Free The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx by Scarlet Hyacinth

Preston’s mate had fallen for him. And while during these past years, Preston had allowed himself to be filled with
    resentment, today, it was finally time to bridge the abyss between
    them. After all, Preston’s son needed his uncle.
    With a trembling hand, Preston reached for his phone. He speed-
    dialed his brother and waited for the call to connect. And waited. And waited. No response.

    The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx
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    Preston frowned as he ended the call. “Maybe he didn’t hear it,”
    Layton suggested.
    “Maybe,” Preston replied dubiously. “Come on. We’ll pay him a
    visit.”
    They left their mugs in the kitchen of the small apartment and
    headed out. As they climbed into Preston’s car, Preston’s mind went
    from the happiness of having his mate by his side to the concern over his brother’s welfare. When he’d last seen Corbin, the other lynx had been a mess of guilt. At the time, Preston hadn’t been much better off, but now, he wondered if he’d acted correctly. He’d blamed his brother for Layton’s accident, even if intellectually, he’d known it hadn’t only been Corbin’s fault. Alexis Whitaker was guilty of causing Layton’s
    emotional vulnerability. Then there was that bitch Cherise, and
    Preston himself. He should never have waited to see what happened
    once he felt Layton’s volatile mental state.
    “It was my fault, too, you know,” Layton’s voice appeared in Preston’s head.
    Preston was startled, but took it in stride. “You blame yourself for too many things, lovely,” he replied. “It’s time you stopped shouldering all the burdens.”
    Layton chuckled. “And you’re likely to coddle me and keep me
    from all my responsibilities. We make a fun pair, don’t we?”
    The conversation continued, distracting Preston from his concern.
    Finally, they reached his brother’s shop. Preston parked in front, and they left the car. They heard music from inside, and Preston also felt his brother’s presence. Corbin was safe. Thank God.
    The music stopped as they entered the shop. Corbin met them at
    the door. “Hey,” he said with an awkward smile. “Nice to see you
    here. What’s up?”
    He was fidgeting, as if not knowing what to do with himself. It
    was something quite unlike his self-assured brother. Corbin had
    always known what to do. He’d always been the decision maker in
    their duo, ever since they’d been kids planning pranks for their

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    babysitter or their adoptive father, Nicolas. But Preston knew the
    truth. Behind the façade, Corbin was a very caring person. He just
    didn’t know when to shut up and how to say “I love you.”
    His heart invaded with fondness, Preston pulled his brother into a
    hug. For a few moments, Corbin seemed shocked, but then, he hugged
    Preston back fiercely, thumping his back for good measure. When
    they broke apart, they were both grinning. “So how’ve you been?”
    Corbin inquired, this time more relaxed.
    “I’m fine. I’m great. Better than ever.”
    Corbin blinked at his enthusiasm. “Okaaay. Anything I should
    know about?”
    Preston nodded. “Actually, yes. I’m mated, and I’m going to be a
    father.”
    In retrospect, Preston realized all too well he should have been
    more tactful. Corbin gaped at him. “Say what? Who? When?”
    “Me,” Layton piped up, his voice steady and warm. “The mating’s
    recent. The baby, from the day of the accident.”
    Corbin’s expression grew furious. “I thought better of you,
    Layton. If you hated me so much, you should take it out on me, not
    use my brother as a replacement. And to straddle him with some kid?
    Christ…”
    The words hurt, especially since it was the same thing Preston
    himself had thought before claiming Layton. If not for the mind bond, Preston didn’t even know if he could have trusted that Layton truly loved him. But Corbin truly was taking things too far, and Preston
    would not allow his brother to insult his mate or