took one last, long look at the
Cunninghams and wondered if this was the last time he would see
them. He banished the thought, hoping his mate had not caught it.

Layton offered him a small smile. “It’s all right,” he said through

their bond. “I trust my father. He won’t allow anything to happen.”

Preston did his best to empty his mind of all thought. He didn’t

want to think that not even a strong shifter like Byron Cunningham
could control all circumstances. He didn’t want to believe that his
family might not be the same after all this.

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Leaving Paris brought both a relief and an additional doubt.

Preston might have gone back ten times had he not been in charge of
Layton. Oh, he could trust his father with Layton’s care, but his dads
were still shaken after what had happened to Nicolas. It was unfair to
ask anything like that of them.

At last, they drove up to the private airport where they would find

the plane that would take them back home. Layton was very quiet all
throughout the trip. In fact, none of them spoke much, other than
occasional comments from Garth and Nicolas. A second car followed
behind them, carrying a few guards and a still-unconscious Rhys.

In the end, there was nothing either of them could do. They

boarded the plane and waited together while the staff finished the
preparations for the flight. At last, the aircraft took off, and Preston
closed his eyes, relaxing for the long flight. He hoped that, by the
time the flight ended, he’d stop seeing images of his mate’s scarred
face and blood.

* * * *

Bella Valentino struggled with the bonds keeping her

immobilized, silently fuming to herself. How had the plan gone so
wrong? She’d been convinced Adele could easily take on Byron
Cunningham’s offspring, especially with the help of their allies. The
warlock child in particular had been a great addition to their party.
Unexpectedly, however, Layton and Preston had found the strength to
escape and stall for long enough, allowing their parents to return.

She still didn’t realize how the Cunninghams had even known

something was wrong. Adele had been so careful. She’d hatched the
perfect plan. Where was the beautiful Sidhe now? What had they
done with her?

She was so lost in her anger that the sound of the cell door

opening took her by surprise. Skylar Cunningham stepped inside,
looking glum. “Hello, Bella.”

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111

“You little bitch.” Bella growled at him. “What did you do to

Adele?”

“You care more about that Sidhe than you do about your own

children. Hell, you hate your children. Why, Bella?”

She snorted. “They betrayed me. They chose that idiotic

hummingbird over me. I’m their mother.”

Skylar shook his head. “No, you’re not. You stopped being their

mother a long time ago.” He gave her an unpleasant smile. “You
don’t even realize how Byron and I figured out our children were in
danger. Well, a true parent feels that sort of thing, Bella, and you
never were one.”

“Shut up,” Bella spat at him. “You have no right to lecture me.”
“I beg to differ,” Skylar answered. “Either way, it’s not why I

came here. I just wanted to show you something.”

At one sign from Skylar, several guards entered the cell. They

grabbed Bella, and while she tried to struggle, she had no chance of
freeing herself. Skylar led them out of the previous room and into one
on a different corridor. One of its walls was transparent, allowing the
people present to see in the adjacent area. It was a setup created for
interrogation purposes and Bella couldn’t contain a shudder,
wondering just why Skylar had a room like this in his house. She
could only guess that, due to the business the man’s husband ran,
some adjustments had been made.

Much to Bella’s glee and distress, she saw Adele in the adjoining

room. However, Byron Cunningham was with her, his imposing body
dwarfing the much smaller Sidhe woman.

“So tell me, Adele, what did you hope to achieve with this? Why

the elaborate ruse?”

“I already told your children. It’s quite easy really. You shifters

deserve to be wiped out. Magical creatures have the power. They just
have to be united. A war would have done that.”

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Bella attempted to free herself from her guards, kicking and

screaming. Adele didn’t seem to hear her, but on the plus side, she
was also unharmed.

“Why did you bring me here?” Bella asked Skylar. “What’s the

point of your little game?”

“I just want you to listen,” Skylar replied with a small, sad smile.
As if on cue, Byron asked Adele, “So why involve Bella

Valentino? What use was she to you?”

