A Prideless Man Read Online Free PDF

it’s ready.” From the little wolf’s frown he knew he looked worse than he thought.
    “Thanks.” After the couple left, he tentatively sat on the big four-poster bed.
    Kicking off his shoes he propped his cane against the table and lay down. Now that he was horizontal he couldn’t sleep. Resting his body left his mind free to wander, to fixate over all his problems. How could his father hide this from him? Where was his mother? Was she even really dead? All his life his father told him his mother died in a car accident when he was young. Now he wondered if she was dead after all. A man who hid the fact his son had shifter blood could do anything.
    James woke up to a gentle nudge. Blinking, he found Adrian standing over him.
    “I thought it would be easier than one of the lions. They tend to pounce and ask questions later.”
    There was something endearing about the wolf shifter. His eyes reflected the look of someone completely happy with his place in the world. “Thanks.” He mustered a smile for the friendly man. “I’ll be along in a minute.” Adrian nodded. “Just follow the hall and you’ll run right into it. The noise should tell you where to go.”
    “Got it.”
    With a final smile from the wolf, the other man left him in peace.
    James crawled out of bed. A cry ripped from his throat as the familiar pain returned with a vengeance. Gasping, he opened the door to reveal the tiny lion waiting for him.
    “Are you okay?”
    What was the kid’s name?
    “I’m fine.”
    Well, as fine as he was going to get until they figured out what was going on with him.
    The boy continued to look at him, worry on his face.
    “Come on, you can show me to the dining room.”
    “I’m Chase.”
    A PRIDELESS MAN
    Amber Kell
    26
    “Of course you are.” The little guy obviously picked up on James’ confusion. He wrapped on hand round the cane and one arm around the little boy. Together they were able transverse the hall and make it to the dining room.
    As soon as they got close, James knew what Adrian was talking about. Those lions were loud! The males were seated while the females placed large platters of food on the table, but there wasn’t anything subservient about the lady lions. They joked, gave the men a hard time and slapped away hands that grabbed at their food too early. They appeared exactly like a large boisterous family of people who really appreciated each other’s company. Lots of laughs and smiles around the house except for one man who looked sadder than the rest.
    Blue eyes and shaggy hair, he didn’t look like any of the lions and he stayed a good distance from the head of the table, glancing from time to time at Adrian with a sad hangdog expression.
    Adrian pointedly didn’t look at him.
    “James, come sit,” Talan ordered, waving at a chair a few places from his left. The man probably didn’t know how to put anything as a request. The rumours around town claimed the big shifter became alpha when he turned fifteen and the only person who got away with telling the man ‘no’ was his mate.
    With a self-conscious smile, James settled in the chair indicated and soon faced a plate of food piled high enough to feed an entire football league.
    “I can’t eat all this,” he told the smiling feline piling on the plate.
    “Sure you can, honey.” The girl ruffled his hair. “You’re gonna need it for your first shift.”
    “What if I can’t shift?”
    “You almost shifted with a kiss.” Talan’s deep voice broke into the conversation. “I don’t think the question is whether you can shift. The question is what will you turn into.” James sadly reflected that it didn’t matter what he shifted into. To his father he would always be an abomination.
    “Dennis, how is the hunt for your sister going?” The sad man shook his head, swallowing the food in his mouth before replying. “No luck. Adrian can’t find any sign of her.” His sad voice tugged at James’ heartstrings.
    “Adrian?”