Seducing Their Wayfaring Souls [3xtasy Lake 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) by Corinne Davies

him. Even when he lost her, it never dawned on him that she’d been carrying his child.
    “What was your childhood like?”
    Cris debated on what he should tell her and what would lead to more discussions and information she might not be ready for. “I was an unplanned child, too, only my mom wasn’t as wonderful. Not only was she unhappy about being pregnant, but she didn’t want to have a mixed breed for a child.”
    Tara gasped. “Your mother carried a prejudice against your father’s race?”
    That’s one way of putting it. Cris nodded. “I guess she had sex with him as a lark, never expecting any consequences.”
    His mother had slept with the coyote for shits and giggles. In her mind, his father was nothing more than a servant she was allowing to touch her. When she had realized they were Mates and he’d gotten her pregnant, her brothers had hunted him down and drove him off. Cris didn’t doubt she’d tried her best to get rid of him before he was born. Once in this world he’d been passed from servant to servant, never to be seen or acknowledged. Desperate to get out from under her thumb, he’d started looking for his father and discovered he’d joined the military but died in the first Gulf War crisis.
    Most shifters didn’t care about cross breeding, but there were still sections of Guardians that wanted to do tests on them. He’d overheard his mother planning on giving him to them. There wasn’t a good use for a coywolf except for genetic testing. He had left that night and never looked back.
    “I’m sorry, Cris, but that’s disgusting. How could a mother turn her back on their child?”
    “Because not all women are such wonderful mothers as you.”
    “You don’t even know me.”
    “True, but I’ve learned a lot of things by watching you.” He nodded toward Zack. “You’ve been checking on him as we talk. I can tell when your attention drifts to Lars.”
    “It’s not what you think.”
    “That’s too bad.” He grinned and moved his hand so it rested at the base of her spine. “This is a very liberal town, Tara. You won’t get judged here.”
    Her arousal spiked, a soft caress of musk and her own unique scent. His inner animal rolled on its back with its tongue out, playing with the scent. It was good to know Tara was open to the kind of relationship they wanted to have with her.
    Catherine came over at that moment, breaking the tension that flowered between them again. His primal side wasn’t impressed, but Cris figured Catherine wouldn’t be too happy if he lifted Tara up on the counter and buried his face between her legs.
    She lifted the cup and turned it slightly to the left and right. Lars continued to play the game with Zack, but Cris knew he was paying attention to Catherine as well.
    “What do you see?” Tara asked quietly.
    “An onion before a ladder.” Catherine frowned and turned the cup slightly again and tilted it to the side. “The onion’s a sign of secrets that will be discovered and the ladder’s a journey that will be taken because of what you discover.”
    “That sounds fascinating, like if we found a map and had to look for treasure.” Tara grinned at Zack. “Do you like the sound of that, Zack?”
    “Cool!” He held up his thumb and dropped his string.
    Cris and Lars looked at each other over Tara’s head as she helped her son pick it up. There were plenty of secrets in this town, and what if they drove her away?
    “There’s a razor, too, which means separation from those you love or family. But, there’s flowers lying over it. The flowers are a sign of happiness, family, and love. I think you’ll have a choice of paths to follow and will determine your future. There are too many paths to be certain of the outcome right now.”
    “That’s sounds interesting. How do you know all this stuff? Can you show Zack and I?”
    Catherine pointed out all the symbols in Tara’s cup, to her delight. Cris knew as well as Lars there was more to this than