The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx (9 page)

me, but you shut your mouth about my baby and my mate. Preston’s a

million times better than your betraying ass. Got that?”

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61

But Corbin wouldn’t be deterred. “Fine, I’m sorry about what I

said about your baby. But you can’t blame me for wanting to protect

my brother from heartache.”

“The heartache’s over and done with, Corb,” Preston said. His

beast roared at him, pushing him to attack the man who dared to slight his mate, but Preston contained it. Violence might bring temporary

satisfaction, but it certainly wouldn’t fix his relationship with his brother. “Layton is my mate. I’ve known that for years.”

“I understand why you doubt me,” Layton said, his voice more

sedate. “I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. But it’s true.

We’re mated now.”

Corbin finally seemed to understand what it all meant. “You

claimed Layton?” he asked.

Preston nodded. When his brother didn’t say anything else, he

added, “Now, why don’t we try this again? I’m mated, and I’m going

to be a father.”

This time, Corbin

reacted just like Preston hoped.

“Congratulations, little brother.” He grinned. “I can’t wait to be an uncle.”

* * * *

A little while later, Preston and Layton left the auto shop. Layton

was very tempted to return to Preston’s apartment and spend the next few hours in bed with his new mate, but he still had somewhere to be.

He needed to deliver the news to his own twin.

The drive to the academy took a little longer than the one to

Corbin’s shop, and Layton barely managed to suppress his

excitement. He’d always been close to his twin, and he yearned to

share his happiness with Morgan. Thankfully, his brother must have

anticipated this and met them at the gate.

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As soon as Preston parked, Layton shot out of the car and rushed

to his brother’s side. “So I gather things went well, huh?” Morgan

asked in place of greeting.

Layton beamed at him and was rewarded with a wide smile.

“Well, I suppose congratulations are in order.”

Preston joined them and shook Morgan’s hand. “This is where I

tell you to take care of my little brother or I kick your ass,” Morgan said seriously.

Layton frowned at his overprotective twin. Truly, he’d been the

one to hurt Preston, not the other way around, so Morgan’s concern

was really unjustified. But Preston just wrapped his arm around

Layton’s waist and kissed his temple. “Don’t worry about it. He’s my world.”

Layton practically melted. If they’d been alone, he’d have jumped

Preston right then and there. Instead, he relaxed in Layton’s embrace, so happy he thought he was in a dream.

That sensation changed into slight apprehension when Morgan

sobered. “Now that you’re here and mated, I want to talk to you about something.”

“Anything wrong?” Preston asked.

“I’m not sure yet.” Morgan seemed thoughtful. “It’s just

something Alexis told me. Come inside. We’ll be more comfortable

there.”

Following Morgan’s suggestions, the three of them entered the

dorm. Once they safely reached Morgan’s room, Morgan started

speaking. “After we left, Alexis started thinking. He was convinced

judging by your words that Preston really is your mate, but he

couldn’t understand how you could miss it.”

Layton forced himself to face his brother without wincing. He

really didn’t want to talk about this, but apparently, his twin hadn’t received the memo. “That’s all over now,” he said.

“Yes, but don’t you want to find out why you lost so much time in

the first place?”

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63

Preston released an irritated sigh. “Look, you heard Layton. We’re

starting a new life together. We’re not thinking about the past.”

“Just hear me out, okay?” Morgan insisted. “Remember when

Alexis said his power might have unlocked a knowledge you were

hiding from yourself?”

Layton nodded and his brother continued. “Well, he gave it some

more thought and concluded that things don’t really work that way

where shape-shifters are concerned. A human might have done that,

but not one of us since we instinctively know who the best person for us is.”

“Okay, so what are you getting at?”

“Magic,” Morgan replied. “Alexis believes you might have been

under a spell.”

Layton stared at his brother in shock. “You’re not serious. Who

could possibly place a spell on me, and why?”

“Look, he’s not sure. I didn’t understand everything he said

myself. Call him and hear him out.”

Layton shared a look with his mate. He almost wanted to believe

it was true because it meant he wasn’t to blame for hurting Preston all these years. But at the same time, if a spell truly had been the cause of it all, it meant someone really didn’t like him and it flushed Layton’s dream of a content life down the toilet.

In the end, he needed to know either way. He retrieved his cell

phone and dialed Alexis’s number.

Alexis seemed to have been waiting for the call. He picked up on

the first ring. On the vid screen, he looked anxious and relieved. “Hi, Layton. I take it things went well. Did Morgan give you my

message?”

“He did,” Layton replied. “You were saying something about a

spell?”

“Quite. As I explained to Morgan, I find it hard to believe that

you, or any other shifter for that matter, would make a mistake

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regarding the identity of your mate. Something tells me outside

influence must have been involved.”

“Like what?” Layton inquired. “You said incubi powers couldn’t

affect a mate bond like that.”

“They can’t. You see, incubi influence lust, and a mate connection

is far stronger than that,” Alexis explained. He gave Layton an

apologetic look. “Honestly, I’m not sure what kind of spell would be able to do something like this. By incubus standard, I’m still very

young, and I don’t know everything there is to know about our magic

or that of other folk.”

Layton rubbed his eyes tiredly. “So how do we find out then?”

“I was thinking you should talk to my brother. Rhys is much more

experienced in this sort of thing. He might be able to tell you more.”

Layton hummed thoughtfully. He liked Rhys Whitaker, but the

older incubus was still a stranger, and Layton didn’t particularly look forward to revealing his most hidden secrets to the man. Even so, if someone truly had put a spell on him, Layton wanted to find out. He’d been separated for years from his mate. They’d both suffered

uselessly. Layton had hated himself when he’d thought he’d been the

cause. Now, he needed to find this new target for his hatred.

