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sit around all night and wait for his lover s return.
He d already spent too much time in one place. If what Jude said
was true, his father wasn t going to back down without a fight.
Reginald Chambers didn t want Carter, but he couldn t let his secret
80 Gabrielle Evans
out. What powerful woman would he be able to manipulate then? Not
to mention it would tarnish Isa Gamble s reputation, which had an
indirect link to her own father s prestige in the paranormal
community.
There was also the little fact that Whitley s father was most likely
involved. He didn t know how else that cell had come to find its way
into the Chambers home. It didn t really shock him. He d known his
father was crooked for years. Something niggled at his subconscious
about the information, though. He just couldn t put his finger on why
it bothered him.
With Jude s warning still weighing heavily on him, he pulled out
of the parking lot and set out to find a place to sleep for the night.
* * * *
I m sorry, Jude.
Don t sweat it, kid. Jude didn t know how long they d been
swimming, but he could see the sun shining down on the surface of
the water. It hadn t taken him long to search out and catch up to his
brother. Since finding him, Jude had kept up a constant string of one-
sided conversations through their telepathic bond.
If he d been talking aloud, he d have made himself hoarse.
Throughout the entire monologue, Carter had never responded,
though. Now that he was talking, Jude didn t really know what to say.
The relief that coursed through him was making it hard to breathe. If
Carter was finally responding, then hopefully that meant he was going
to be fine.
I m feeling better, but I don t want to shift back. Everything that
happened is still kind of fuzzy. Did I hurt anyone?
No, you didn t hurt anyone. And you don t have to shift back
until you re ready. Take all the time you need.
Will you stay with me?
Splash and Elegance 81
Jude wanted to say yes, but he knew he would have to meet
Whitley soon. He wouldn t be much use to Carter if he went feral
himself. It had taken months for the kid to reach the condition they d
found him in, but Jude could only guess that his mating bond and the
little potion the elders had cooked up would accelerate the process.
I have to meet someone for a little while, but I ll come right
back.
Who do you have to meet? Carter ducked beneath Jude and
swam around him in a circle before drifting along beside him again.
Someone I know. We can trust him. Whitley wouldn t betray
them. The man was entirely too honorable for that. Jude only wished
he could say the same about himself. Not that he d ever sell Whitley
out or use him as a scapegoat, but all the lies he d told since meeting
the man were beginning to fuck with his head.
It wasn t supposed to be that way. He wasn t supposed to feel
guilty about using the man. It was all Whitley s fault, too. Why
couldn t he have been the arrogant, pompous jackass Jude had
envisioned when he d cooked up this whole scheme?
I trust you, so I guess I trust this guy, too. I ll stick close by until
you re back, but I don t want to shift again. There was a long pause
before he pushed his thoughts into Jude s head again. I m not sure
that I can shift back.
Let s just take it a day at time. We ll figure this out, okay? That
would be the true test. They d already established that Carter was still
in there mentally. Now, they d just have to continue to wait and see if
Carter would be able to shift back to his human skin.
Yeah, you re right. Carter s thoughts were happy again as he
sped off ahead of Jude and shot straight up toward the surface.
Jude waited as long as he dared before corralling his brother and
convincing him to head back to where he was supposed to meet
Whitley. As they neared their destination, Carter shot past him,
making a beeline for the surface once again.
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He didn t think much of it until he spotted the shadow floating
above them and the webbed feet that kicked lazily at the water.
Carter, no! Turning on a burst of speed, Jude caught up to his
brother within seconds, barrel rolling him away from the swimming
swan.
Before Carter could react, Jude flipped around and darted toward
his mate. He caught Whitley in his mouth, holding him delicately
between his teeth, and swam them both to the shore, right up on the
sand. Once he released his lover, he closed his eyes and shifted
quickly.
Are you insane? he shouted down at the smaller man once
Whitley had shifted back as well. What the hell, Whit?
You tried to fucking eat me! Whitley shot back with accusation.
Seriously?
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