Bridged by Love Read Online Free Page A

ex?” A low growl rumbled in his chest. Claws punched out. He curled them before his dad noticed. “Who has she been dating?”
    His dad held his gaze for a long moment before shifting his focus to Nic’s hands. “A few different guys since she’s been home. Mostly humans.”
    “Mostly? What do you mean mostly? Shifters have been dating her?”
    “Yeah. You have a problem with that?” His dad leveled a hard look at him. “I’ve encouraged our males to consider mating her. She’s like my daughter. I don’t want to see her grow old and die before I do.”
    Nic ignored his primitive response that wanted to claim her. Only half of him shared the desire. His wolf had no interest in Riley or any of the humans Nic had fucked over the years. No, it made its wants known every time he walked by an unmated female shifter. His animal spirit wanted to breed. It understood the rules. The Kagan line had to continue.
    “You won’t have to. Riley said she’s moving.” Nic caught his dad’s gaze and lied. “Not sure why she decided to go now, but she said she’d recommend a new pack doctor before she leaves.”
    His dad cursed. “We’ve got to talk her out of it.”
    “There are other doctors, and Jenna can handle things until we get one. If Riley wants to go, I say let her.”
    His dad stared at him. Nic saw the truth in his eyes. His dad knew, or at least suspected the real reason she’d decided to up and leave. He finally sighed. “I’ll send one of the protectors with her to make sure trouble doesn’t follow her.”
    As much as Nic didn’t like the idea of a shifter with her, the knowledge that she’d be watched over eased him. “Good.” He stood and walked toward the door. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
    “Son?”
    Nic paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”
    “I’m sorry.”
    Nic glanced over his shoulder. Sympathy softened his dad’s normally impassive features.
    “I eventually came to care for your mother.” His dad dropped his gaze to the bed. “Sometimes I even miss her now that she’s gone.”
    Cared for, not loved.
    Nic grunted and walked out. He didn’t want to think about his future. He wanted to shift into his wolf and run. Too damn bad it wouldn’t help him escape his fate.

Chapter Three
    Riley sat in the back office of the bar, her feet propped on a case of vodka. Tears burned her eyes. The weakness shamed her. So did the fact that she was hiding in Alex’s cluttered space instead of enjoying the company of her friends. Well, her pack mates. She had very few human friends, not surprising really. She’d rarely associated with her kind before she’d left for school. There’d never been a reason to seek anyone else’s companionship. She’d had Nona, the widowed shifter who’d raised her, Alex, Hannah and Nic.
    His image flashed before her with the mere thought of him. Her chest tightened on a wave of conflicting emotions, none of them ones she could allow to take hold. All elicited feelings she had to keep buried deep inside. A lifetime she’d had to develop her mask, but the past four years had perfected it. For a human living among wolves, it was as necessary as breathing.
    The pack that had saved her, adopted her and acted as her family would not think twice about using her intense reactions against her, whether they were ones of sorrow or rage. The shifters did it to each other, often without even recognizing they were reordering the pack based on it. As a human, she was already at the bottom. Looking at it that way, it shouldn’t matter. She knew better. Maintaining appearances made all the difference in the world.
    She had their respect. It turned her from the obligation Nic had once called her to a valued member of the pack, even if she’d never be more than an honorary beta.
    She would not lose her position. Not because of Nic.
    And what does it matter? I just promised to move.
    A sob escaped. She squeezed her eyelids shut and breathed through the