ChoosingHisChristmasMiracle Read Online Free PDF Page B

asked as he walked into the room. He smirked and set a tray of food on the coffee table in the middle of the couches. Two plates piled high with finger sandwiches took up most of the tray’s surface. The human picked up a tall glass of orange juice squeezed onto the tray and set it in front of Sean. He waved toward it so Sean knew it was for him. Then the human sat next to Declan on a love seat, practically on the alpha’s lap, in fact. Although the alpha didn’t remove his gaze from Sean, Declan did wrap his arm around the blond in a clear statement of possession.
    Huh, the rumors are true. Declan really is mated to a man!
    “Well, no, I…” He frowned, trying to get his thoughts in order. “It’s just, it wasn’t exactly a selfless act,” Sean admitted. “Raul’s my mate.”
    “Oh, congratulations,” the human said.
    As Jared, Carson, and Raul filled small salad plates with several sandwiches, it finally dawned on Sean that the blond human must be Lark, the man mentioned by Declan earlier. “Thanks,” he whispered. The surrealness of the moment wasn’t lost on him. This pack was like a complete opposite of his old one. The open door policy was almost freaky as hell.
    “Here,” Raul said, leaning forward, grabbing the juice, and thrusting it into his hand. “Drink before you hyperventilate,” he ordered.
    Spots dancing behind Sean’s eyes made him realize he’d stopped breathing. He sucked in a much-needed lungful of air, then gulped down some juice. The acid of the OJ burned slightly, grounding him.
    “I’m sorry, I-I…” He stopped and shook his head at his stammering. Licking his lips, Sean tried again, “Thank you. I don’t understand why you’re making this so easy on me, but thank you.”
    Declan lifted one dark brow. “And I don’t understand why everyone else seems to think it should be so hard. Ye work with yer people, not against them.”
    Sean nodded, seeing the truth in that statement.
    Declan turned to Carson. “I heard from Kontra this morning. They ran across a shifter in Kansas that escaped from a laboratory. It’s taken some work, but they’ve managed to back-track the shifter’s escape route and at least know the town the lab is near.”
    Jared leaned forward, clearly interested. A cold light flooded his hazel eyes. “Really? Where?”
    “Beamington. It’s a wee town southeast of Springfield, Illinois,” Declan stated. “I want ye three to head out there and do whatever it is ye do to figure out how to break in. Let me know how many more people ye need to shut down the facility and I’ll send them out.”
    “Sounds like fun,” Jared responded immediately.
    Carson nodded.
    “I—uh,” Raul muttered, drawing everyone’s attention. “When?”
    “As soon as possible,” Declan replied. “Manon is fueling his helicopter as we speak.”
    Raul turned and looked at Sean.
    Sean knew exactly what the issue was. He glanced between Raul and Lily. “But I just got here, I…” Sean stopped and bit his lip, hating how whiny he sounded.
    Declan leaned forward, looking between them. “I know ye’re not mated yet, but if ye’d like to stay here, Raul, say the word. I’ll find someone else to—”
    “No,” Raul snapped, interrupting him. “I’ll go.”
    Instead of admonishing him, Declan just nodded and said, “Good.”
    Sean couldn’t help it. He whimpered. “I just found you and you’re leaving me?”
    He wanted to fight Raul when he took his hand, but the contact felt too good, almost like a lifeline as Sean’s heart tried to beat out of his chest. “I’m sorry about the timing, Sean,” Raul told him, “but I have responsibilities. We have to put a stop to these people experimenting on shifters. Keep the world safe for the next generation, like Lily,” he said. “Let me finish this.”
    “Then I want to come with you,” Sean said, desperate to not let the man out of his sight now that he’d found him.
    “Absolutely not,” Raul denied.
    “No,”