Adele laughed. “Bella? Oh, she was easy. She told me exactly

what I wanted to know and pointed me in the right direction. Her
knowledge of the shifter world gave us invaluable information.” She
paused and smirked. “And she made for a nice pet.”

Bella couldn’t believe her ears. Pet? No, that couldn’t be right.

She cared about Adele deeply, and the Sidhe had returned her
feelings.

“This is some trick,” she shouted. “You’re trying to fool me.”
“Shifters don’t have magic,” Skylar answered. “You know that.

Now be quiet and listen.”

And Bella did listen. She listened as Adele explained just how

little she thought of Bella. “She, like all of you, is an animal. The fact
that she was willing to betray her kin just on my whim clearly attests
to that reality.”

Byron shook his head and, much to Bella’s dismay, changed the

subject. “Who else was involved in this? How did you even know
Layton was Preston’s mate?”

As more and more questions were asked, Adele clammed up,

refusing to offer any answers. “You won’t get more from me, shark,”
she said. “You and I both know you can’t kill me, or you’ll end up
with a war on your hands just the same.”

Bella didn’t get to find out Byron’s answer to that. Skylar turned

toward her and gestured the guards to take her out of the room. “I
believe you’ve heard more than enough,” he said.

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113

As she was taken back to her cell, Skylar joined her one last time.

“You chose the wrong side, Bella,” he told her. “Adele Mercier was
right about one thing. You betrayed your kin, and while you might
have been fooled by the Sidhe, you still have to pay for it.” His smile
turned unpleasant, almost dark, and for the first time, Bella was
frightened for herself. That expression didn’t suit the usually kind
Skylar, the one she knew from her years spent at Garth’s side.

“Don’t worry. You’ll never see Adele again. I’ll make sure of

that.” He leaned in closer and whispered, “You’ll never see the light
of day, either. I don’t take kindly to people who hurt my children.”

And with that, Skylar turned his back on Bella and left the room.

The guards secured Bella’s bindings and followed behind their boss,
abandoning her to her loneliness and despair. Telling her about
Adele’s betrayal had been Skylar’s revenge, and she had no doubt that
he would do exactly what he’d said. In listening to Adele’s traitorous
promises, Bella had forfeited her life and dignity. She only hoped that
one day, Adele got her just desserts as well.

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Chapter Seven

A few weeks later

Layton leaned over the toilet seat as he emptied the contents of his

stomach for the third time that day. It was actually quite shocking,
since by now, there was nothing left to throw up. His stomach,
however, disagreed, as the dry heaves clearly proved.

Finally over the fit of nausea, Layton got up on shaky legs. He

reached for the sink and washed his face and brushed his teeth. His
mate appeared in the doorway just as Layton turned off the water.

The concern on Preston’s face never failed to make Layton feel

warm inside. “I told you I’m fine,” he said brusquely. “You didn’t
have to leave the office to check up on me.”

Preston cupped his cheek gently. “How could I not?”
Layton rolled his eyes but leaned into the caress. Hand in hand,

they left the bathroom and went downstairs.

The Cunningham mansion was a blur of activity. Ever since

Layton’s parents had disappeared less than a month earlier, friends
and family had popped up to make sure Layton managed to deal with
everything Skylar and Byron had left behind. Layton’s adopted
grandparents, Malcolm and Yuki, had returned from their self-
imposed exile, and many of Layton’s friends had jumped in to help.

Between him and his brother, they dealt with every business under

Cunningham control, the agency which Skylar led, and the
reinforcement of defenses in case a war against magical creatures
happened. The events in France were not common knowledge for
shifters, but Layton had told the principal of the academy, Sara

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115

Huitzilin. She had agreed to briefly shut down the university to allow
for an updating of security.

