Gregory's Rebellion Read Online Free PDF Page A

God, not again . His eyes shifted and his incisors lengthened, slowly and painfully tearing through his gums. Soon his entire body was shaking, his cat hissing and snarling within, desperate to be let loose. But he pushed it inside. He would not let it win.
    “Hayden, look at me!” Gregory commanded.
    When Hayden looked up, Gregory stood in front of him. His beautiful blue eyes were looking so deeply into his, it was as though they could see into his very soul. Slowly, Gregory reached out and placed his hands on Hayden’s trembling shoulders.
    “Calm down—it’s okay. You’re safe here, I promise you. Take some deep breaths. Try to relax.”
    Hayden couldn’t be sure if it was the low, soothing tone to Gregory’s voice that helped ease him, or the way the man’s fingers caressed his shoulders and the back of his neck, sending pleasant tingles throughout his body. It could have been both. When Hayden closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as instructed, he felt his cat settle within and he pushed it further inside himself until he couldn’t feel its restlessness anymore.
    “That’s it, just breathe. Good.”
    When Hayden next opened his eyes, they had shifted back to their human form. His teeth had receded too. Jesus, that had been close… again . He had to try to relax. He couldn’t afford to get upset, could not afford to shift. Because if he shifted…
    “You want to tell me what that was all about?” Gregory asked, snatching him from his thoughts.
    “I…”
    “Have you had a bad experience with the supernatural council?” Gregory used the same gentle, comforting tone, lulling him into a warm sense of security.
    Hayden shook his head, but he couldn’t speak. Gregory still hadn’t taken his hands off his shoulders and the man’s touch was driving him insane. Please don’t look down. Hayden grew upset at the way his body was responding to Gregory’s touch, to his proximity. He was hard. Painfully so. He felt the heat of a blush creep up his neck and cheeks. Gregory continued to stare into his eyes and Hayden couldn’t look away. He was drawn to Gregory in a way he’d never experienced. How did the man have such an effect on him? The most surprising thing was that Gregory still wasn’t looking at his scar. It was as though he hadn’t noticed it…or it didn’t matter to him. Couldn’t he see how ugly it made him?
    Gregory cleared his throat and removed his hands from Hayden’s shoulders. “I’ll, uh… I’ll get you that coffee.”
    Relief and disappointment battled for dominance inside him when Gregory stepped away and busied himself in the kitchen. For a moment it had felt as though Gregory had touched him for his own selfish reasons, because he needed the closeness as much as Hayden did, not merely because he’d wanted to calm Hayden down. It had felt almost as though each had recognised something in the other—a sameness or some sort of bond. But Hayden must have been mistaken because Gregory couldn’t even meet his eyes anymore.
    Don’t be stupid, Hayden. What would a man like Gregory ever see in someone like you?
    Jesus, Hayden felt beyond embarrassed. Had Gregory seen the desire burning in his eyes? Had his lustful thoughts been obvious? Could Gregory smell his arousal? Hayden needed to be careful. He couldn’t let Gregory see his attraction. He had been beaten up several times in the past for looking at a man the wrong way.
    “I won’t hurt you. You’re safe with me, I promise.” Gregory crossed the space and handed Hayden a cup of black coffee. “Here, drink this—there’s lots of sugar. It will help you feel better.”
    Hayden nodded and took the drink. He felt stupid suddenly—standing in the middle of the room, nursing his coffee—so he took a seat on the edge of the small sofa.
    Hayden took a deep breath. He had to know where he stood. “Are you here to take me in?”
    Gregory nodded. “That’s what I came here for, yes. Do you understand why?”
    Of course