Mating Call Read Online Free Page A

were.”
    “No. This is the last place you’d find any of them.”
    She focused on the ceiling for a moment. “New Breeds.”
    The doctor cocked her head. “How do you know those words?”
    Evy tried to think, but everything was so fuzzy. She looked back into the doctor’s pretty gray eyes.
    “Yes, Evy. You’re in the New Breed compound. And you’re safe.”
     
    An emotion tugged at Troy so hard it woke him part way out of his sleep. Evy. Half awake, the events of that morning played in his memory.
    “Evy!” He sat straight up and looked over at the female lying in the other bed. She was staring right at him, her big brown eyes wide and her breathing elevated.
    “I’m okay,” he said softly as he lifted a few fingers, gently tugged at a layer of her stress and let it dissipate.
    Helen got up from her chair and walked across the room. She adjusted his IV bag. “The hell you are. How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”
    He shook his head. “I dunno. A few days.”
    She pulled down the sheet and touched his leg where his jeans had been cut away. He started to pull away before he managed to stop himself.
    She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and then went back to examining his shin. “We’ll get a couple of good meals in you and this hairline business will be healed in no time.”
    When she touched his face to check the cut above his eyebrow he flinched and looked back over at Evy. She hadn’t moved. Not at all. He closed his eyes and called away another layer of stress. Then it was his turn to have his eyes pop. Underneath was a well of emotion so strong, it made him suck in his breath. Gratitude. Curiosity. Desire. Heat hit his cheeks. He never dreamt anything like this could happen to him.
    And he was terrified.
     
    James pulled on his sweats and opened the door for Pax.
    “Hey. I’ll be ready in a sec. I know my other sneaker is around here somewhere.”
    “Could we talk first?”
    He sat down on the bed and started to put on his shoe. He recognized his camzah’s tone. Whatever he had to say was gonna hurt.
    “Troy came back this morning.”
    He looked into the brother’s warm browns. “He did? Is he okay?”
    “Yeah. He’s exhausted, but he’ll be fine. He and I were talking while Helen worked on the female. He found her in a rogue den in Allston or Brighton somewhere. Well, I guess you can’t really call it a den. It was basically an apartment.”
    James slid on his other kick. “Hold up. Did you say the rogues have an apartment?”
    He nodded. “When Troy brought her in, she’d been stabbed.”
    “Oh, my God.”
    “Helen thinks she’ll be fine. The human was able to give the name of the rogue who stabbed her. Look, James, it was Seth.”
    He froze. “Seth stabbed the female?”
    Pax nodded. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to find out from someone else. With the way shit gets around here…”
    He got back to the business of tying his shoe. “No, it’s fine. Listen, I think I’m going to go for a run instead.”
    “Want some company?”
    “Nah. Thanks, though. I’ll catch you for duty later.”
     
    Troy heard the familiar sound of Helen’s shoes out in the corridor. He kept his eyes closed. If Evy knew he was awake she might want him to talk to her. And he had zero idea what to say, so he just kept his eyes shut and tried to stay out of her emotional business—which, considering most of it was directed at him, was next to impossible.
    Helen walked through the swinging door. Troy sniffed at the air. More snacks. He heard her put them down and walk over to see about Evy.
    “How is she?” he whispered.
    “Sound asleep. How do you feel?”
    “Like a Thanksgiving turkey.”
    She sat down on her stool. “Sorry, kiddo. Food’s your medicine.”
    “I guess there’s worse.”
    She dropped her voice. “Listen, how many of the brothers know Evy’s human?”
    “What? Why?”
    “You talk in your sleep.”
    Fan-fuckin’-tastic. “Just X. Wait, what did