With so many things to do, it was easy to lose track of time. To a

certain extent Layton felt grateful for it because that way, he wouldn’t
think too much about the increasing risk that his parents might be
dead. Sometimes, he saw staff giving him and Morgan looks of pity.
Their friends and mates knew better, though, which was why they’d
become invaluable.

As Layton and Preston headed back toward his office, they were

intercepted by their friend, Reed. Reed was the adopted son of one of
Skylar’s good friends, Shiloh, and in the past weeks, the swan had
worked with Layton in organizing the defenses of not only the
Cunninghams, but also the werewolf packs in the area.

“Hey, Layton, you gotta come see this,” Reed said.
He looked pale but somewhat excited. Layton was confused. Had

there been news of his parents?

“What’s going on, Reed?”
Reed pulled them in the office, and Layton gaped as he saw a light

shining over his desk. Okay, that hadn’t been there ten minutes ago
when his stomach had once again rebelled. He gave Reed a look of
confusion. “What in the world is that, Reed?”

“I haven’t got a clue,” the swan said anxiously. “I thought the

entire estate was surrounded by wards and magic couldn’t get in
here.”

Layton had thought that as well, but apparently, he’d been wrong.

He eyed the ball of light with suspicion. “Get Alexis. He might be
able to tell us.”

No sooner had he finished the phrase than he sensed the incubus

approach, as always in Morgan’s company. Alexis looked, to put it
bluntly, harassed. He was officially the consultant on magical issues
and the liaison with other incubi who’d come to lend a hand with
securing the place. Between that and still caring for an increasingly
agitated newborn, Alexis didn’t seem to be getting much sleep.

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“Where is it?” he asked as he reached them.
It was more or less a rhetorical question as clearly, the incubus

sensed the source of the magic. He peeked into the office, his
eyebrows shooting up. His tense stance relaxed a little. “It’s a
message,” he explained. “A magical message.”

“A message,” Layton repeated in disbelief. “Who the hell would

send a message here?”

“Well, you won’t know until you open it, I guess,” Alexis

answered. “It should be safe, but there are no guarantees, not with
this.”

Layton made a move to reach for the orb, but Preston cut him off.

“No, you don’t. I’ll do it.”

Preston’s overprotectiveness would have irritated Layton had he

not spent the entire morning throwing up. As it was, he acknowledged
Preston had a point, but he didn’t want Preston to have contact with
magic, either.

“It’s okay, lovely,” Preston said through their bond. “I’ll be fine.”
Before Layton could protest, his mate sat at the desk and reached

into the light. Layton might have rushed forward to stop Preston had
Morgan not held him back.

But his panic turned out to be unjustified. They waited, watching

Preston in hypnotized awe, but nothing happened. Finally, Alexis
took a few steps forward and peeked closer to the light.

“Oh,” he said.
“What?” Preston inquired. “What is it? Why won’t it open?”
“It has a special lock,” Alexis replied. “I believe that usually, this

sort of thing is sealed with…blood.”

Silence fell over the room as Alexis’s words computed. Blood.

Their parents’ blood. There was no other explanation. Which meant
that, most likely, either he or Morgan had to touch it. Seeing that
nothing had happened when Preston tried it, it seemed safe enough to
attempt even with his pregnancy. Angrily, he stalked to the desk and
touched the bright light.

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117

Instantly, his mind was invaded with a warmth and a scent he’d

come to associate with his dad. Then followed his father’s strength,
sometimes comforting, sometimes chastising, but always there.
Layton could see them so clearly.

A picture formed. At first, Layton thought it was only in his mind,

but a gasp from Reed told him the others could see it as well. It was
an image of his parents, lying on a bed, seemingly asleep. They
looked so peaceful, embraced, Skylar’s chest rising slowly as he
relaxed against Byron’s chest. Layton wondered what sort of game
this was. Where were his parents? Was this image even real, and if so,
who was showing it to them?

