Free HeroRevealed by Anna Alexander Page A

predecessor?”
    Disquiet rolled from her stomach and lodged in her sternum
again. “Is that so?”
    “Yessiree. We were good friends. You could say we were
partners. We worked together, helping each other make Cedar a productive,
thriving community. I even got his grandson into Gonzaga. Paid for his
education too.”
    A bitterness filled her mouth as if she’d taken a big gulp
of the sludge in the coffee pot. “That was very generous of you.”
    “As I said, we were close friends. I helped him and he
helped me.” A speculative gleam entered his eyes. “Tell me about your goals,
Sherriff. What is it that you most want?”
    “I want to keep my town safe. Thank you for your time, Mr.
Neimi. I’ll be in touch.”
    His eyes raked over her in a gaze so lewd, the filth would
take two showers to remove. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Chapter Seven
     
    “You call this keeping a low profile?”
    Kristos woke to his brother’s bellow and the slap of a
newspaper pegging him square in the face. He barely wiped the sleep out of his
eyes before Lucian flipped the mattress, spilling him onto the floor.
    “By the Gods, Luc. What is your problem?”
    This was not how he was supposed to wake up the morning
after a night of loving Brett. He was supposed to be in a warm bed next to his
hot woman. Not tossed out of his bed just after falling asleep because he spent
the previous night making sure said woman was not purposely running into
danger.
    He pulled the tangled sheet from over his head and frowned
at the paper sprawled under his nose.
    The Chameleon Saves Sheriff.
    He stroked his chin and fluctuated between amused pride and
embarrassed horror. If Brett saw this, she was going to have to get behind his
brother in the kick Kristos’ ass line.
    “And you wore the royal armor?” Lucian continued to shout.
“I swear, Kristosllanos, I wonder why I didn’t leave you on the death stone.”
    “Don’t blame me. I didn’t come up with the name. I don’t
even know if I like it.” He got to his feet and stretched his aching muscles.
The day before had been more taxing on his body than a run down the river.
    “You aren’t listening to a word I’m saying. You—what is
that?” Lucian pointed a shaking finger at Kristos’ head.
    Kristos went to look in the mirror above the dresser and
sucked in a breath at the sight of his reflection. His two hearts kicked in
exhilaration as he fingered the dark-blond lock that fell across his forehead.
Brett’s mark.
    On Skandavia, when a man and woman gave each other to their
keeping, their empathic abilities joined together so that they synchronized as
true partners. When the bond was complete their hair and eye color changed to
reflect the mated pair.
    Brett let her fear stop the bond from completely forming,
which is why the color leached from her irises instead of matching the
jade-green of his. When the morning dawned and his appearance hadn’t changed at
all, he was half afraid he had completely misinterpreted her feelings for him.
This little lock of gold confirmed what he knew all along. She belonged to him.
    “You spoke the Vows of Eternity?” Lucian’s voice raised an
octave.
    “Calm down.” Kristos patted his brother’s rigid jaw. “You’ll
have an aneurism.”
    He flicked at the blond lock. “I take it she rejected you?”
    “Unless she speaks Skandavian, she doesn’t know. That’s why
the bond is not complete.” Kristos pulled a shirt and a pair of jeans from the
dresser.
    “What else?”
    “She’s stubborn.”
    “No.” He shook his head and crossed his arms over his broad
chest. “You did something. I can feel it on my skin like sandpaper. What did
you do?”
    Kristos scowled. With all of their abilities heightened on
Earth, it was even more difficult to hide emotions he’d rather not have Lucian
pick up on.
    “I might have forbid her to work.”
    Lucian raised a brow. His lips twitched before he let loose
with a deep chuckle, transforming his stern,