Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 131137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Entering Shaya’s bedroom, Nick studied his surroundings and noticed that the room was a lot like the bedroom in the house she’d been renting in Arizona—pine furniture, gold and cream color theme, satin sheets, and a bed adorned with decorative pillows. He still had yet to figure out why anyone would bother with decorative pillows, but the last time he’d complained about it, she’d smacked him over the head. So he would stay quiet about it this time. Instead, he tugged her to him and ravaged her mouth like he’d been dying to do since they arrived. “We need to christen that bed.”
In the aftermath of a session of wickedly slow, leisurely sex that made Shaya come so hard she saw stars, she simply lay—totally sated and somewhat resembling a limp noodle—in Nick’s arms, content. “I don’t think I can move for a while.”
“Good. Let’s just stay here until it’s time for the evening meal.”
She chuckled. “So you don’t have to interact with the others?”
“That and I like having time with just you.” He nipped her bottom lip. “I don’t like sharing you.”
“It’s a good thing I have no intention of asking you if we could live here permanently—it would kill you.”
The total lack of privacy would in fact drive him insane. “If you really want to, I could try.” This was the only family Shaya had ever really had, and he wouldn’t take her away from it if it would devastate her. “Any other ideas of where you’d like to live?”
“I don’t know. I guess that depends on whether or not you’ve decided yet if you want to be an Alpha again?”
Rolling onto his back, he groaned. “Not you too. You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side.” She rested her chin on his chest. “That’s why I’m bringing it up. You need to talk about it.” When he didn’t speak, she said gently, “Hey, if you don’t want us to form a pack, we won’t.”
“But…?” he prodded, sensing there was one.
“But I think that you do. You’re a natural alpha. I think, deep down, a part of you must want it, must want to be part of something and want to give your wolf the sense of purpose that any alpha likes to have.”
“My wolf does want it,” he admitted, “but he wants you more, so it doesn’t matter.” She smacked his shoulder. He winced. “Hey!”
“Of course it matters. I don’t want your wolf feeling in any way unfulfilled.” She didn’t want their bond to always remain incomplete.
“He doesn’t feel unfulfilled. Besides, you don’t want to be an Alpha female since you’ll need to travel a lot for the job I’m confident you’ll get. I’ll be traveling with you.” He was no longer worried that her being an Alpha female would place her in danger, not after witnessing her strength over and over, and not when he knew that the people who were sneakily trying to make him their Alpha would never challenge her anyway. They saw her strength, and they respected her. Plus, they knew she was talented with weapons, and they didn’t want to die.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t be an Alpha. There are some dispersed packs out there. I know usually shifters don’t like their packs to be that way, but if people are trying to influence you into forming a pack while knowing that’s the only way it could be, it’s obviously not going to be something they’ll care about. I can’t promise I’ll be any good at the Alpha female thing.”
He dropped a kiss on her mouth. “You could do anything.” He was certain that she’d make a good Alpha female, just as Taryn had said. Shaya wouldn’t be loud and forward like dominant Alphas; she would lead in a diplomatic, calming, supportive way. He could give the pack the feeling of physical safety, and she would give them the feeling of emotional safety. Providing the people in his pack could totally accept that, it could work. “I thought you wouldn’t want that position.”
“Miss a chance to boss people around?”
Toying with her curls, he told her, “It’s not something I need, Shay. Wanting something and needing it are two different things. You’re what I need.”
“Ah, but if you can have what you want and what you need, why shouldn’t you?”
Unsure what he wanted, he said, “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that I don’t want you fighting against the humans with us on Thursday night.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I knew you were going to say that.” She wasn’t exactly surprised. He was her mate; he wouldn’t want her in any form of danger. “I know you like to have your own way, and I know that sometimes I compromise, and I know that sometimes you sneakily talk me into consenting to what you want”—he smiled, not in the least bit apologetic—“but I won’t budge on this: I will be part of what happens Thursday night.”