The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf by Scarlet Hyacinth Page B

ideas
    mostly centered around Reed’s love for Anson. Love. If anyone had
    told Anson twenty years ago that he would fall for Liam’s son, Anson
    would have thought the person in question insane.
    Anson floated on the cloud of pleasure and happiness for the
    longest time, simply enjoying the mind bond, the closeness, and the
    pure flawlessness of the moment. As the haze of orgasm dimmed,
    though, Anson found himself forced to return to reality. He collapsed
    at Reed’s side, tired, but sated.
    He’d have liked to say many things, among them “God, I love
    you,” and “Fuck, that was amazing.” Instead, he pulled Reed close,
    inhaling his mate’s scent, combined with his own. The beast within
    him loved to mark Reed as his own.
    Reed chuckled, a tired but gleeful sound. “You’re crazy,” he said.
    “Only about you,” Anson replied automatically.
    Since Anson was, as a rule, insatiable, he might have resumed
    their little sex fest, but he suddenly sensed someone approach. Just
    like earlier in the day, Anson recognized Daniel. He released a sigh of
    irritation as a feeling of déjà vu gripped him. “It looks like our alone
    time might be cut short,” he told Reed as he released his mate from
    their embrace.
    Reed’s shoulders slumped. “I suppose I should be happy we even
    had some alone time,” he replied.
    Anson pecked Reed’s forehead. “Maybe it’s nothing important,
    but if it is, we’ll just continue this tonight. You can get some sleep so
    that you’ll be ready.”
    That drew a laugh out of Reed, and Anson chuckled with his mate
    as he went to the bathroom and quickly cleaned up. There was
    nothing he’d have liked more than to stay here all day, but Daniel
    wouldn’t bother Anson and Reed if something wasn’t actually wrong.
    Reed must have realized that, too, as he decided to follow Anson
    into the bathroom and quickly washed up as well. They’d just

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    Scarlet Hyacinth
    returned to the room and had managed to pull on their pants when
    Daniel knocked at the door. “Sonny? Can I talk to you for a second?”
    “Coming,” Sonny shouted back.
    He opened the door and let the squirrel-shifter in. “Hey, Daniel.
    What’s up?”
    Daniel released a heavy sigh. “We have a small problem.”
    Instantly, Anson grew concerned. “Is it Soren? Has Tyrell been
    found?”
    The squirrel-shifter shook his head. Now that Anson thought
    about it, Daniel didn’t look particularly worried for his mate. “So
    what is it then?” Anson prodded.
    “We have some visitors. A woman and her son.”
    “Well, that’s nice,” Reed offered, obviously as confused at him.
    “But I still don’t get how that has anything to do with Anson. Oh,
    does he have to come greet them since Soren isn’t here?”
    “Actually, your presence is specifically needed, but not for that
    reason,” Daniel said. “The woman’s name is Aria Marrow. She’s
    claiming that her son, Paris, is fathered by you, Sonny.”
    The world seemed to collapse over Anson. Out of all the possible
    things that could come back to bite him in the ass, he’d never
    expected this particular one to haunt his present.
    Two decades or so ago, after Liam had left him, Anson had gone
    through a period of self-pity. His moment of weakness hadn’t lasted
    long, but it had manifested in a couple of nights spent in random bars
    with random women or men. Anson truly hadn’t been very picky.
    Aria Marrow was one of those hookups. Of course, at the time, Anson
    hadn’t known she would become the mate of an Alpha. He’d seen her
    throughout the years at formal meetings, but they’d pretty much
    ignored each other, so Anson had thought the entire affair dead and
    buried. Apparently, he’d been wrong.
    “But she has a mate,” he protested. “How can I…God, this is all
    wrong.”

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    Reed’s pain and disbelief hit him like a sledgehammer. “How
    could you, Sonny? I trusted you. I loved you.”
    Anson turned toward