Under the Bayou Moon Read Online Free PDF Page B

gotten pregnant young and gave her up because she couldn’t take care of her. Now the circumstances were different. They’d all been victims. That was her new reality. She felt shy now. Would they like the person she’d become? Only time would tell, and from the looks of things, she wouldn’t have to wait too long.

Chapter Three
    Jacques sat in Angel’s office the next day. She’d needed time to process his revelation yesterday evening, so he hadn’t brought up one of the main reasons he’d been looking for her; her being his mate. He’d spoken with her parents, and they’d been overjoyed to hear she’d been found. His mother had been ready to celebrate as well. Finding Angel meant he would continue to be sovereign over his pod. Or at least he hoped that’s what it would mean.
    “Jacques. Good morning. I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
    Jacques stood as she entered the room. Angel was wearing a suit similar to the one she’d worn the day before. This one was black with a white shirt underneath. He grunted in displeasure. It was a shame a woman that beautiful hid behind drab colors and plain clothing. Her clothes should have been an accessory to her beauty.
    “No, not too long.”
    He sat down as she did.
    “I know you had a lot thrown at you last night, but I wanted to discuss the other reason I’m here.”
    “You mean me being your mate?”
    Good, she wasn’t going to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about.
    “Yes.”
    “Jacques, I don’t know what to say, what do you want me to say? I don’t even know you, and I don’t know what being a mate entails.”
    “Say you’ll come back to Louisiana with me and get to know me.”
    Angel eyed him skeptically.
    “And why would I want to do that?”
    “I spared your brother’s life, and this is what I’m asking for in return. Give me three months to woo you.”
    “Three months, are you out of your mind? I have a business to run. I don’t have three months to go trekking off to Louisiana for a three-month date.”
    “It’s not a three-month date. You have good staff here, I’m sure there’s someone who can handle the day-to-day operations. Going to Louisiana will allow you to meet your biological parents and get to know them while you get to know me.”
    She seemed to consider his argument.
    “I can’t just show up on their doorstep and say hey mom, hey dad, I’m back, and can I stay for three months?”
    “I’ve already told them I’ve found you, and they can’t wait to meet you.”
    “You what!”
    “You mean you didn’t want to see them?”
    “No, that’s not it.”
    “Then what is it?”
    Angel got up and started pacing. He’d seen her father do the same thing every time he had a lead on her whereabouts. Her father didn’t want to give up the search, but it had become more and more difficult to see what it did to his wife when Angel didn’t turn up at the end of the search.
    “I don’t know, nerves I guess. I don’t know how to think of them when the Palermos were my parents. I don’t want to dishonor their memory.”
    Angel crossed her arms and continued to pace.
    “Who said you have to choose between parents? You were obviously raised well, I’m sure your natural parents will be grateful for that.”
    “I guess you’re right. I’m sure it’ll be just as awkward for them as well.”
    “You also have a lot you need to learn about your gator, cher . Now that you’ve shifted, it can happen at any time. You need to learn to control your shifting ability, and I’m just the gator to teach you.”
    “I’ll admit, this…shifting thing excites me, but it also scares me. I changed in the shower this morning. One moment I was washing my hair, the next moment I was on the floor of the shower flapping around. It was like I was there but not there. I was scared I wouldn’t change back. I still don’t know how I did.”
    Fuck! Jacques swore to himself. That wasn’t a good sign.
    “ Cher , I’m not going to