As if in answer to his question, the image of his parents blurred,

and in its stead, a blond man appeared. A Sidhe. “Hello, young
Cunninghams. I am King Sterling. You don’t know me, but I am
certain you are aware of your parents’ plans, at least to some extent.”
The Sidhe laughed. “Suffice to say, they found what they are looking
for. But you needn’t worry. They are alive and well. At least for
now.”

The Sidhe’s expression sobered. “I am a reasonable man, and I

realize that your fathers are correct insofar as a war would not be
profitable for anyone. However, your attack on Elder Mercier,
however justified, has understandably put me in the position to make
a choice. My people are demanding for you to return her and revenge
on her behalf for this humiliation.

“If we are to avoid this, I strongly suggest a meeting. You can

bring your mates, if you so desire, although it would probably be
better if Mr. Whitaker remains home. I must stress that both of you
most come, young Cunninghams. Convey your reply through this
sphere.”

The image vanished, leaving them all standing in the office, lost

and confused. “What do we do now?” Reed asked. “This has to be a
trap.”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

It was very likely that Reed was right, but unfortunately, Layton

and Morgan were once again stuck. His parents were in the Sidhe
king’s clutches, and Layton had no doubt that Sterling would begin a
war if they crossed him.

“We have to go,” Morgan said. “There is no other way.”
Layton placed a protective hand over his stomach, feeling a little

sick. The magic of the message might not have hurt his child, but
meeting the Sidhe king certainly would.

“Maybe,” Reed said decisively, “but you’re not going alone.”
Minutes later, Layton found himself surrounded by his friends and

extended family. All of the people he’d grown up with had gathered
around him, each insisting to be brought along. From Angel and
Clark, their parents, Carson and Brody, the werewolf pack Brody had
belonged to and their leader, Soren, to Preston’s parents, they all
wanted to lend in a hand in rescuing Layton’s parents. Layton
exchanged a brief look with his brother, feeling warm inside at the
obvious affection.

His mate’s voice drifted into his mind. “It won’t be easy, but we

might just get through this yet.”

Layton grinned, his momentary lapse into hopelessness forgotten.

Oh, yes, they would get through this. He would not disappoint his
parents. The image they’d been shown seemed to suggest Skylar and
Byron were prisoners, but Layton suddenly had his doubts. And
whatever plan the Sidhe king had, he would be very disappointed to
see that Layton and Morgan knew how to play the game as well.

* * * *

When Preston and his mate had sent back the message, they’d

agreed on arranging a neutral location for the famous meeting. After
throwing around a few suggestions with the Sidhe king, they’d
eventually decided on a forest in Soren’s pack land. It might seem to
give shifters an advantage, but the Sidhe had a great affinity with

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119

nature. Their dislike for shifters largely stemmed from the belief that
shifters were a perversion of what nature had intended animals to be.
So even if the territory belonged to Soren and his wolves, the Sidhe
would also be right at home.

Preston, Layton, Morgan, Alexis, and Soren headed to the

suggested spot, a clearing at the very edge of pack lands. Their people
were spread out around them, watching for Sidhe intruders. In the
end, Alexis insisted to come because his own people deserved a
representative. Rhys still had not recovered from his injuries, a fact
which pained and angered the incubus greatly.

As they reached their destination, several Sidhe emerged from the

trees. Preston had expected the Sidhe to bypass the security in the area
since they’d left that side least unmanned, concentrating defenses on
the circle closest to the Alpha compound and the pack’s homes. If
something happened, Preston and his companions would retreat there,
behind the muscle of Soren’s wolves and the Whitakers’ magical
wards.

To Preston’s shock, the Cunninghams had been brought along for

the meeting. They walked behind the Sidhe king, looking completely
composed. A brief flicker of irritation passed through Byron’s eyes as
he saw his two children in the grove before it was quickly masked.
Perhaps the shark had not wanted them there. And of course, beyond
Skylar’s calm façade, Preston saw true concern. A while back, before
mating Layton, he’d have missed it, but now, he had a new awareness
of the people Layton practically worshipped, and he saw what the
Cunninghams wanted to hide. He was filled with relief because their
behavior meant they were in there, not under Sidhe control.

