Free The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate by Scarlet Hyacinth Page B

It
    didn’t feel right, making him restless for no particular reason.
    Thankfully, his concerns were at least in part swept aside when a
    familiar figure headed his way. Derek hugged him tightly, and Jace
    embraced his brother back. “I was wondering when you’d finally
    show up,” he said. “I missed you.”
    “So did I.” They broke apart, and Jace ushered Paris closer. “You
    remember Paris, my mate?”
    Impossibly, Derek’s expression grew even brighter. “So you
    finally took the leap, huh? That’s great. Congratulations to both of
    you.”
    Paris smiled shyly. “Thank you,” he replied. “I’m very happy that
    we found each other.”

    The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate
    61
    Truth be told, Derek had been surprised when Jace had first told
    him he wanted to wait before mating Paris. Jace tended to go with his
    impulses, so it wasn’t really a shock that he hadn’t succeeded in
    sticking to his resolve for too long. The knowing smile on Derek’s
    face would have irritated Jace had it come from anyone else.
    At any rate, they hadn’t come here to talk about himself and his
    mate. Paris might be his favorite subject of conversation, but Jace
    would have to wait a little before he could tell his brother all about his
    relationship with Paris. Their first priority right now was to get
    acquainted with the task force meant to find Tyrell and Aria. Jace had
    many questions, the first of which being why in the world Derek had
    come to a town in an area that had been involved in a nuclear
    accident.
    As if guessing his thoughts, Derek thanked Kaname’s staff,
    politely dismissing them. During the brief conversation, the vampires
    had unloaded the luggage Jace and his companions had brought. A
    couple of quiet servants appeared, whisking the bags away, while
    Kaname’s people got back inside their cars and drove off. Once they
    were gone, Derek gestured Jace and the others into the house. “Come
    in. We have a lot to talk about.”
    The five shifters entered the building, with Derek leading the way.
    It was constructed in a traditional Japanese style, something Jace was
    growing to admire more and more. Derek pushed open a sliding door,
    revealing two people sitting together on a tatami mat.
    A man Jace had never met was rubbing his temples, as if plagued
    by a migraine he couldn’t escape. Rhys Whitaker watched over him,
    his entire demeanor screaming concern.
    Both men looked up when Derek stepped into the room. “Oh,
    good,” the stranger said with a smile. “They’re here.”
    He got up, ignoring Rhys’s efforts to help him. “I’m Noah Hall.
    Thank you for your kind offers to help.”
    Noah Hall. The warlock’s son, and the same one who had helped
    rescue Jace’s uncles from imminent death. “No, thank you,” he

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    replied. “You jumped to our aid even if we were only strangers to
    you.” Remembering the man probably had no idea who he was, he
    quickly introduced himself, “I’m Jace, Derek’s brother, and this is my
    mate, Paris.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I suspected you must be Derek’s
    brother. The resemblance is quite impressive.” The warlock turned his
    attention toward. “Paris. You’re Aria’s son.”
    Jace felt apprehension flow through his mate. Paris didn’t want to
    be judged by what his mother had done, and too many people already
    put him in that position.
    “I am,” he replied. “I want to help you find her.”
    “You have my thanks.” A small, weak smile. “Believe me, I
    understand how hard it must be for you. I appreciate your courage.”
    Paris’s anxiety turned to surprise. Jace supposed he shouldn’t
    really be shocked at this development. After all, Noah would be the
    first one to understand that a child shouldn’t have to pay for his
    parents’ sins.
    Anson greeted Noah and Rhys as well, introducing Reed to the
    warlock. Noah congratulated Anson on his mating. Jace recalled that
    the duo had met briefly