Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
The moment we figured out I had the family defect, he started drilling into my head the need to mate with an alpha she-wolf.
Forget about finding your fated mate. You lock down the most alpha female you can find as soon as possible and start breeding her. We need to clear our line of this defect, he always told both me and Austin.
Of course, I argued it made more sense for me not to have pups at all, but he disagreed. He wants to conquer this thing by breeding it out of our line.
It’s weird and fucked up but, basically, his entire purpose in life. His mother had it, and it’s the reason he became a doctor.
“It’s just the full moon,” I grunt.
My dad is silent. He knows I’m still lying. I expect him to get up and stand on me. Use alpha command to make me talk.
Seconds tick by. I master my breathing. My vision starts to clear. I open my eyes.
My dad’s head is cradled in his hands in a vision of defeat.
His disappointment is so much fucking worse than his anger.
“I’ll get it under control,” I promise without any hope of it being true.
“You have to, son.”
“I will.”
“I’m trying to help you, but if you want me to back off, I will.”
My eyes burn. “No.” I sound strangled. “I appreciate it, Dad. I just… I think I need to run right now.”
“Run where?” His voice is sharp, like he knows what I’m planning.
Suspects where I’ve been going every night when I sneak out my window. Knows that I need to get close enough to Lauren to catch her scent again.
I drag myself to my feet. I can only see out of my periphery, but I’m getting better and better at hiding it. “Just out.” I bounce on the balls of my feet. “I need to release my aggression from the game.”
“Go on, then.” He sounds tired. Like he regrets ever having me and passing this gene deficiency on.
I pull on my clothes.
Fuck. If my dad is this disappointed in me for something I can’t control, how would he feel if he found out I’ve been defying him? That my wolf covets a human?
A human who has seen my wolf.
Worse still, I failed to wipe her memories and have no leverage over this girl. It’s not like she loves me or even cares. She has a boyfriend, for fuck’s sake. Some guy I might actually kill if I can’t get my wolf under control.
Lauren
Luke rolls down the window, letting hot air into the Tesla Lincoln and I share. “Let’s stop at my cousin’s frat house on the way. He said they were having a low-key party tonight.”
I’m having the worst fishbowl experience I’ve had since my mom died.
Lincoln and I picked up Luke from Sky Harbor Airport after the Homecoming game, and it’s now close to midnight. I brought Lincoln and made him drive because I wasn’t ready to see Luke alone or even to sit in the front seat with him. The whole thing is so freaking awkward. I’ve put off breaking up far too long that no matter when I do it now, it’s going to feel like the wrong time.
It’s fine because the two of them are good friends. Or they were when we lived in Manhattan.
“Nah, man. It’s a school night for us.” Lincoln saves me from answering. “Also, Tempe is in the opposite direction as Wolf Ridge.”
“How far?” he demands, pulling a vape out of his pocket and sucking on it.
Lincoln steps on the accelerator and our electric car leaps forward, instantly cutting the distance between us and the car in front of us on the highway. “I don’t know–at least forty-five minutes, maybe an hour. You could Google Map it.”
“You guys should take off school tomorrow. What am I supposed to do all day?” Luke complains.
“I told you when you booked the flight not to come until Friday,” I remind him from the back seat. “You said you could entertain yourself. Looks like you get to hang out with our dad.”
“That’s cool, Joe loves me. He can show me the Arizona sights.”
I barely restrain myself from rolling my eyes. But Luke is right. Our dad does love him since he’s the son of his Wall Street attorney and golf buddy.
“Or I could get an Uber to ASU to see Eric.” Luke is texting with his cousin, a student at ASU with a double major in partying. I think half the reason he insisted on flying out here for my Homecoming was for the opportunity to hit the college parties with his cousin. I’m not sure what he thinks he’ll find there. What would be so much better than the parties he already goes to back East?
“He says they’re having a huge party Saturday night. We could blow off Homecoming and go there.”