Free Zed's Dishonest Mate by Sydney Lain Page B

through his dark hair. “Also, if I tell them, then Jacob and Sage might find out the truth about their parents.”
    “Zed, we did everything in our power to protect them. We were too late, but you raised those two. They were happy here and they are happy in Roman’s territory. It’s time to let go.”
    Zed nodded. “Call me if anything changes or if Luka wakes up. I’ll bring dinner back.”
    He teleported directly outside of Roman’s building. He wouldn’t enter into another man’s home without permission. That was just poor taste. Besides, knowing Roman, he probably set up wards to prevent anyone except a demon from transporting directly inside. It was possible. He had wards set up at his place.
    Zed walked through the door and up to the desk.
    “Hello, Griffin. Is Roman available?”
    Griffin growled. The wolf shifter headed Roman’s security and was mated to Jacob, his oldest son. “Let me call up.”
    Griffin picked up the phone. After a minute, he lowered it. “Roman said you can go up.”
    “On my way down, I’m going to stop in and see Sage and Jacob. Can you let them know I’m coming?”
    “They’ll like that,” Griffin reluctantly admitted.
    “How are they doing?” He talked with Sage every day and Jacob every other day. Both sounded happy.
    “Sage keeps getting into trouble. He’s curious and does things that he shouldn’t. Jacob chases after him. Micah only adds to the trouble.” Griffin sighed. He looked at Zed. “Jacob’s started to take online college classes.”
    “Jacob told me. He wants to study history.”
    Griffin nodded. “I’m just making sure you’ll support him. Human universities aren’t respected among our kind.”
    Zed laughed. “Jacob’s my son. I’m not going to disown him because he wants to study human history.”
    “He’s called Mason to ask for books on supernatural history as well.”
    Zed sighed. He was never sure how much Jacob remembered about his parents. It wasn’t only that. Jacob’s power was meant to contain other powers. He hoped his son’s desire to study was his own and not the power that lived inside of him.
    During the elevator ride up to Roman’s penthouse, he thought about his two sons. They weren’t biologically related to him or even the same race. Zed was a vampire and Sage and Jacob were mostly human with a little fairy blood mixed in. It didn’t matter. They were a family.
    The elevator stopped. He walked off and knocked on Roman’s door. The door opened.
    Roman’s smile bordered on something between amused and happy. “I hear someone’s mated.”
    Zed shook his head. Maybe this was revenge. “Not yet. After his body heals.”
    “Avery told me about your mate’s injuries. Has he added anything?”
    “I haven’t asked. Luka woke up a little over an hour ago. He needs to calm down and feel safe before sharing the secrets that he’s hiding.”
    “Calm down? Hiding?” Roman asked, not understanding the dynamics of Zed’s relationship with his mate.
    “Luka’s dishonest. He hides things. He’s standoffish and cautious. Also, he’s angry and verbally attacks one minute and then the next minute he flinches away.”
    “He’s your mate. I know how much you hate lies.”
    “Of course, I’ll overlook it. Luka needs to heal both his body and soul.” Zed studied every word Luka said. He looked at every movement, trying to see the lies. He couldn’t trust his mate to tell him if he was scared or in pain. “At first, I thought he was a spoiled brat that needed to change, but now I realize it’s his defenses I’m butting up against. He needs to trust me before he can be honest with me. Right now, he’s waiting for me to hit him. He expects me to hurt him.”
    “There’s not a lot of time. He’s the elf prince. What do you plan to do?” Roman asked.
    “Kane will find Luka and then demand his return, which will never happen.”
    Roman looked directly at him. “You need to be fully mated before then.”
    “I plan to