Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 73170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
I snap, “My wolf didn’t hesitate to rip out the throats of my own sister or my mother, the females who gave birth to me and nurtured me for thirteen years. Tell me, if your wolf killed your family, would you be willing to have it around your mate?”
The three of them freeze.
No, I haven’t told anyone this before. Nobody. I immediately fall forward as far as the chains will allow and begin retching.
Linc slides a pail from the shelf over and it gets in front of me just in the nick of time. I probably haven’t eaten in two days so I’m only throwing up the sports drink I just drank. And bile. A lot of it.
I smell her.
She’s in the doorway behind them, tears in her beautiful blue eyes. And fuck, it feels like they’re holding me hostage more than these restraints. She heard. She knows she’s mated to a monster that killed his own family. Why the fuck did she have to be here when I came back here last night?
“Let’s all go for a drive,” she says to them with her eyes on me. “Give him a couple hours so he can shift and heal. But we aren’t leaving the keys. And if that doesn’t stop you and you’re not here when we get back, I will hunt you down.”
I scoff. But I feel the chill of my wolf’s presence just under the surface. My dick is hard and I’m fuming that she’s standing this close to three alphas, one of which is unmated. I’m also fuming that she’s standing this close to me.
“Give me your word you’ll stay and let us try to figure this out,” she demands.
“Why would my word mean anything to you?” I ask. “You know that asshole Wyatt Meadows got gifted a mate too and he was a piece of shit.”
“Linc says you’re a good, solid guy. I trust his opinion.”
“I make no promises and will likely deliver even less,” I fire back.
“Okay, then I’ll come over there and give you the first aid myself. Excuse me, guys.”
Tyson and Mason make space for her to walk between them and my hand flies up.
“Woman, stop!” I demand.
She stops, but her eyes are filled with challenge.
“Go for a drive. I’ll shift to heal. I don’t know how long it’ll take to shift back.”
“Put the muzzle on as an extra layer,” Linc suggests.
“Fine.”
“We’re not leaving you the keys,” she snaps.
Fuck.
Fate gave me a beautiful, stubborn, fucking brat.
11
CICELY
“Let’s go back,” I say.
Linc looks over his shoulder at me in the back seat. “It hasn’t even been ten minutes.”
“Well duh. You think I want you taking me for ice cream? I want to go back now that he’s likely shifted. He’s restrained and wearing the mask. We’ve got the weapons. I want to test things.”
“Fuck,” he mutters.
“How will we know if we don’t test things?” I ask.
“She’s right,” Tyson says.
“Mm hm,” Mase agrees.
“There’s no way it’s a fair test if his new mate is surrounded by three alphas. You guys know that!” Linc argues.
“Then don’t come with me,” I retort.
“Absolutely not,” Linc denies.
“I’ll keep you on speaker, a phone in my pocket, and you stay a few minutes away in the car.”
“Too risky,” he snaps.
“We won’t know unless we try,” I fire back.
“She’s right,” Tyson says.
Linc is fuming.
“Lincoln, this is my decision to make. I’m not yours to protect.”
I see pain flash in his eyes in the rearview mirror.
“I’m not gonna suddenly stop giving a shit about you, no matter who you’re mated to.”
“Same, Linc. Honestly.”
He sighs.
I add, “I need to know. I need to see how his wolf reacts to me up close now that I’m wearing his mark.”
I’m also planning to shift but have no plans to reveal this. I feel like maybe he’ll react differently to my wolf, especially given how he reacted across the river when my wolf barked at him.
“Let’s bring her back,” Mason says.
“Fuck!” Linc slaps the steering wheel before grabbing it in a death-grip.
I reach up and squeeze his shoulder. “Lincoln, I appreciate you worrying about me. Worrying about him. Everything inside me is telling me I need to do this, need to know. If not now, when?”
“When the coven can give us information, Sis. Veronica Young is coming to lay hands on him and see what information she gets. She could see things that help the coven formulate a spell or a potion or get Cat and Blakely onto something for healing this. You’re rushing this shit and that’s not wise.”
“When is she getting here?”
“Tomorrow, sometime.”
I don’t want to wait. I want to see how his wolf reacts to me and to my wolf.
“If she wants to test things, we should let her,” Tyson says.
“Agreed,” Mase immediately says. “Stay just outside, open the outer door and leave the barred door closed, fully armed and ready to book it, this vehicle behind you with us three in it. We’ll keep the windows closed but you’ve got us on speaker.”