Darkness Bred Read Online Free PDF

along to keep up. Jazzy never missed the chance of a treat and followed Sally to the kitchen behind the bar.
    “You wanted us here,” Sean said. He had thick, dark blond hair tied at his nape and brilliant light brown eyes that could skewer whomever he chose to give his full attention with tiger-like intensity. “I…we didn’t want to come. There’s nothing to be gained.” Sean was a man few people looked at only once. His sleek, Nordic features and lithe body were hard to ignore.
    Elin’s hand, stealing into Leigh’s, worried her. The mysterious girl was frightened.
    “What do you think you should be doing instead of making decisions with me?” Niles said, his voice even but pitiless. “Fleeing together perhaps? Don’t try it. You’d better think long and hard about what you’re doing. Tarhazian hates you for being with her little darling. She could decide to punish you both.”
    “What do you want of us?” Sean demanded, muscles working in his hard, angular jaw. “We’re here because of your order. I would not have come otherwise.”
    “You must give each other up,” Niles said, and Leigh could not bring herself to look at him.
    “Never,” Sean and Elin said in unison.
    “Cast me out,” Sean said. “If that will make you feel safer, tell me to be gone forever. But I will not be parted from Elin. We are not ready to be sealed but we believe we will be.”
    “Don’t you understand what’s happening?” Niles said. “You are becoming a conduit between us and the Fae Queen. She will use Elin as her spy. You know what Tarhazian has admitted. She will never accept this match, but then she wavers, and I know enough to read her mind. She will allow the match if Elin tells her our secrets.”
    “I would never do that,” Elin said softly. “I want only to be with Sean.”
    Leigh gave Sean all of her attention and she didn’t like what she saw. He was torn. Torn between his allegiance to his Team and his need for Elin.
    Sally came from the kitchens, pushing a cart with loudly wobbling wheels. “This will warm your hearts,” she said, but her face showed nothing but deep concern. “Hot cider. Meat pies. Fruit pies. Mulled wine—”
    She pushed the cart beside the table and sat down. “Help yourselves,” she said, sounding grimmer than Leigh had ever heard before. “I will not allow this girl to be hurt. Not for the sake of foolish quarrels between you hounds and the fae, or the wolves—or whomever.”
    Sally usually deferred to others and this announcement caused silence.
    She pinched her lips together and poured cider. This she passed around to each of them. “Warm yourselves. Settle down. Between us we have a good deal of power and we are not helpless. Even before the likes of Tarhazian.”
    Elin covered her eyes.
    “The Queen wants to use Elin as a spy,” Sally said.
    “Just as I have said,” Niles said explosively. “And there will be no way to stop information from being passed—even innocently—if Elin is in our midst.” He paused and looked at Sean. “With the best intentions, my friend, ours is a great passion to share with our chosen mates and something might be said—in certain moments—that could damn your own kind.”
    Slashes of red burned Sean’s high cheekbones.
    “You have not had her yet,” Niles said. “But when—”
    “Enough,” Sean said. “This is not the time nor the place to discuss such matters. I will see you outside.”
    “No,” Leigh shouted. She glared at Niles. “Stop it. We must work together. This isn’t a time for saber rattling between testosterone junkies.”
    “Testosterone junkies?” Niles’s jaw dropped, then both he and Sean laughed.
    “I think we just got put in our places,” Sean said. He looked at Elin’s sad face and held out his arms to her. “Come here.” He took her onto his lap and kept a firm hold on her waist. She put her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck, softly, repeatedly. Sean said, “Leigh’s right. We