King Sterling smiled at Preston and his companions as they met in

the middle. “Well met, young Cunninghams.” He wrinkled his perfect
nose as if he’d smelled something unpleasant. “I truly wish you’d
heeded my warning regarding Mr. Whitaker.”

“Too bad for you,” Morgan replied. “Alexis has just as much right

to be here as any of us.”

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“Indeed,” Sterling acknowledged with a grimace. “But let’s not

begin this meeting with unpleasantness, shall we?”

“Of course.” Layton beamed at the king. “Thank you for setting

up this little reunion, Your Majesty. It’s truly an honor to meet you
face-to-face.”

The words rang out fake and sarcastic in Preston’s ears, but if

Sterling realized it, he didn’t let it show. “And it is a pleasure to meet
you, Layton. I’ve heard a lot about you and your brothers from your
dear parents.”

Somehow, Preston doubted that was the case since the

Cunninghams were unlikely to go blabbering about their kids to
arrogant strangers who hated shifters as a whole. “We are flattered,”
Morgan said. “Now, what did you wish to discuss?”

“Your parents and I have been debating the possibility of a truce

between our two races. As you can understand, this situation is very
volatile, and for that reason we would require a gesture of goodwill
from your part.”

Skylar cleared his throat, demanding attention. They all turned to

the seahorse. “We have agreed to release Elder Mercier in King
Sterling’s custody as long as he provides care for those injured in the
battle.”

“I suppose that is acceptable,” Layton said, giving no sign of

having already considered this demand. “And I trust my parents are
free to go.”

“Of course.” King Sterling waved a hand, as if allowing

permission. “I’d have never dreamed to keep them in my custody.”

A brief snort sounded from Byron, and a smile flitted on Skylar’s

lips. It seemed that, whatever the Sidhe king said, he would not have
been able to keep the two Cunninghams prisoner in the first place.

Byron and Skylar made their way to Layton’s side. Preston could

actually sense the need vibrating through Layton to embrace his
parents, and he gathered Morgan must feel the same thing. However,

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121

they all restrained themselves, obviously knowing this was not the
time, nor the place.

Other than Skylar and Byron, several Sidhe had accompanied

Sterling to the meeting. Sterling waved a slender young man forward
and said, “This is Winter. He will help you break the spell on your
friends.”

Layton acknowledged the offer with a nod. “I give you my word

he will not be harmed.”

Morgan took Alexis’s hand, and a brief flash flowed away from

Alexis, a magical message. “Our men will be bringing Elder Mercier
and her people here,” Morgan said. “Are you interested in the siren
and the warlock, as well?”

“Please.” The king gave Morgan an arrogant look that belied his

polite words. “I wouldn’t want to have their kind fighting us, or you.”

Since the request had been anticipated, it didn’t take long for the

prisoners to be brought in. The Sidhe were wearing iron-enforced
shackles, which, according to the incubi, helped neutralize their
powers. The siren and the warlock wore gags, preventing them from
singing or casting incantations. And of course, Malcolm and Yuki
were there, looking very pleased as they touched the bare flesh of
their prisoners. Yuki was smiling in that aloof way that always
suggested something bad was going to happen. Simply looking at
Malcolm’s hand on Elder Mercier’s arm made Preston shiver. If
Malcolm only willed it, the Sidhe would be poisoned with the
jellyfish’s paralyzing venom. Sidhe might be able to heal quickly, but
few things could counter venom like that.

The Sidhe king didn’t look disturbed in the slightest, having

obviously expected these precautions. Layton nodded at Malcolm,
gesturing for him to bring the group forward.

It was then that Byron spoke for the first time. “We will be

keeping Elder Mercier until we are certain Winter can help cure the
damage she has wrought.”

