Total pages in book: 202
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I breathe, relieved.
He continues, “The people should decide who they want leading them.”
“Definitely.”
“But thinking Brody should take lead when we head home until that gets decided. We’ll talk all that over with Mitch. SCC might have other ideas after everything they’ve seen here. Mitch already said they might take temporary stewardship of the pack, though he doesn’t know Brody wants to take the pack on.”
“Oh.”
“Mitch is close to Brody’s and Rye’s father. I think he’ll think Brody’s qualified to lead. We’ll see. Then we’ll see what’s what with your friend back in Arcana Falls. As for you ‘n me, I wanna get us home as soon as fucking possible.”
“Home?” I ask, shoulders drooping.
Grey’s expression goes even harder.
I explain, “But I want to help here. You told them not to put me on the schedule, but I can’t just leave and–”
“I know you need to help and that’s fine,” he clips a little impatiently. “I’ll deal if I have to for a couple more days. After we know everyone’s good enough. But no longer than necessary because I feel like I’m ready to blow and I don’t see that changing any time soon. I want you home, safe, away from this stinking hellhole, and I want to find your motherfucking brother and deal with him. Jase is on fire to catch him too. Now, so’s Brody.”
I gulp. Grey is absolutely seething with anger.
“Unless he comes back here, which I suspect won’t happen. Instead, he’ll try to come at us in The Falls again.”
“Or he’ll go to that whorehouse to try to collect money.”
Grey straightens up. “Jase already said you brought that up and I need to address that idea with Brody.”
“Wyatt is obsessed with money,” I say. “I don’t know if he ran out of whatever he got for the girls before he went to Arcana Falls, but if he believes he’s owed some, I think he’ll be coming back to collect.”
“Anyway, Cat thinks three or four days of care and meds for the vast majority should have them on the other side of this. Maybe sooner if Dani’s potion or Mitch’s experimental drug helps.”
I breathe out relief. “Good.”
“Talked to Cat an hour ago. She doesn’t think we’ll lose anyone else here. One or two are on that borderline, but she’s hopeful.”
“Good,” I breathe out again. “Thank goodness.”
There’s awkward silence now. Grey is looking at me but saying nothing, though I feel the sensations of his emotions in my chest as well as see it on his face.
“Where were you just now?” I ask and try to do it casually, try to keep him talking even though it feels like he wants me to talk instead.
He jerks his chin over his shoulder. “Looked through your brother’s house for clues that might help us know where he might’ve gone. Had some conversations with some of the men from around here. Got the list of names of people poisoned by that shithead with his soup for the SCC. Spoke to Joel, then Brody.”
“Did you get any sleep? I woke up alone.”
He shakes his head. “No.”
“Are you going to?” I ask.
“Not yet,” he says. “Not easy falling asleep with all this shit goin’ on and certainly not easy to sleep with my wife lying in another alpha’s fuckin’ bed. Don’t matter he’s got no scent; I still know whose goddamn bed it is.”
“I didn’t want to sleep in that bed,” I remind him.
That’s what’s odd about Jared. But now isn’t the time to ask about it.
My mate flexes his jaw muscles but says nothing.
My mate is angry with me. Maybe he needs space.
“I’m gonna go get breakfast for the kids. Then I’ll help with the next rounds of medicine dispensing before starting to cook for everyone else.”
“Sent Boyd to the supermarket already for eggs and bacon and fruit,” Grey says. “Wait and give the kids some of that.”
“Okay,” I say.
He looks me in the eyes. “Anything else you wanna tell me?” His eyes travel to my toes and back up again. I don’t like the vibe coming off him.
I bite my lip and then release it.
Gus walks by, giving us a nod, and going into the mess hall. And something dawns on me.
“Gus told you he heard me talking to Cat?”
I know by Grey’s expression that the answer is yes.
“Cat told me some shit, not realizing you hadn’t already told me yourself. What the fuck does Gus know?”
Darn.
I shake my head. “Gus might have heard me talking to Cat… I…”
“More secrets?” he accuses.
“No, not secret exactly.”
“Then what, exactly? Cat Savage tells me you’re afraid you can’t carry our child with the miscarriage and stillbirth rates here. You tell her this, not your mate?”
“I told you I was worried about not being able to get pregnant. About thinking it was the water here.”
“You did, but you didn’t tell me every pregnancy in the last couple years around here ended in miscarriage or stillbirth.”