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)
“Mate.” Surprise tinges my dad’s voice.
“Let her go now.” I’m done warning them. I headbutt my dad at the same time I kick the sheriff in the gut, twisting out of both of their grasps.
Lauren’s on her feet, staring at me in shock. I snatch her against my chest, reaching around to grasp the metal cuffs behind her. With one snap, I break them apart.
“Hold up, Abe.” The sheriff still has that calming tone like I’m a feral beast they’re trying to contain.
Which I guess I am.
“Take a breath. We won’t hurt your mate. She’s safe.”
I wrap my arms tightly around Lauren and kiss the top of her head. Her scent soothes me. She’s trembling, but to my relief, her arms come around me, and she hugs me back.
“Get that leech away from her,” I growl, refusing to look in the direction of the vampire.
He hisses like an angry cat.
“It’s all right. We’re not going to mind-wipe her. We didn’t know she was your mate, son,” the sheriff says.
I fight to swallow over the tight band constricting my throat. “She is,” I choke. “And I don’t care about what that means for your precious gene pool,” I say to my dad.
“That’s why you’ve been having episodes.” Always the scientist. He doesn’t weigh in about matters of the heart. Or fate. Just the logic behind my condition.
“She’s my mate,” I repeat. “I’ll burn this town to the ground if anyone tries to stand between us.”
Lauren’s heart thuds against my chest. She slowly pulls back from me to look up. I cradle her beautiful face. “I’m sorry I hurt you today,” I murmur, even though everyone in the room has supernatural hearing.
“Clyde, apologies for the assault. I think you understand a wolf will do anything to defend his fated mate if he believes she’s in danger.” Sheriff Gleason attempts to soothe the vampire now, leading him out of the interrogation room. “We didn’t know she was his mate, or we wouldn’t have tried to wipe her mind. We will still pay your fee, of course.” The men file out, leaving me alone with Lauren.
“What did they do to you?” I choke out, examining my girl for bruises.
A sheen of tears makes her teal eyes bright, but she doesn’t cry. “Nothing. I didn’t let them do anything.” Her voice is strong. “I mean, he momentarily immobilized my muscles, but I fought it off. I put my head down on the table, so he couldn’t see my eyes, and I refused to answer any of their questions.”
My chest, which has been constricted since the moment Lincoln told me they’d taken Lauren, starts to let in some air. “That’s my girl. So fucking strong.” I cup her nape and knead the tension away.
She gives my shoulder pad a light shake. “Did you miss your game for me?”
“I don’t care about the game. I’ve been trying to get to you all afternoon. I had another seizure after school on my way to your house, and then I didn’t wake up until right before the game because my dad gave me a tranquilizer. Lauren–I was such a dick. I’m so sorry for how I acted today. If you give me another chance, I will tell the whole fucking school how much you mean to me, and I will never, ever treat you that way again.”
Lauren grabs my head and pulls my mouth down to hers. I kiss her hard at first–my wolf frantic to mate tongues with her, then I slow down and go deep.
She breaks the kiss and gives me a slow, knowing smile. “I’ll think about it.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Lauren
“Lauren!” Lincoln appears in the doorway.
“You can’t be back there!” A female voice says–the deputy at the desk, I think.
I turn in Abe’s arms.
“What happened?” Lincoln takes in the broken door with wide eyes.
“Um, long story.”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.” Abe catches my hand and hurries me out the door. As we fast-walk our way past the vampire, sheriff, and Abe’s dad and out the door, Abe explains, “Lincoln told me they took you, and that’s why I left the game. He drove me here.”
“Seriously—what happened?” Lincoln repeats. The Tesla is parked in front, and we all beeline for it.
“It was a misunderstanding,” Abe says. He glances my way for back up. “Just…something went down at our family cabin, and my dad thought Lauren knew something about it.”
Accurate.
“Because you led him to believe that?” Lincoln accuses.
“No,” I cut in. “Truly a misunderstanding.”
We climb into the Tesla, Abe tugging me into the back seat with him, so Lincoln is like our chauffeur. “Abe, is the game still going? Let’s get you back there.”
“No.” He pulls me right up against his side, pressing his nose against my hair and inhaling deeply. “I need to be with my girl right now.”