Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Elle considered leaving before she mated with Brandon, and before the enthrallment was removed. Layla didn’t have anything but Elle’s friendship for company. Her best friend kept trying to get her to go on dates, but she refused.
She had been on three dates with three human men, all of them total failures. Layla kindly asked Elle to stop trying. She didn’t want to date. She much preferred sneaking into the forest to meet a vampire, but she couldn’t tell Elle that. Her friend shared everything with Brandon. It was one of the reasons Layla had stopped confiding in her friend. She didn’t need any of her personal thoughts and opinions to be shared with the Alpha.
“Lewis is watching you,” Elle said.
Layla nodded, picking up an empty salt shaker and taking it to the main counter. Elle following behind her.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“I thought you had a crush on Lewis.”
“I did have a crush on him. Not anymore.” She filled the salt shaker and turned to her friend.
“What’s wrong?” Elle asked.
“Nothing is wrong. I just … I’ve seen how Brandon is around you and Lewis is not like that. I’m not his mate. I’m not his anything, so I’m not going to pretend otherwise.” She shrugged.
“I’m sorry.”
Layla chuckled and then reached out to hug her friend. “Stop worrying about me. It’s all good. Honestly. I don’t mind that I’m not mated.” She let go of Elle as Brandon stepped through the door. “Go and be with your mate and stop worrying about me.”
Elle didn’t have time to complain as Brandon rounded the counter and pulled his mate into his arms. She didn’t linger. There was no point in watching the two smooch and go all lovey-dovey on each other. She had no desire to see what she could never have herself.
Picking up the latest order, she continued to work. She was aware of Lewis’s gaze on her, but he was more interested in the challenge she had set. He wanted to chase her, simple as that. She didn’t want to be chased. Layla wanted love, she wanted to be someone’s entire world. Not just a notch, or a trophy, or a fuck. Was it so wrong for her to want to be everything to a man?
She couldn’t help but think about Alexander. There was no way she’d ever be his anything. He was a vampire and of course he’d seen many beautiful women in his time. There was no way he’d look at a fat human who was part of the Northern Forest Pack. She wasn’t even a true member. There was no wolf blood running through her veins. She was a no one. Even her parents didn’t play important roles within the pack.
Her father worked at the DIY store, and her mother in the local food shop. They never tried to join in. They kept to themselves, even at the full moon. Her parents hadn’t always approved of her relationship with Elle. Even though this place was her home, they didn’t want her getting too close to anyone.
Whenever Elle asked about them, Layla always said they were loners, shy, and didn’t want to upset the wolves within the pack.
She was never questioned about her family. That was the point of being a human within the pack. They were never asked anything about their past, or their families. Lewis hadn’t asked at all. Alexander had. He wanted to know everything about her.
There wasn’t much to tell. Her parents had petitioned to join the Northern Forest Pack, got accepted, then moved here. It was as simple as that.
Whenever Layla asked them any questions about their old life, they would tell her it was all in the past and she needed to stop fussing about it. She wasn’t fussing, but according to her parents, she was. Eventually, she stopped asking questions. It was just easier that way.
After taking care of breakfast, and by the time her lunch break came around, she was starving. She’d been working since eight in the morning, and it was now one in the afternoon.
Daisy always prepared her lunch for her. Each day was different. Layla always struggled with eating the same thing. She liked variety and Daisy loved to cook for her. Today was a cheeseburger with bacon, two different types of cheese, pickles, and fries with what appeared to be a cheese-and-onion drizzle all over. Her mouth watered. She was so hungry.
Her boss had complained she was looking too tired. Most nights she didn’t go to bed until after three. She tried to spend as much time with Alexander as possible.
“You’re avoiding me,” Lewis said, taking a seat opposite her.
Layla took a bite of her burger and chewed as she looked across the table at him. She finished her mouthful before shaking her head. “No, I’m not.”
He raised a brow. “You could have fooled me.”