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This time, the king looked distinctly displeased. “I’m afraid I

can’t allow that.”

“It’s easy enough to solve,” Alexis said pleasantly. He exchanged

a look with Morgan, and then a tall, dark-haired man emerged from
the shadows, carrying Rhys Whitaker. Preston recognized the man as
Alexis and Rhys’s father.

Preston had only briefly met the Whitakers when they’d come to

see Alexis at the academy hospital. After that, he hadn’t seen them
until they’d come here with Rhys. It had been an unexpected
development, but the Whitakers had explained Alexis and Elian’s
presence did Rhys good and a separation between the brothers
worsened Rhys’s condition.

“If you heal my son,” Mr. Whitaker said, “I’m sure Mr.

Cunningham will agree it as a proof of your goodwill.”

Sterling seemed put out at having his hand forced into this. Before

he could speak, the young Sidhe, Winter, intervened. “It’s all right,
Uncle,” he said. “I’m happy to help.”

So Winter was King Sterling’s nephew. Interesting. Sterling

didn’t look happy that Winter had revealed this, but it was too late to
take it back, and Winter was already making his way toward Rhys.

Malcolm placed his jacket on the grass, and Mr. Whitaker put his

son down. Winter took his cue and knelt next to the unconscious
incubus. Preston watched spellbound as light flowed from Winter’s
fingertips. It seemed to take forever, but at last, Rhys’s fixed gaze
cleared. “W–What? What happened?”

He must have seen the Sidhe above him because he pushed away

violently. “What the fuck—?”

Mr. Whitaker’s hand landed on Rhys’s shoulder. The older

incubus helped Rhys up. They didn’t speak, Rhys still eyeing the
Sidhe with distrust. Wordlessly, he helped Rhys away while Winter
got up, brushing his clothing and seemingly unaffected by the shove.

“There you go,” the Sidhe king said. “You have a gesture of my

good faith.”

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123

Preston admitted that Sterling had been honest, at least where that

issue was concerned. Byron nodded and gestured for Malcolm to
release Elder Mercier.

Finally, both sides had what they’d tentatively come here for. Or

did they? There was still the matter of the imminent war between
magical creatures and shifters, well, imminent if they didn’t do
something about it. Even if the king and the Cunninghams were
willing to forgive and forget, which was unlikely, there were far too
many people involved at this point for it to work. Elder Mercier had
gone to the trouble of placing an intricate spell on Layton to draw the
anger of the shifters. This would not go away simply because they
willed it to.

On cue, the king grinned at them. “Now, I have come up with a

solution for all of our problems. In order to ensure no war will break
out, we need a political marriage.”

“A political marriage.” Byron frowned, having obviously not

heard this before. “Between who?”

Preston was starting to get a bad feeling. The Sidhe’s ice-blue

eyes fixed on him and his mate. “Young Layton is pregnant, is he not?
I believe he or she would make a fine consort for me.”

Preston’s beast ripped out of him, demanding blood just for the

audacity of the king. Did Sterling really think they would surrender
the future of their unborn child just like that? Preston could still
remember the way Elder Mercier had treated his mother as if she were
some prized pet. They still hadn’t figured out if Bella had been under
a spell or not, but the humiliations she had withstood were clear, and
she didn’t even understand her position.

He took a step forward, ready to put the king in his place, but

Layton placed a hand on his wrist, keeping him from attacking. “No,”
Layton said coolly. “And the mere suggestion is an insult.”

Sterling arched a brow. “You should be flattered by my interest.”
“Well, we’re not,” Preston replied. “If that was what you wanted,

you should have just not wasted our time and yours.”

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Scarlet Hyacinth

The blatant refusal drew a dark scowl out of the Sidhe king. “You

should reconsider, Mr. Cunningham. There are few things in life as
risky as refusing one such as myself.”

He turned toward Byron and Skylar. “My friends, I’m sure you

must see how right I am.”

