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he
    swallowed around the knot in his throat and said, “I hope you’re
    right.”
    “Of course I’m right.” Morgan briefly turned toward Alexis. “And
    I promise I won’t leave your side.”
    Those words made Alexis feel a lot better. He trusted Morgan, and
    he knew the shark would never lie to him. The tension inside Alexis
    lessened a bit. “Thanks.”
    The Cunningham mansion was located in LA, a good distance
    from the university, but even so, all too soon, they reached their
    destination. They drove through the huge, open gates of the mansion
    grounds. Alexis wasn’t usually intimidated by wealth—he’d grown up
    around it, after all—but now, it did make him feel a bit
    uncomfortable. Somehow, it reminded Alexis of his parents and what
    they’d told him. Would Morgan’s family think the same thing
    Alexis’s did?
    Morgan parked and removed the key out of the ignition. With the
    corner of his eye, Alexis caught sight of Layton’s car stopping next to theirs. Before they left the vehicle, Morgan reached one more time for him. “Just remember. I’m right here. No one’s going to hurt you.”
    Alexis struggled to offer his lover a smile. “Thanks. I’m not
    scared, just a bit nervous.”
    Morgan didn’t say anything else, although he seemed to be
    questioning his decision of bringing Alexis here. Alexis didn’t want
    that. He wanted Morgan to enjoy his holidays with the family he
    loved so much. He would do anything to ingratiate himself to the
    Cunninghams so that his man would be happy.
    “Come on.” Alexis opened his side door, urging himself to stop
    being foolish. “They must be waiting for us.”
    38
    Scarlet Hyacinth
    Indeed, as he stepped outside, his gaze fell on the waiting
    Cunningham couple. Unavoidably, Alexis’s eyes went to Byron
    Cunningham. Physically, Morgan was almost like a younger version
    of the man, but Byron had something else, a darker edge Morgan
    didn’t share and Layton seemed to have inherited instead. Morgan
    was, in a way, a gentle giant. He could fuck like a demon, but his
    heart, God, his heart held so much pure affection it awed Alexis.
    Next to Byron, Skylar Cunningham waited. The seahorse was still
    a very influential figure in shape-shifter political dynamics and one of the people who’d been behind the creation of the United Paranormal
    Academy. In Skylar’s dark green eyes, Alexis saw Morgan.
    There were also four other people, two women and two men
    Alexis didn’t recognize. He suspected their identities, of course.
    Morgan spoke a lot about his family, including his grandparents and
    friends.
    Morgan took his hand, and as Layton fell into step with them, they
    headed to the waiting group. All too soon, they stopped in front of
    Morgan’s parents. Predictably, Skylar Cunningham proceeded to hug
    the daylights out of his two sons. “Thank God you’re finally here,” he said. “I was getting worried.”
    Morgan managed to break out of the embrace and cleared his
    throat, obviously a touch embarrassed. “No need.” He turned toward
    Alexis. “Everyone, this is Alexis Whitaker. Alexis, you remember my
    parents, Skylar and Byron.”
    Alexis nodded. “It’s nice to see you again, sirs. Thank you for
    inviting me.”
    Byron offered him a barely there twist of lips that must’ve been
    meant to be a smile. “And it’s nice to see you, too, Alexis. I’m glad circumstances have improved since our last meeting.”
    “You don’t have to be so formal,” Skylar offered. “You’re part of
    the family now.”
    Alexis was shocked at the phrasing. He caught an exchange of
    looks between Morgan and Skylar and wondered what it meant. Sure,

    The Demon Who Fed on a Shark
    39
    he knew Morgan cared about him, maybe even loved him. Otherwise,
    Morgan would have never invited him in the first place. But Skylar’s
    words still startled him. He wondered if he could hope for them to be true, not just a nicety from Skylar’s part.
    Morgan’s next words snapped