Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59360 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
“How, Oma?”
You will know. Her lips barely move when she speaks, like it’s too much of an effort.
I draw an uneasy breath.
The future she’s seen for me doesn’t mesh with what I’ve been shown. The glimmers I’ve had of the Blackthroats. Of a mate.
Of my betrayal.
They terrify me–all of them.
And working with Aiden–partnering with him? That feels impossible. He may be a cousin, but I scarcely know him. He treats me like a child.
I often still feel like a child. I’ve been so sheltered here in my prison tower. This Manhattan mansion on Billionaire’s row. I’m barely allowed to leave, and when I do, I’m under guard. My whole life has been spent within these walls. Tending to Oma, learning from her. Training.
I’ve been kept in the dark ages. I have no access to computers or cell phones or all the technology that the rest of the family employs. It’s forbidden for me.
I wasn’t allowed to attend school–not elementary, middle or high school. College has never been in the cards. All I got was a parade of tutors who came to me and taught me a carefully crafted cannon meant to mold me into the vision Oma had for me.
I’m supposed to remain untainted.
Pure. Virginal.
Untouched.
That’s what Oma says. If I mate, I lose my power, and that would be a tragedy for the entire pack. The gift doesn’t belong to me, it’s for the good of all the Adalwulfs. I’m just the vessel.
So I’m sheltered and protected like pack royalty, like the family jewel. But I’m also policed.
It’s wrong–terribly wrong–but as frightened as I am of taking the position of Seeress, part of me aches for the change. Any change! My life has been such a monotony of nothing but old pack lore and a century’s old rivalry.
As much as I will mourn Oma, there’s a tiny seed–a spark–of hope for my future without her.
What will life be like when I’m the one with the power to see? Can I demand more freedom?
Will I be able to leave these walls? Meet the male who appears in my dreams? The one who is silent. Stoic. Strong.
The one who can speak straight into my mind without moving his lips and who hears me without me speaking.
He’s my future, and I’m his.
The rest…the revenge and the rivalry and the hatred between packs?
I could walk away from it all and never look back.
Madi
Sleet pelts the jet as we land in New York. It seems like a month has passed since we left for the Greek isles.
Brick’s long body curls around mine, spooning me from behind. We haven’t spoken yet about what happens now.
Brick Blackthroat may be a powerful businessman, the toughest boss on Wall Street and a ruthless leader of his pack, but when it comes to matters of the heart, I’m realizing he might be an emotional avoidant. It explains why he hasn’t fixed his relationship with his mom. Why he went moon mad rather than deal with his need for me. He didn’t even try to figure out how to make it work with a human.
He still hasn’t.
Not that I’m any better. I pushed him away at every turn, so certain he would never actually commit to someone like me. I clung to my pride rather than fighting for us.
Neither of us move when the jet touches down. We had sex when we first boarded, which helped us both sleep, but we still haven’t talked. I mean the kind of talk with a capital T. The one I suspect we’re both avoiding.
“You’ll come back to my building.” His voice is gruff–the bossy boss thing that usually turns me on.
“No.” I stay facing away from him, watching the precipitate pelt the windows of the jet.
The arm draped over my waist tightens, and he pulls me closer, his body stiffening.
“I need to keep you sa–.”
“Don’t,” I cut in. “You hid me away on a private island in Greece with machine-gun carrying guards, and I still wasn’t safe. I’m not going to live my life this way.”
I actually sense the temperature in Brick’s body drop, like my words chill him.
“Madi,” he chokes.
I roll to face him. “Brick, I want to be with you, but so far, it looks like you lying, locking me up, and hiding me away.”
“I need you safe—”
“I’m fine with being protected. I’m not fine with you shutting me out.”
Brick lies perfectly still, almost like he’s frozen.
“I understand your pack is under siege by the Adalwulfs, but I don’t want to be your hidden human. I want to be your mate. At least I think I do–but I don’t even know for certain what that means. I’m still learning your world–without any help from you, I might add.”
“Come back to my place.” He gives his head a quick shake. “To our place. You can make it yours–whatever you want. I haven’t even shown you the building.”