“No child of mine will ever have to be separated from their loved

ones,” Byron said, his voice like ice. Power flowed off him, and there
was no mistake that right there and then, a war sounded great to the
shark. “I will see you dead before I have you touch my grandchild.”

The situation might have escalated and a battle might have begun

on the spot, but suddenly, Sterling got a strange expression on his
face. It was a look of smug satisfaction, as if he knew something they
did not.

Chuckling, the Sidhe nodded. “Very well, Mr. Cunningham. But

there will come a time when you will take your words back.”

And just like that, the Sidhe slowly backed away from Preston and

his companions and disappeared into the vegetation. Winter was the
only one of them who remained there, and while he looked
uncomfortable, he didn’t move, nor did he make any attempt to follow
after his kind. For his part, Preston was too busy getting over his
anger and his need to hunt down the damn Sidhe and rip him to
pieces. Sterling’s enigmatic comments didn’t help, either.

In the end, just standing there didn’t help, and Byron decreed they

should go back to the pack house. “I’m proud of you,” he told Morgan
and Layton as they started to walk away. “I don’t know what that
damn Sidhe is planning, but whatever it is, we can handle it.”

The glee that passed through Layton at those words invaded

Preston with warmth. The bitter taste of the anger began to fade, and
he squeezed Layton’s hand. He might not have been able to hunt
down the people who’d kept him separated from Layton, but for the
moment, he was content in the knowledge that they were together,
and no spell could break them apart.

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

125

Epilogue

One year later

“Fucking hell,” Layton shouted as another cramp struck him.

“God, Preston, I hate you. You’re never touching me again.”

Preston wiped his mate’s sweaty brow and murmured

reassurances. “I love you too, baby. Now come on. Relax. Just
breathe.”

More cursing and profanities followed, and Preston’s concern

grew. He hadn’t thought the birth would be so hard on Layton. The
plan had been for Layton to be knocked out with anesthetic and wake
up once everything was in order. But something had gone wrong. The
birthing seam all seahorses had didn’t open correctly, and in spite of
the use of local painkillers, he was still in a lot of pain.

The only option that seemed to exist was using surgery to force

the seam open, but the doctors were reluctant to do so since it could
bring dangerous complications. In the circumstances, Preston was
quickly growing desperate. In the end, there was no other choice. Just
as the doctor readied himself to attempt the use of the anesthetic on
Layton again, Preston focused on his connection with Layton and did
his best to feed positive energies into Layton. It was something Alexis
had taught him. Even if he and Layton weren’t incubi, emotions were
extremely powerful and could make a great difference.

Layton released a brief whimper, but his body started to relax. At

last, his seam opened normally. The doctors exchanged looks of relief
and finally managed to adequately anesthetize Layton.

126

Scarlet Hyacinth

Fifteen minutes later, it was all over. Preston was officially a

daddy. Layton had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. At one point,
their parents had expected Layton to have twins, but as it turned out,
that hadn’t been the case. But this one child…Oh, he was gorgeous.
He had Preston’s blue eyes and a tuft of blond hair like Layton’s. He
was a little angel. Or…he looked like an angel because he was
certainly crying louder than any angel would. He seemed to be testing
the full extent of his lung capacity, and Preston smiled, already
anticipating how much like Layton their son would be. They’d
decided to name their boy Shea, and it suited him like a glove. Strong
and beautiful. That was their son.

The nurses cleaned Shea up and handed him to Preston. As soon

as he was in Preston’s arms, Shea quieted down, his eyes big, blue,
and lovely. As Preston held the tiny baby, the doctors began to check
over Layton’s vitals then transferred him to an adjoining chamber
where he could rest.

Preston followed after then and waited for a few minutes. At last,

Layton’s opened his eyes, and his gaze immediately zeroed on the
precious bundle in Preston’s arms. “Look, lovely,” Preston said.
“Look at our son.”

