Total pages in book: 203
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
I sniffle and his eyes hit me. His expression softens at my tears and he reaches out like he’s about to touch my face and I flinch. But his hand stops. He can’t touch me. And now he lets out another loud growl and shouts, “Fuck!”
And I scamper another few feet away from him and that intensity. Because it feels like it’s about to electrocute me. His eyes flash with more anger as he gets to his feet and paces.
I give him a minute, but he doesn’t stop pacing, though it’s directly in front of me. Back and forth and back and forth.
He eventually stops and stares at me, arms crossed over his chest.
Finally, I work up the nerve to ask, “Who do you need to protect?”
He laughs bitterly, rubbing his forehead with his hand.
I ask, “Do they have Dani? Is… is sh-she your mate?”
My heart is pounding really hard. I’ve been telling myself I’d get through his mating, that I wouldn’t let the hurt show, but even as mad as I am for how much of an asshole he’s being, I’m also upset now because my chance to walk away with my head held high is disintegrating. I’m not sure I can stop it from showing. And even more, I’m not sure how I’ll live with myself if me putting him in this position to try to keep him safe means something has happened to his fated mate. If I’m responsible for Erica’s sister getting hurt, I don’t know how I’ll cope.
Jase squats in front of me, but he’s so tall we’re still not at eye level. I look up at him, lip trembling.
“Danica isn’t my mate, kiddo,” he says, his eyes changing, his voice softer, sounding pained.
And I’m about to ask the next logical question. Ask him who it is.
But he leaves me absolutely stunned when his expression changes again and he very angrily snaps, “Color me shocked as fuck, because guess what? It’s you.”
I blink a few times. I breathe a little, I think. And I swallow before I confusedly ask, “It’s me what?”
“It’s you. You’re my soulmate. You, for fuck’s sake!” He rakes his hand through his hair and looks like he wants to hit something.
He paces some more while I stare, mouth agape.
He huffs out while still pacing, “Did you hear me?”
I can’t form words on my tongue.
I can’t even construct a single coherent thought.
“Earth to Bailey?”
I blink some more, but my mouth is open. I close it.
He stares.
“What?” I finally whisper.
“Didn’t know until about a second and a half before we passed out in the back of that car. And then I had to helplessly watch that witch backhand you because I was chained up. As sick and weak as I felt, that did it and I managed to get off that beam but then I had to stand by unable to do a fuckin’ thing while that fuckin’ guy carried you while you struggled, putting his filthy mitts on you. And I couldn’t get to you, couldn’t protect you because you fucking dosed me with that magic shit. You shouldn’t be here. You should be home, safe. Protected by your brother, by the other council alphas until I got home. We should’ve been there when this happened, when I realized the truth of who you are to me.”
My mouth is still gaping. I’m in utter shock at the words that have come from Jason’s lips. I probably hit my head even harder than this little bump on my head suggests and I’m dreaming this right now because this can’t be real. It just can’t.
“I must be in a coma. This isn’t real,” I whisper.
Jase rolls his eyes and frustratedly growls again, pacing some more.
8
JASE
I’m so fucking furious. It’s making me insane. I’m trapped. And those fuckers could come back here and how the fuck can I stand by and do nothing? I won’t have a choice.
The asshole that carried her down the stairs is the one who drove us here, wherever here is. I’ve got no idea when that was, how long we’ve been in this basement, and when I’ll be able to shift again. I still feel like my battery is low, though maybe now at 10% instead of 1% and probably because there’s one of those flowers in my space, locked in close proximity to me by my feet, which might be keeping me from shifting and healing. Shifting, healing, getting her and me the fuck out of here.
She’s sitting on the floor, crying. Probably because I’m livid and haven’t hid it. She’s smart, so smart. So, how did she wind up doing something this damn stupid?
I can’t think straight. But I need to. I need to figure out a way out of this. I’m too far away from my council brothers for them to feel something’s wrong. They’ll expect to hear from me within a day or two because of course I’d let them know when Danica and I safely made the drop.