Jordan's Desires [Brac Village 9] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove), Lynn Hagen [sight word books .TXT] 📗

focal point because he had a guy who could shift into an animal in his house. He peeked out of the curtain and wasn’t sure if he was relieved when he saw Travis standing on the back steps.

“Open up, Bailey. I see you peeking out.”

He quickly unbolted the door and yanked Travis inside, slamming the door closed and locking it.

“Glad to see you, too.” Travis eyed him strangely. “Are you feeling all right?”

Bailey was sweating, shaking, and felt a little green around the gills. He wasn’t even sure where to begin. Instead of trying to explain things to Travis, he lifted a trembling hand and pointed toward the living room.

Travis stared at him questioningly before turning and heading into the other room. Bailey grabbed the back of the kitchen chair, taking in deep breaths.

“Dude, why do you have a panther sleeping on your floor?” Travis called out. The guy didn’t sound freaked. His tone was light, inquisitive, as if he’d seen things like this all the time. Bailey’s legs were wobbly as he walked into the living room. Travis was squatting right next to the cat, his head cocked to the side.

“I shot him,” Bailey confessed, feeling relieved that he finally told someone.

Travis’s eyebrows shot up high on his forehead. “You shot your mate?” he asked in a voice that sounded shocked. “Why in the hell would you do that?”

Bailey cracked. “He killed a man in my backyard. And then someone just came and took the body away. Jordan left. Another man came and tried to break into my house. Then another man came and killed the burglar. He changed into a wolf. Jordan showed up and I shot him, and then he changed into a cat.”

“Whoa,” Travis said as he stood and moved toward Bailey. “Slow down before you pass out.”

“Why are you being so damn calm!” Bailey shouted as he swiped his hands over his hair. “Did you hear what I just said to you?”

“I think the next county heard you.”

“What am I going to do?” Bailey asked desperately. “I. Shot. A. Man.”

“No. Shit,” Travis replied sarcastically. “I can see that. I still can’t believe you shot Jordan.” The man shook his head. “He is going to be pissed when he wakes up.”

“What about the guy Jordan killed?” Bailey asked a he threw his hands out in front of him. “Are we just going to pretend he didn’t rip someone’s throat out with his bare hands?” God, the images just kept playing over and over in his mind.

“He really did that?” Travis asked. “I’m impressed.”

“What!” The guy was making absolutely no sense. Why would he— “Oh hell, please don’t tell me you are one of them.” Bailey glanced to the floor where he had dropped his gun, wondering if he could get to it in time. He had known Travis for a few years. Wouldn’t he know if the man could change into an animal?

“Don’t even think about shooting me,” Travis warned as he took a step closer to Bailey. “Jordan won’t kick your ass, but I will.”

“I just don’t get what is going on here,” he said as he lifted a shaky hand to his mouth. “Nothing makes any sense.”

Bailey watched as Travis retrieved the gun, shoving it in the waistband of his pants before going over to Jordan, kneeling in front of the black cat. “He’s healing right now. You better be damn glad you didn’t kill him.”

“Are you—” Bailey expelled a heavy breath, telling himself to calm down and listen to his friend. “Are you one of them?”

“I’m a grey wolf.” Travis’s answer was clipped. “If you can’t accept what’s going on, you need to tell me now, before Jordan wakes up.”

Bailey studied the black cat. It was a very strange feeling knowing that Jordan was inside the animal somewhere. Jordan was the animal. Now his friend was telling Bailey that he could change into a wolf?

Bailey took a seat on the couch, rubbing his temples as he studied the floor. “You’re asking me if I accept this, but you haven’t even told me what this is. I am totally lost here.”

Travis turned and sat on the floor next to Jordan. “You live in a town full of nonhumans.”

“And?” There better be more to it than this. Bailey had surmised that much already. He needed Travis to fill in the rest of the blanks.

His friend watched him intently for a long moment before he finally spoke. “Mayor Maverick Brac is the alpha who runs this town. We all had to ask for permission before moving here—even me. There are many different mixtures of breeds that make up the shifter population.”

Bailey tried his best to absorb what Travis was telling him without freaking out. He had seen two people shift—one into a wolf and one into a cat. The initial shock was starting to wear off, allowing Bailey to look at the situation from every angle. “You said something about Jordan being my mate. What does that mean?”

Travis gave him a rueful smile. “I know you have gone through hell dealing with Harley and what he’d done to you. You told me you weren’t ready to date again.”

Bailey didn’t like where this was going.

“Jordan is your mate, partner for life, husband. However you want to look at it, but he knew he moment he laid eyes on you what you were to him.”

Jumping to his feet, Bailey quickly walked into the kitchen. He was once again hyperventilating, unable to suck in enough air into his lungs. He didn’t think there was enough air in the world to help him right now. Mate? Partner for life? Husband?

Bailey placed his arms on the counter and then rested his head on his arms. He rocked back and forth slowly as his mind tried to take everything in and make sense of it. Why the hell was this happening to him? He didn’t want a husband. Hadn’t Harley proved to him that a man could place the world at his