Kane Read Online Free PDF Page A

pack and who she is.”
    Nico sobered instantly and studied him a
moment, then nodded. “I see your point.”
    Kane hoped so. He’d hate to have kill someone
for thinking they could take liberties with the Alpha’s mate. A
silent understanding passed between them, and Kane knew the other
man understood his reaction. Somehow he managed to hide his relief.
This Alpha business was already getting old and tired.
    Nico left, and he pulled Calista into his
arms, sweeping them up in the dance. She relaxed a little, and he
was struck again by how well they fit together, her small body
tucked up against his bigger frame, her breasts brushing over his
chest, his cock pushed against her lower belly. He held her too
close, but she didn’t pull away and damned if he cared. Society’s
rules tended to bend in interesting directions where shifters were
concerned anyway.
    Much as he wanted to get lost in her, to
enjoy this moment with her, he forced his mind to work. Scanning
the crowd, he spotted several Special Branch agents and a few
people he didn’t know. He’d have to get them checked out. She
startled him out of his thoughts.
    “Do you always treat your people so well?”
she asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone.
    He was used to her sarcastic ways, used to
her questioning him. But not about how he ran his pack. He knew she
only had a vague understanding of how things worked and he should
excuse her, but he couldn’t fight off the anger that welled within
him. He was sick to death of the cat and mouse game they played. If
she wanted the right to question how he did things, then she’d have
to accept him. He smiled, a feral, fierce smile he’d never shown
her before. Her eyes grew wary, and he lowered his head to her ear,
stopping along the way to lightly nip the pulse pounding in her
throat. It skittered wildly, the sound and sensation pleasing to
his extrasensory abilities.
    “When you accept me as your mate, Calista,
then you can question my motives. But not until then. No one questions an Alpha but his woman.”
    She gasped, tried to move out of his arms,
but settled when he pushed his erection against her stomach, a
not-so-subtle reminder that her defiance turned him on.
    “That’s not going to happen,” she said
emphatically.
    He laughed, fought the urge to drag her out
like a caveman and prove otherwise. Her statement just made him all
the more determined, but judging by the mulish look in her eyes now
was not the time to push it. He decided to give her an explanation
instead, a novel thing for him.
    “I have three…advisors. Nico is one of them.”
He grinned. “His position is pretty high. That wasn’t an
insult.”
    She relaxed a little. “And for some reason
that excludes him from dancing with me? Because I’m human or
what?”
    He snorted. She really didn’t get it or she
was playing dumb. Neither one boded well for him. She’d need a
crash course in shifter society or he’d need to constantly be on
guard against feminine wiles he hadn’t even been aware she
possessed.
    “He can dance with you. As long as he
remembers who you are. Part of his job is to protect the Alpha and
his mate.”
    She drew in a deep breath, which forced her
breasts to rise in a tantalizing display. He wondered if he could
find a conveniently empty room for a few minutes.
    “I’m not your mate.”
    “Yet.”
    “Ever.”
    “We’ll see about that, darlin’.”
    A suspicious light entered her eyes, and she
shifted against him, confrontation shining in her gaze. Desire
barreled thought him. God, he definitely needed to find that
room.
    “I’m not your mate, yet you expect Nico to
treat me like I am. How many people know about me?”
    He shrugged. There wasn’t a way to answer
that and keep her happy. Fortunately, the dance ended, and he was
able to stall. Taking her hand, he led her through the crowd to the
hall. A line crossed the entryway into the dining room to the
buffet. Instead of joining it, he pulled her down the hall,