Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 395(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
The rest of the Moon Co Bros snort.
“We can easily fact-check this, you know,” Madi says. “I’ll just ask Thaddeus.”
The smiles slip off people’s faces, and they all look at Brick, who has storm clouds in his expression.
Growl, Aster signs to me.
“What?” Madi says and signs, unfazed by her mate’s glower. “I liked him.”
“He liked you. Too much.” Brick captures her hand in both of his and brings it to his mouth to kiss. “No vampires.”
“Vampires and wolves don’t mix. Even the humans know that.” There are chuckles around the table.
“Inside joke,” I tell Aster. “It’s from a book.”
“I can loan them to you if you want,” Jake offers. “Do you like to read?”
“I do. I’ve just never read for fun. Because I was destined to be Seeress, I had to focus on my duties.”
The Moon Co Bros’ expressions are kind, but the room gets quiet at the reminder of how Aster was raised.
I copy Brick’s move and take her hand, holding it close. She squeezes it, and a little tension goes out of me.
It’s hard for me to relax right now because my mom and sister are trapped, and I have no idea how to free them. I keep thinking that if we try to sneak back on Adalwulf land and we’re caught, we’ll probably be killed, like Moira, the wolf Sully knew. The Warden won’t show mercy. It’s unthinkable, but I can’t stop imagining it.
“The Purification is tonight. I have to get my mother and sister out of there before then. Are you going to let us go?”
Everyone’s expression turns serious.
Brick frowns then signs and speaks slowly. “No one is going anywhere until I’ve had time to consider all the angles.”
Chapter Nineteen
Aster
We’re back in our room in the East Wing. Noah isn’t pacing although he has scrubbed his hand through his hair enough that it’s standing on end. He stares out the window, down at the line of guards posted on the lawn. I wish he’d say something, but I know what he’s thinking. He’s calculating how many of them he could fight before they stop him from escaping to save his family.
I shiver, rubbing my arms. Since the confrontation with Brick, there are even more guards posted around our room. I sit on the edge of the bed, wracking my brain to figure out what I can do.
I never had much to offer Noah, and it’s becoming clear I’m more of a burden than a mate. I can't really help him. My visions are gone, and I didn't realize how helpless that would make me feel. During the worst moments of my childhood, at least I felt a connection to something beyond. It gave me comfort, made me feel like Fate had a divine plan, and I was being guided. But what did Fate ever give me? My own pack was starving me. My own alpha was threatening me with a fate worse than death: breeding and the future torture of my own children unless I produced credible visions.
But now I don't know what to do. I pick at the bedspread, feeling painfully ordinary. Useless.
A wild thought enters my head. “I could go to them with the moonstone,” I say.
I could trade myself–”
No. Noah snaps his index and middle fingers down on his thumb. He crosses the room, signing with furious fingers. “Absolutely not. You will not sacrifice yourself.” He bares his fangs, his eyes glittering bright. His wolf is ready to pounce on me just for suggesting it.
“Then what are we going to do?” I whisper.
His expression turns bleak. I can’t stand it. I reach for his hand.
There's a knock on the door, and I jump off the bed, miming a knock to Noah to let him know what I heard.
Noah holds up his hand to stop me from answering it. He keeps me behind him as he opens the door–as if he expects whoever’s behind it to pounce.
It's Sully. He must be here to bring us back to an audience with Brick. But something’s off–he's dressed in black from head to toe. The hall behind him is empty, the guards nowhere to be seen.
“Come with me,” he says. “Now.”
Noah
I keep Aster close as we follow Sully down the hall to a small staircase. The guards are suspiciously absent, as if Sully ordered them gone. He might be helping us–but he might mean to do us harm.
Still, I’m desperate, so I keep quiet as he leads us out a back door to a waiting car. Hope flares in my chest, and I snuff it out. Sully gets in the driver's seat and motions us to get in. I stop Aster from obeying, keeping my arm around her in case I need to protect her.
I wag my index finger from side to side in the sign for where?