Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Considering they had decided to make their relationship permanent, Roni had expected imprinting to start. But it hadn’t. And she didn’t know what that meant. Didn’t understand it. She’d made the decision to stay with him, just as he had her. She cared about him more than she was comfortable with, and she believed that he cared for her. Yet, nothing.
Of course it could mean that she was simply too messed up to really accept another person that fully into her life. Maybe Marcus hadn’t begun imprinting on her for the same reason. In any case, it hurt.
Halfway home, she asked, “Has McGee sent any more messages to Trey through the pack web? I’m pretty sure Nick’s still getting them.” The first apologetic messages had been sent just a few hours after the jackal’s corpse had been dumped on Quinn’s land. Quinn claimed to have been oblivious to Lola’s plan, but no one was convinced of that, and no one had responded to his messages.
Just thinking about Quinn made Marcus growl. “Yes. He keeps apologizing for his mate’s behavior and promising that he’s dealt with the matter himself. Basically, he wants reassurance that our packs won’t retaliate. That’s something we can’t give him.” Marcus had every intention of confronting the bastard.
“We can’t afford to act on it right now. We’ve got more important things to do.” Like track down the wolf hacker.
“I know.” His hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Doesn’t mean I don’t often imagine ripping Quinn’s throat out.”
Yeah, Roni had a similar fantasy. Something caught her eye in the wing mirror, and she frowned. “What is that?”
“What?”
“Something’s hanging on the end of the tailpipe.” To get a better look, she squeezed through the seats and onto the back row. “Oh, the little shit.”
“What? What is it?”
“It’s a fucking condom.”
Marcus double-blinked. “A condom?”
“Eli must have put it on the end of the tailpipe, or had someone else do it”—most likely Dominic—“and now it’s totally inflated and dragging behind us.” When Marcus stopped the car, she removed the condom, feeling equally irritated and amused.
Marcus had quickly come to learn that Kathy hadn’t been exaggerating when she told him the pranks were an ongoing thing. Pulling off the road, Marcus turned to Roni, who was focused on her cell phone. “So, basically, you and Eli have an inherent natural drive to win and prevail, and you exercise that drive on each other?”
“Don’t try to understand or rationalize our sibling bond, Marcus. I’m not sure it’s possible.” Roni had planned to avoid her mother, but Kathy was waiting—arms folded—at the front of the main lodge when they arrived. “Great,” she mumbled as they exited the car. “I get to have another lecture about living in sin.”
“I don’t know . . . I’m pretty sure a scenario of a pure little virgin being corrupted is a fantasy we could work with. If you think it’ll hurt too much, I could just put the head in.”
“Perve.”
“Ha, you smiled!”
“I do not smile.”
“Sure you don’t, Dimples.” He grinned at her low growl.
As Roni neared, Kathy said, “You haven’t been answering my calls.”
Roni expertly dodged her mother and walked straight into the lodge. “Because I only like intelligent conversation. Besides, Marcus and I have been . . . busy.”
Kathy followed her into the relatively empty living area. “Females should save themselves for their mate.” From her seat on the sofa, Janice nodded her agreement. Eli just snickered.
“Mom, I wasn’t a virgin before Marcus, so I hardly think it matters.”
Janice sneered. “You’re a constant embarrassment to your mother.”
“Well, I do try.” As Marcus came up behind Roni, her aunt immediately perked up and flashed him a flirtatious smile. Typical. And creepy. Ignoring Eli’s smug grin, Roni gave him a nod of greeting.
He arched a brow. “What, no scowl? No outburst? No attempt to get me in a headlock?”
Studying an imaginary speck of dirt on her T-shirt, she asked, “Have you checked your Facebook profile recently?”
He stiffened. “My Facebook profile?”
Roni shrugged. “I could be wrong, but you might find that your inbox is pretty full.” Eli immediately dug his phone out of his pocket.
Slipping an arm around her, Marcus splayed a possessive hand on her stomach. “What did you do?” He remembered her using her cell in the car, but he hadn’t thought she was hacking into Eli’s Facebook account.
She shrugged again. “Not much. I just sent out a little message.”
Eli’s face turned a worrying shade of red. “Oh my God! I can’t believe you did that!”
“Did what?” asked Marcus.
“You sent this to every single person on my friends list?”
His pretty little wolf somehow looked the image of innocence. “What did she do?”
Outraged, Eli explained, “She sent this out to every single one of my Facebook friends: ‘MALE SUB SEEKS MALE DOM. MUST ENJOY ANAL SEX AND BE WILLING TO EXPERIMENT. NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.’”