Adrian Read Online Free Page A

in glasses. A grand piano is at the other end of the room, and its polished wood glistens in the sunlight that fills the space. We climb up the stairs and end up in a large room that overlooks the backyard. I gaze out the window and stare longingly at the forest as my bear growls again. Adrian comes to stand next to me, and he puts his arm around my shoulders. “Your bear likes it here. This is her home.”
    “Does it really work that way?” I turn to gaze at my mate, who came here from the Arctic. “Does your bear miss your home?”
    He shakes his head. “You are my home, and as long as I’m with you, I’ll always be happy.”
    Adrian kisses me, and I drink him in as I wonder if my bear will ever be that content.

4
    A nnie is the sister of the Le Roux clan alpha and true mate of Tristan, the De Rozier clan alpha, while Tori is my alpha. When Adrian and I get married, I’ll most likely become a De Rozier, which means Tristan would become my alpha. It occurs to me on the drive over to Tristan and Annie’s house that I should probably be nervous. I know an alpha is a big deal, but because my sister is one I probably don’t give it the honor it deserves. Keith is driving the Jeep, with Adrian riding shotgun, and Tori and I are in the backseat together. The shocks squeak as we bounce along a dirt road, and I ask her, “Hey, should I bow or anything when I meet Tristan?”
    “Tristan is more formal than I am,” says Tori. “So you might want to shake his hand and treat him with respect, but I don’t think you need to be submissive or anything.”
    Keith says, “That’s right. Since only Tori can alpha order you, she’s the one you should be worried about.” He chuckles. Because the Lindquist brothers live away from the clan, I’m not aware of most clan rules. They haven’t mattered.
    “Interesting.” I say as I turn to Tori, “I forgot you can make me do anything you want. I can think of a few times in the past that you would have liked that.”
    She nods but is serious when she says, “It’s not a power I take lightly.”
    I imagine being able to control hundreds of people, and I don’t like it. Tori has no choice in where she lives, and I bet she spends a lot of time dealing with clan politics, which must make it difficult to get schoolwork done. No wonder she dropped to part time. My life could be so much harder.
    I sigh thinking about how I wish I could finish out the semester instead of taking incompletes I’ll have to make up over the summer.
    Tori touches my arm. “Hey, what’s going on?”
    “I was just thinking about school.” I paste a smile on as I think about how Tori’s life was turned upside down and she was handed some pretty big shoes to fill. It makes my problem look pale in comparison. I say, “But once I learn control, I’ll get to return. This is just a minor detour.”
    “I hear you,” says Tori. “Dear old Dad sure left a legacy.” Victor Veilleux, the previous alpha of our clan, was our biological father, and when he impregnated our human mother, he set destiny in motion by passing on the alpha gene. Only my sisters and I didn’t know we were half werebear or even that such a thing existed until a few months ago.
    I nod as we turn onto a long, straight driveway. The gate is wrought iron and tall enough that I crane my neck to see the top. As we approach the house, I take in a building that is a modern version of a mansion. And when we get to the front door, I grin at the height. Most of the De Roziers must be about seven feet tall like the Lindquist brothers, and of course they’d want to live in a home that accommodates their size.
    A tall blond man greets us, and Tori introduces me to Tristan. I gaze at him and decide I don’t have to try to be a little afraid of him. Even his smile comes across as cold. His handshake is firm enough to hurt, and I do my best to squeeze with similar strength back. Something flickers in his eyes, and I swear he’s trying not to