Keaton's Lessons [Brac Village 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Lynn Hagen (portable ebook reader TXT) 📗

“I’ll do that,” Kevin replied. “But until then, why don’t you try some of my dad’s fried chicken.” Kevin pointed over toward the tables filled with various baked goods and lunch meals in a box. “He’s a pretty good cook. The boxed meals are only five bucks,” Kevin said as he glared at Kade.

Keaton liked the boy. He had spirit.

“Thanks,” Kade replied sourly. “Are the drinks five bucks as well?”

“For you, yes,” Kevin replied in a snarky tone. “A boxed meal and a drink will cost you fifty bucks.”

“Your math sucks,” Kade retorted.

“So does your attitude,” Kevin snapped. “Maybe you should—”

Keaton stared at Kevin, wondering why the young man was gazing strangely past him. Keaton turned to see the hell thingy walking toward the art festival, his strides deadly. Oh, fuck! He glanced back at Kevin, wondering how the guy knew who the hell thingy was.

Kevin’s head rose, his eyes filled with something Keaton couldn’t quite pin down. “I see people for what they truly are,” he said in a tone that was so low that Keaton almost didn’t catch it. “Just like your friend.” He nodded toward Kade. “I see his…you know.”

Kevin could see Kade’s snow leopard? And he still got smart with Kade? Yeah, Keaton really liked this guy. But they had bigger problems. Keaton grabbed Kade’s arms, but turned back toward Kevin. “Go, hide.”

Kevin took off toward the rec center as Keaton pulled Kade away from all the residents. There were so many attending the festival that he wasn’t sure how they were going to hide what was going on.

Keaton’s hand was soon pulled from Kade’s arm. His mate grabbed Keaton and pulled him toward the end of the parking lot. Kade had a look in his teal eyes that said he wasn’t playing around, that he was going to fight to keep them safe. The aggression was clear in his expression.

Keaton and Kade came up short when the evil creature appeared in front of them, blocking their exit. Where in the hell were Dog and Renato? Weren’t they supposed to be killing this hound?

“Going somewhere?”

“There are humans here,” Kade said as he shoved Keaton behind his larger frame.

The most haunting and diabolical laugh Keaton had ever heard fell from the creature’s lips. His skin actually crawled at the sound. “And why should I care about them? They are nothing but cannon fodder. As soon as I’m done toying with your miserable soul, I’ll go after each and every one of them.” The thing moved closer, gazing directly at Kade. Keaton smelled sulfur on the man’s breath. “Misery feeds me, and you have so much of it that I just might drown in it.”

Keaton curled his fingers into Kade’s shirt, feeling as if they were truly about to die a slow and painful death. His limbs were shaking as he held back a scream. Keaton began to feel like he was a fraud, a failure. Kade was right. He should have gone to college and made something of—No! Keaton shoved those thoughts away, but they came tumbling back, attacking him in ways he couldn’t stop the emotions from pouring through him.

He gripped Kade harder, knowing he had found the best thing in his life, even if the man couldn’t see how truly wonderful he was. Kade had so much potential. His smile lit up Keaton’s heart, making him smile every morning he woke up and thought about seeing his mate that day.

Kade was saving him from a lonely existence, whether the man knew it or not.

“You are one slippery bastard.”

Keaton wanted to pump his arm in the air when Dog and Renato came from around a small red Cavalier.

Help had arrived.

Chapter Eight

Maverick cursed when he saw the winged beasts at the art festival. It seemed the hell hounds were getting very bold—or at least the one after Kade. He leaned close to Cecil, pointing down at Xavier. “Get him the hell out of here and keep him safe.”

Cecil didn’t hesitate. He grabbed their grandson and took off toward the truck they had driven to town in. If anything stopped his mate from reaching their truck, Maverick would burn his town down in order to keep the two safe. He just hoped it didn’t come down to that.

He began to stride over to where the winged beasts had the hound trapped. As he moved closer, Maverick’s heart plunged when the hound moved quickly, damn near flying across the parking lot as he went after Cecil.

Maverick felt the fear and anger hit an all-time high inside of him as his wolf ripped from him, bones crunching and transforming as his wolf went after the foul bastard, its instincts to save Cecil and his grandson. Maverick threw his head back and let out a long and threatening howl before rushing toward the hell hound. The hound shifted into an oversized Rottweiler and bared his fangs at Maverick.

His mind was enveloped in a red haze, all rational thought gone as his large paws hit the pavement, running down the hound. The winged beasts flew up into the air, landing right in front of the hound, blocking his progression as they pulled their swords free of their sheaths.

The only thing on Maverick’s mind was little Xavier and Cecil. He would die to protect them both.

But today, he planned on killing the threat.

The hound growled, howled, and snapped at Maverick. He knew not to let the thing sink its teeth into his flesh. The hell hounds carried venom in their saliva that would kill a human, and a shifter only had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.

Maverick swung around one of the cars, leaping over top, feeling the roof crushing in under his paws as he leapt, landing on the hound’s back. They collided with the ground, both rolling a few feet apart from one another.

Dog flew toward the hound, his sword held high over his head, slicing it down through the