“All right,” he told Alexis. “We’ll talk to him.”

“Excellent.” Alexis beamed at him. “With your permission, I’ll

mention it to Rhys.”

“You mean you haven’t discussed it with him?” Layton was

surprised. “How come?”

Alexis arched a brow. “Well, I couldn’t actually ask him without

getting your agreement first, now could I?”

Clearly, Alexis respected Layton’s privacy very much, and

Layton’s appreciation of the incubus grew. He offered a tentative

smile back. “We’ll be back home soon,” he told Alexis. “Thanks for

everything.”

“Don’t mention it. Anything for a brother.”

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65

Alexis ended the call while Layton still mused over the incubus’s

words. A new brother. A new mate. A child. He had so many loved

ones now, and so much to lose. He needed to find out whether this

crazy spell thing was genuine and eliminate any further danger. He

couldn’t risk anything happening to his family.

Leaving the academy again meant that he would not be able to

return to his classes like the other students. The holidays were over now, and soon, Layton had to go back to the university. But Layton

was relying on his parents to put in a good word for him. After all, they were both powerful voices with the school board and, in many

ways, had been a driving force in creating the academy in the first

place. Layton was not above using that clout for his own benefit if he needed to.

Morgan hadn’t unpacked, obviously sensing their stay here would

be short. They loaded everything in their car while Preston drove back to town to make his own preparations. Finally, Morgan and Layton

headed out of the academy. They were supposed to meet Preston at

the bookstore and continue the trip together from there.

To Layton’s surprise, he found his mate waiting for them at

Corbin’s auto shop, with Corbin by his side. As the two lynxes put

their bags in the trunk, Layton left his seat to watch them. Corbin gave Layton a knowing look. “You didn’t think I’d let my brother go

off to fight a supposed spell without me, did you?”

The words might have sounded defensive or conveying suspicion,

but Layton was no longer wary of Corbin. His mating with Preston

seemed to have propelled him into a different stage of his life, giving him a different knowledge of Corbin. Layton no longer needed to fear tomorrow, as Corbin no longer had any power over his heart. Their friendship could start over.

“I suppose not,” he replied with a smile. “I know Morgan loves to

babysit me.”

Morgan snorted and didn’t offer a more vocal reply. The four of

them slid into the car. Layton allowed Corbin to take shotgun in his
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stead and slipped into the backseat with Preston. As soon as Morgan

started to drive, he cuddled into Preston’s embrace and closed his

eyes, simply enjoying Preston’s scent.

A conversation started around him, and Layton distantly

registered his clingy behavior was the subject of teasing from

Corbin’s part. He couldn’t care less. He had the right to be clingy. He was newly mated and pregnant, and fuck, who wouldn’t want to be

close to Preston? The man smelled so nice, and his hard body gave

Layton a unique feeling of security and arousal.

He forced himself to control the latter since he doubted he could

satisfy his libido with his and Preston’s brothers in the car.
“Just wait
until we get there,”
Preston said through their bond.
“I promise I’ll
fuck you so hard you’ll feel it for days.”

Layton shuddered.
“You’re not helping.”

Truly, it was unlikely that any fuck, no matter how energetic,

would immobilize Layton in any way. He was a shifter, for crying out loud. He’d recovered from a car accident in mere hours. Even so,

Layton’s body responded to Preston’s words. His cock hardened and

he buried his face in Preston’s chest to stifle his moan.

The entire drive was a lesson in sexual frustration and brotherly

teasing, mostly from Corbin. Morgan seemed to be a bit more

compassionate regarding Layton’s plight. Layton gathered that Corbin couldn’t really understand the pull a shifter felt to his or her other half. He couldn’t wait until Corbin found his own mate. Then it would be Layton’s turn to tease.

Of course, Layton couldn’t really be angry, not when Preston held

him in his arms, so they reached the Cunningham home with no

incident. Morgan parked, and Layton reluctantly broke away from his

mate.

As they left the car, they predictably found Layton’s parents

waiting. Byron had his arms crossed against his chest in an openly hostile stance. Skylar seemed a bit more welcoming, apparently

willing to hear out the result of the trip before making any judgments.

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67

Clearly, Alexis hadn’t told them a thing, and they resented being in the dark. Layton could only imagine what they must think, seeing

Corbin with him. They’d never suspect that all this time, Layton had loved the wrong lynx.

His father’s attack seemed imminent, but Layton wasn’t too

worried. He knew the shark would never do anything violent in

Skylar’s presence. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. He stepped forward and beamed at his parents.

“Hi, Dad, Father.” How did one introduce his mate when the mate

in question had been practically a relative for years? “You remember Preston, my mate?”

Lame.
How could they not remember? Preston and Corbin were sons of Garth Mckenna, who’d been best friends with Layton’s

parents from before Layton had even been born. In a surprising

development, twin expressions of befuddlement and veiled distressed

appeared on his fathers’ faces. The moment quickly shattered as his

parents reacted to the news each in their own way.

“Excuse me?” Byron spoke in a whisper whenever he was at his

angriest, something no doubt linked to his shark nature.

“Come on inside,” Skylar said at the same time. He shared a look

with Byron, and Layton knew they were probably using their mind

bond to talk mentally.

“I hope there’s a good explanation for this,” Byron muttered under

his breath.

They were led inside, directly into the office. The atmosphere was

tense to say the least, nothing like other times when Corbin and

Preston had visited the mansion. Then again, in the past, Layton

hadn’t unexpectedly announced a pregnancy with one of the two