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one rule. And in the space of a few hours I ve thrown it all away. I
need to get tested, he said, trying to jump from the bed.
 Baby, please relax. Do you think I d do anything to endanger
your health or threaten your life? My whole purpose is to protect you,
to look after all your needs, to cherish and love you.
 Love me? Daniel couldn t believe he was hearing this. He d
known about this enigmatic man for quite some time, but only as a
character in the business his father dealt in and what the tabloids
spilled out. But that wasn t the real Enda, just others perceptions of
him. He couldn t take any more.
 Yes, my beautiful Daniel, I will love you like no other ever has,
or ever will.
Tears began to form in Daniel s eyes. He tried desperately to stop
them, but one traitorous tear escaped down his cheek. Enda leaned
Spirit Found 71
over and kissed the tear from his face, taking Daniel into his embrace
and wrapping those big strong arms around him.
 Sleep, my love. We will sort things out in the morning, just you
wait and see.
Daniel could not resist this incredible man. He felt safe, warm,
sated, and loved. His eyelids slid closed and he let sleep take him.
72 Ellen Quinn
Chapter Seven
Daniel woke up early. The safe feeling from last night had gone
and now he felt trapped, a huge, heavy weight laid across his waist.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at the gorgeous man in bed
beside him. He thought he looked stunning before, but in sleep, with
the unusual, white-tipped, midnight-brown hair all mussed and his
strong features relaxed, he took Daniel s breath away. Daniel didn t
consider himself unattractive, just too slender and, next to this man,
plain.
Daniel needed to talk to someone to try and help him make sense
of all this make-believe stuff. Enda was kind of biased, and Daniel
just couldn t think straight around the man. One look in those crystal-
grey eyes and he d do and agree to anything the man said. He slowly
slid up the bed and leaned on the headboard. He tried to get his
thoughts into some sort of order. Enda said he was a werewolf, which
either made him mad or the entire world Daniel had lived in was
about to turn insane.
He kept saying they were spirit walkers, and that one really had
him confused. If Enda had said soul mates Daniel would have at least
some understanding about what it meant, even just mates like those he
read about in his books. The fact he said they, as in both of them, only
had one and that was it for life sounded very final to Daniel. What if
they didn t get on? Hell, it wasn t like they d had any time to get to
know each other. They hadn t even been on a date. He was also
uneasy about the lack of a condom, though he was as much to blame
for that one as Enda. He was going to get tested, and so help him he
was going to find some control. So if this did happen again, and a part
Spirit Found 73
of him he wasn t admitting to knew he did want this to continue, he
was going to be ready. And that was the really unsettling part, he so
wanted this to continue to develop into a relationship. To have
someone at his side like Enda, willing to be with him as his partner,
lover, and friend, was all Daniel had ever wanted. But Daniel had
never let himself believe it could or would ever happen.
Very slowly, he slid out of bed. Grabbing some trendy jeans and a
smart shirt for work, he disappeared into the bathroom only to come
back and snag some underwear. He couldn t have lasted five minutes
minus underwear knowing what was lying naked in his bed.
Once shaved, washed, and ready, he crept back into his room.
This was ridiculous, creeping around in his own bedroom, but he
couldn t face Enda right now. He grabbed some paper and a pen. He
would not go and leave Enda nothing, so he jotted down a quick note.
Slinking downstairs like an interloper in his own home, he
grabbed his shoes from the floor. He couldn t even remember when
they d come off. They were dressy trainers in black and were dead
comfortable to work in. Unfortunately, he d forgotten socks. Oh, for
heaven s sake, Daniel, he told himself, you work in a gent s outfitters.
Where was the problem?
Closing the back door behind him, he headed out. He had two
choices, either the Potterton boys or William and Percy. With William
and Percy s eccentric, accepting ways, it was an easy choice.
* * * *
Enda rolled over and spread his arm out. The bed was cold and
very much empty. Daniel had gone. There was silence in the
bathroom, so he wasn t in there. Enda sat up and listened. The house
was silent.
Where had he gone? He realised he had gone about things all the
wrong way, but he was sure there was some shifter in his walker.
He d felt the animal inside when he d taken him. It was latent, but
74 Ellen Quinn
that would possibly change now. Daniel would need to have a
grandparent who was a shifter for him to bring out the extra strength
and to develop heightened senses. Alternately, if one of his parents
was a shifter, he would be a half-breed. That would be enough for the
bonding to be able to wake the latent animal within him and for
Daniel to be able to shift. He now knew for certain that his walker had
no idea about his ancestry or the world that Enda was part of. Hell, he
didn t think Daniel had any idea what animal he would shift into if he
was able to do so now. The enzymes from Enda s seed, saliva, and
blood could be kick-starting all sorts of reactions in his body. He
needed to be with him to help him through all of this.
Looking down for his clothes, he noticed a sheet of quality writing
paper propped up against the alarm clock. In elegant script across the
front, it said Enda McCaffry. This was not good. He leaned over and
picked the letter up. Sitting back, he opened it slowly and then
carefully read the lines Daniel had written for him.
Dear Enda,
I m sorry to run out on you, but I needed some space. Last night
was amazing, but I need to get a grip on what is happening. What you
say seems so believable when I m lying in your arms. But in the cold
light of dawn it seems so unreal to me. I m not sure I can live within
your reality as I find it hard to believe either in it or in your belief in
it.
Please leave and give me some time to get a handle on this. If you
still want to see me, please leave a contact number, but I will
understand if you do not.
I m so sorry, Enda.
Your friend, Daniel x
Tears ran down Enda s face. Daniel could not back away. They
were bonded now. Enda would give up everything if he had to. Daniel
was his heart and soul. He could not survive without him. He would
Spirit Found 75
not give him up even if he had to spend his life in the shadows just to
be close. He said he wanted space. Well, he d give him a little. The
full moon was coming, and he knew the pull would be impossible for
him to ignore. He just hoped the beast inside Daniel felt the same.
* * * *
Daniel knocked rather tentatively on their front door. He heard a
muffled shout and a loud  oomph and a frantic  I m coming!
Seconds later the door was swung open by a very dishevelled Percy,
followed closely by William, looking no better. Daniel had to smile.
In their haste, they put each other s jogging pants on. William s came
just past his knees, and Percy could pull his up to his chin. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]