Gently, Preston handed Shea to his mate. Layton was never one to

weep, but as he held their son, his eyes filled with tears, tears of
happiness. Preston felt pretty emotional himself. With everything that
had happened, he’d sometimes thought this moment would never
come.

Still, it was later, when their family gathered around the bed, that

the change in his life truly processed. There were so many people, all
of them showing their concern and glee in their own, unique ways and
at the same time trying not to put a strain on the newborn. Skylar and
Byron hovered over the bed, proud grandparents for the second time.
Alexis sat on a nearby chair, his own son in his arms, cooing happily.
Rhys was right there with his brother, smiling slightly, now
completely healed of his ordeal. Morgan had taken position next to

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

127

his twin, looking him over to make sure Layton was all right.
Similarly, Corbin was by Preston’s side, and it meant so much to
Preston since they’d been separated so many years by their own
misguided emotions and the machinations of others.

All their friends dropped by to see Shea. Angel and Clark, Reed,

werewolves Melanie, Derek, Jace, and Isaac, and of course, all their
parents, who reveled in having another newborn in the family to fuss
over. Garth and Nicolas were particularly excited at their first
grandson, while some of the others kept hinting to their own sons that
they wanted grandchildren, too.

It was chaotic and a mess, but at the same, never too strenuous for

Shea and Layton. And then when everyone else was gone, a shy
knock sounded at the door. Preston bade the new arrival to enter, and
Winter peeked inside with an almost bashful look. “I was just
wondering if I could—”

In the past months, Winter had become a permanent fixture in the

Cunningham household. Originally, he was supposed to go back after
dealing with the injuries caused by Elder Mercier, but in the end, it
had been decided that he should stay. The whys behind it were
actually a mystery for Preston. Layton claimed his parents wanted the
leeway and they could use a liaison with King Sterling should a
conflict begin.

But as time flew and no word had come from the Sidhe, it had

become increasingly clear that Winter had come to mean more to
them than just an intruder. Preston couldn’t exactly explain it, but
there was something about the Sidhe that made them all protective of
him. It might have been the ease with which Sterling had dumped him
here, with little regard to his safety, or the kindness with which he’d
treated every injury. Preston had been inclined to believe Winter was
a spy and had viewed Winter with distrust for a long time. But after
one year, he could safely say there was no deceit in the Sidhe. If only
he could say the same about some shifters. Bella remained a prisoner,
and Preston had not seen her since the day she’d attacked Layton.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Even now, he still wondered why she’d wanted to hurt them so much.
Most of all, he asked himself what else she had planned.

Preston shook the thoughts away as Layton snorted and ushered

Winter inside. “Stop skulking there and come in,” Layton told the
Sidhe. “I want you to meet my son.”

The door closed behind Winter, and as Winter hesitantly leaned

over Shea, Preston thought that their future was like that. Hesitant,
uncertain, but certainly full of love, strength, and family.

“I think, Pres, that we can live with that,” Layton’s voice drifted

in his mind.

Preston shared a secret smile with his mate. They could live with

that, indeed.

THE END

WWW.SCARLETHYACINTH.WEBS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native Romanian, Scarlet was born in 1986 and grew up an avid

fan of Karl May and Jules Verne, reading fantasy stories and
adventure. Later, when she was out of fantasy stories to read, she
delved into her mother’s collection of books and, of course, stumbled
onto romance.

As a writer though, Scarlet Hyacinth was born one sunny summer

day, when a dear friend of hers—the same friend who introduced her
to GLBT fiction—proposed they start writing a story of their own. As
it turns out, the two friends never did finish that particular story, but
Scarlet discovered she had a knack for writing and ended up starting
to write individually. And so, between working on her dissertation,
studying for exams, and reading yaoi manga, she started writing the
Kaldor Saga. Along the way, Scarlet met a lot of wonderful people
who supported her, and in the end, she found her story a home and, in
the process, fulfilled a beautiful dream.