Guardian's Flame [Guardian City 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read Online Free PDF Page A

He shook his raven fur, not surprised to see hairs flying from his thick coat. He shed way too much in the summer, but panted happily as Demend started to shift. Instead of the wolf coat Nathan had been expecting, a striped orange coat appeared.
    How many animals can you shift into? Nathan asked curiously, since it was something he didn’t know.
    Dragon, Wolf, Tiger, Python, and Fox, but I have never shifted into the snake. He scares me, but he’s always there under the skin. Elves can become one with a creature in a sort of half-shift, if they study the creature long enough, at least. I can half-shift into a Lynx, Lion, Griffon, and Saber-tooth. I didn’t get the chance to study with other half-shifted Elves before the war, D answered, with that evil Cheshire cat grin plastered on his striped, heart-shaped face.
    Jason’s shift was strange to Nathan. Instead of a smooth change in forms, Jason morphed from one body to the next, exploding in flames. When the flame cleared a small Dragon-like bird stood in his place. His wings were shaped much like a bat’s, with the threaded tendrils running alongside his wings that looked like parchment. Jason screeched and took to the sky, quicker than Nathan had ever seen a creature fly. Demend and Nathan took to the ground, with Nathan having to work to keep up with the tiger’s strides.
    Nathan chased his mate while watching through the trees for a chance to see Jason in the air. The tail was providing a good distraction between the tree openings. Nathan nipped at the tip, and Demend pushed ahead with a few leaps. Nathan pushed himself to run faster, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted. Time passed as they talked during the run. They stopped after a few hours for a quick drink before returning to their trek through the forest. Jason circled above and informed them of any naturally made trouble ahead. They had to track around a flooded river, but Jason proved beyond useful in finding a place they could cross.
    The forest had completely darkened by the time they cleared the forest’s edge. Jason landed and flamed himself back to human. Demend followed suit, and Nathan was left the last with fur waiting for the comforting touch before shifting. Nathan shifted easily, and Demend marched toward the gates. Their timetable didn’t allow them to play nicely with the Council. Nathan was glad of that. He wasn’t up to dealing with politics. The doors to the building opened, and cold air rushed out. Sweat lined Nathan’s shoulders and back, and the air was a welcomed relief. A man shooed the guards away, motioning them to follow him.
    “Sire, it’s good to see you again. Sire Kadyn has been waiting for your visit,” the man said as he rushed them to an office somewhere within the building. The man opened the door and stood to the side. They went into the expensive office. The man who had led them there closed the door without entering.
    “D, it took you long enough. Next time, why don’t you take a vacation before you come?” Kadyn stated. Nathan eyed the man who looked so different from the last time he had seen him. Instead of the council dress, the man was in jeans and a T-shirt.
    “Sorry, Kadyn, I suffered a magical accident. I was down for the count for a while. I came as soon as I could. This is Jason, and you know Nathan from our meeting a few weeks back, they are my mates. What did you need?” Demend directly got to the point. Nathan agreed that just being here was taking time away from their current mission.
    “I didn’t need you, really. I needed him,” Kadyn said, pointing at Nathan. Nathan looked behind him to see what Kadyn was pointing at.
    “Me?” Nathan was surprised Kadyn even knew Demend would bring him.
    “Yeah, brother-mate, I have a problem. Sadly, it’s your problem. Your mother was Ella Summers, right?” Kadyn asked seriously.
    “That was her name, but I didn’t know her.” Nathan shrugged. Nathan wondered what his birth mother had to