Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35428 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Calista walks over and slides her arm around my hips. Just the smell of her is enough to make my legs go weak. She’s so incredible. Some days, I just sit on the bow and watch her work. I love seeing her commanding the men, breaking up arguments, dishing out orders. She’s the most entertaining thing I’ve ever seen. I could watch her forever. She’s so tough and ballsy and doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s going to be an extraordinary queen.
I have no doubt that my people will still be singing about Queen Calista in two hundred years. There will be statues of her all over the Stormfur kingdom and tales told to little pups about her bravery and her indomitable will.
I couldn’t have found a better mate.
“I think my entire crew have man-crushes on you,” she whispers.
I laugh. “What makes you say that?” Although when I look around, eyes that were on me suddenly dart away.
“Trust me,” she says. “They do. They argue about everything. What to eat, where to fish, the best way to drop the net—but when I told them we were heading for the Stormfur Realm to drop off the next Wolf King, none of them argued. They’re all excited. They look at you like you’re a god.”
“That’s how they think of you,” I tell her. “I hear how they talk about you when you’re not around. They look up to you as well.”
“I guess we’ll make a good team,” she says, sliding her hand down to my ass. I have to grab her wrist and pull her hand away. It’s not the full moon yet and the rules are clear. We have to wait no matter how much it pains us.
And it’s been a lot of pain.
Four days and nights of torture. There’s nothing I want more than to strip this woman bare and ravage her, but I can’t. I have to look past the short-term hunger to the long-term pleasure. I want my mark on her neck to be set by the gods. I want us to be mates forever. I must endure.
“You’re no fun,” she whispers, winking at me.
“Wait until the full moon,” I growl. “You’ll see how much fun I am.”
She shivers. “Can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.”
Although it’s not so simple. We’re scheduled to arrive on shore the day of the crowning ceremony. I’ll have to defeat my cousin and any of the wolves who he brought over to his side.
It will be a dangerous affair. I’m terrified of bringing Calista into such a deadly environment.
“Maybe you should just drop me off,” I tell her as we walk to the edge of the boat, watching the vast ocean. “Sail away with your crew and come back at the next full moon when I can ensure that it’s safe.”
“No freaking way,” she says, adamant and stubborn as always. “I’m not leaving you. We’re in this together.”
I knew she would say that.
And that’s why she’s perfect.
Edrik gets stuck in some rigging and Calista marches over to help him get unstuck without ruining her setup.
“What did I tell you about climbing into my rigging?” she hollers as she storms over.
Edrik’s eyes go wide with fright when he sees her coming. He looks like a fly stuck in a web, watching helplessly as the angry spider approaches.
“You’re really going to be the next Wolf King?” Drakor asks in a low voice.
Petr comes over too, looking me over like he can’t quite believe he’s standing in front of shifter royalty. “Like a realz king king?”
“Yes,” I say with a laugh. “My father was King Axton, my uncle the king before him, and my grandfather was the great Wolf King Breyor.”
“And you met them?” Drakor asks, looking at me in awe.
“Yeah,” I say, trying not to chuckle. “A couple times.”
They both look at me with stunned amazement.
“Is it true that Calista will be your queen?” Drakor asks.
I look at her and a flood of happiness fills my body. She’s unwinding Edrik’s foot from the rigging where he got it all tangled up, and cursing him and Valther out while she does it.
“If everything goes to plan,” I say, feeling my stomach sink. “Although there are some deadly shifters who will be trying to stop us.”
Drakor takes a step forward and slams his big meaty knuckles into his palm. “They’ll have to get through us first.”
“Dat’s right,” Petr says, rolling his shoulders. “No dogs will gets their mangy paws on ours Captain.”
I don’t know how they’re going to match up against a bunch of deadly wolves, but I’ll take all the help I can get.
It’s the middle of the night and I’m wide awake. I’m lying on the wooden floor outside Calista’s door, staring at the low ceiling and thinking about everything. My pack, my future, my dad, my cousin, but most of all, I’m thinking about Calista.