A Hell Hound's Fire Read Online Free Page B

she’s not. But his
Brother wouldn’t let go of the possibility.
    Alex finished cleaning up and belatedly
remembered the beds being bare upstairs. Cursing his negligence, he
sprinted up the stairs to rummage through the linen closet. He
didn’t remember the size of the guest room bed so he grabbed two
sets of sheets and strode for the door.
    Sarah’s voice carried down the hall, slowing
his steps. She read the book from the station and her sweet Irish
lilt wrapped around his heart and squeezed.
    “And when things start to happen, don’t
worry, don’t fret. The path ahead could be your best journey
yet.”
    Alex paused at the door and peeked around
the edge. Sarah sat on the bed facing Liam as she read and Alex’s
heart squeezed again. They looked like a family— his family—as if they belonged here in this house with him. She kept
reading and he fell into her cadence, relaxed and happy for the
first time in almost a decade.
    True Mate. His Brother’s voice held a
confidence Alex didn’t share.
    But she’s a normal werewolf, not a Hell
Hound. How could she be my True Mate?
    His Brother whined. True Mate.
    It doesn’t matter. That’s a secondary
concern if a concern at all. I don’t have time for love.
    “On and on you will trek, and reach for the
stars to take on your problems wherever they are.”
    Heh. Truth and wisdom from a kiddie
author. Alex leaned back against the wall beside the door and
closed his eyes. He’d been asked to help Sarah and Liam, not keep
them as his family.
    He had to get his head back in the game and
focus on the threat, not on the luscious female in the next room.
She’d experienced enough difficulty already. The last thing she
needed was some horny male backing her against the wall and kissing
the hell out of her.
    The idea made his cock swell.
    Shit. Get downstairs before she sees you,
fool.
    Alex lurched off the wall and shoved the
sheets back in the closet. Then he bolted for the stairs, damn near
tripping on the way down.
    Sarah’s voice floated after him. “Your
mountain needs moving, so get on your way.”
    I’m going. I’m going .
    Alex scanned his living room, trying to
think of something to help him calm his hard-on before she returned
to the first floor. Think! Nothing came to mind except the
radiant color of her hair and the softness of it in his hands. Is she red everywhere? His cock flexed with hope and
interest.
    Chewed bones!
    “Alex, is everything all right?” Sarah
stopped at the base of the steps.
    Alex glanced over his shoulder and tried to
smile. “Yeah. Why?”
    “You’re staring out the window and your
knuckles are white. I thought perhaps we had unwanted company.”
    He shoved his fisted hands in his pockets to
disguise the rigid bulge pressing against his fly. “No, sorry. I
was just thinking.”
    “Oh, I know all about those sorts of
moments.” Sarah shifted past him and settled on the couch, rubbing
her face with her hands. The action broadcast so much weary
resignation, he couldn’t help but sit down beside her. Everything
inside him screamed to wrap her up in his arms and hold her close,
but he settled for taking her hand.
    “Did Liam go to bed okay?”
    “Yes, thank goodness. He hasn’t been
sleeping well since we left Dublin.” She shook her head. “Nor have
I.”
    Alex’s arm slid around her shoulders of its
own volition and he gathered her against his side.
    Sarah stiffened for a moment, surprise
filtering through her sweet scent. She relaxed after a few
moments.
    “I suspect demons make it hard to unwind,
but I think you’ll be able to get some good sleep tonight. Here.”
He shifted his body until his back wedged between the armrest and
the upright cushions. “Lay your head on my chest and get some
sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”
    Sarah gave him a long look. “You want me
where?”
    Alex patted his chest. “Lay your head here.
Your hips here.” One hand tapped the couch beside his extended
leg.
    “You want me…between