Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Emily tapped her finger against her lips, her gaze thoughtful. “Do you have suspects?”
He shrugged. “No idea. I can’t believe anybody would do this.”
“Well,” she mused, her tone turning speculative, “if you want, I can wander around town a little. Talk to people. Gather information for our pack’s modernization while I’m at it.”
“Yeah, that’d be great. But stay within the pack boundaries,” he said, his eyes locking on hers. “In fact, I’d prefer if you stayed in town.”
She blinked. “Why’s that, Jackson? Worried I’ll find myself another Alpha?”
His low chuckle rumbled through the room. “Not even close, baby. I’m worried about that kidnapping attempt months ago.”
“It wasn’t an attempt. They kidnapped me.” Her eyes darkened with irritation as she shook her head. “I was driving home after a meeting in town, and they ran me off the road. Three males dragged me out of the car and shoved a garlic-soaked burlap sack over my head so I couldn’t smell them. I fought back hard and got bruised up pretty good.”
Jackson’s fingers curled against the edge of his desk. “How’d you get free?” he asked, voice low and tempered but taut with suppressed anger.
“They threw me in the back of the van and started driving.” Emily’s voice was steady, but Jackson caught the edge beneath her words. “I did what I had to do.”
“You shifted in the back of a van?” His voice sharpened.
She clasped her hands in her lap. “I didn’t have a choice. They didn’t expect it.”
“I wouldn’t either,” he muttered. “You’re lucky you didn’t break every bone in your body.”
“No, I just bruised myself, hitting the sides. I jumped out the back and ran home. We still haven’t figured out who they were or what they wanted.”
That didn’t make a bit of sense. “They didn’t say anything?”
“Not a word. They were silent.”
“Then you probably knew them,” he murmured. “Or they would’ve spoken.”
She swallowed, her gaze flickering toward the window. “That’s my guess. I think maybe somebody wants to challenge my father.”
“What about Victor?” The name tasted bitter.
“I don’t think Vic would do something like that. Even though I couldn’t smell anything, I think I’d sense if it was my cousin. Plus, why would he kidnap me? If Vic wanted me out of the way, he’d have killed me—or at least tried to.”
Something low and fierce curled inside Jackson. The thought of anyone hurting her stirred a deep possessiveness he couldn’t quite name. His fingers curled against the desk, the solid wood grounding him as a primal need to shield her burned beneath his skin. “You don’t have one lead?”
“No. My father was in the middle of trying to take over the Copper Pack when it happened, and I’ve been healing at home since, so we haven’t been out and about much.” Determination hardened her pretty jaw. “When I get home, I will figure it out.”
He didn’t like the thought of her alone like that. “It’s late. How about I take you to your hotel?”
“That sounds excellent,” she said, her smile softening the tension between them. “By the way, you have a meeting at nine tomorrow morning with the first Alpha female I could find.”
Jackson sat back, the leather chair creaking beneath him. His pulse kicked against his ribs. “You weren’t joking about that?”
“No.” She chuckled. “I really wasn’t.”
Irritation coiled through him. “How many am I supposed to meet with in this farce?”
She lifted one shoulder, delicate and maddening. “Only six, but I plan to find more.”
“Emily,” he snapped, the growl low in his throat.
“Sorry, Jackson.” Her smile held challenge. “This is what you said you wanted.”
He could not believe this. “How did you even find six Alpha females?”
“I used the Internet. I put out a coded message explaining the situation and instantly received six replies. I believe if I check my inbox, there will be more.”
He held up a hand, the heat of frustration and something darker curling in his gut. “No. Absolutely not.” Although, he did need a mate. But he only saw Emily’s face when he thought about the future. Yet he understood her allegiance to her pack. If they mated, she’d be his. Not theirs.
She straightened. “Well, you have to meet with these six females. It would insult their packs otherwise.”
“None of them belong to the Stope Packs Coalition, do they?”
“Of course not. Don’t worry, Jackson.” She leaned forward, her gaze catching his with an intensity that seemed to press against his skin. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll have the perfect mate.”
Something about how she said the word mate made his blood heat for reasons that had nothing to do with matchmaking. The primal beast at his core raised its head, sensing a challenge.
He’d never lost one and didn’t plan to start now.
Chapter 8
A little after eight in the morning, with the sun shining down on the frost-covered grass, Jackson pulled his truck up to his home and cut the engine. The scent of something sweet with a hint of spice drifted through the air. He stepped out of the truck, wiping grime from his face. His body ached from hours in the mine, but his mind was sharp.