Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Mr. Tom cleared his throat. “I present Eram from the Solgid cairn.”
Austin uncrossed his legs and stood, setting down his drink before turning back to me and offering his hand. Only once I took it did I also stand, setting down my glass and clasping my hands in front of me.
“Mr. Eram, welcome,” I said, offering a slight bow. We knew from our research that he didn’t like handshakes or to be touched at all. Gargoyles didn’t use last names, instead using their cairn as their second name. “I am Jessie Ironheart of Ivy House. This is Austin Steele, original alpha of the Dusky Ridge pack.”
He’d come up with that name a while ago. Dusky Ridge was where he’d been when he decided to come to this town—it was the first step in the journey that had led him here. Original alpha simply meant that he had started the pack.
“Jessie—may I call you Jessie?” Eram asked, his tone a little rough, like he’d been a smoker in his youth. When I nodded, he continued, “And Alpha, correct? That is how shifters do things?”
No scowl yet. He was apparently on his best behavior.
“Yes, though Austin is fine in private company.”
I wondered if Eram knew Austin was making a gesture, changing how shifters did things to accommodate the gargoyles.
“May I get you and your guardians something to drink?” Mr. Tom asked.
Eram looked Mr. Tom over, from his lined face to his slightly tattered wings. “You’ve been out of the game for a long time. Were you ever part of a cairn?”
“I was, of course,” Mr. Tom responded, still looking straight ahead. He didn’t volunteer which one. Never had, in fact, even though Ulric and Jasper had asked multiple times since joining us. “The magic of Ivy House has physically restored the vitality of my youth, even if you can’t tell visually. With that and my experience, I am a force all my own.”
It was not easy to keep my face expressionless.
“I see.” Eram sat down, still looking at Mr. Tom. “And this is what you’re happy doing? Playing maid to a Jane?”
There went his best behavior.
A surge of anger blistered through my bond with Austin, and though he didn’t move, and though his expression didn’t change, suddenly the guardians tensed and looked hard at him. Eram’s gaze swung his way, as well, concern flashing in his eyes. They’d all felt the blast of raw, primal power from an alpha shifter.
“Excuse me,” Eram said smoothly if a bit too quickly. “I didn’t mean any offense. I am genuinely curious why he would squander his returned…vitality in this way. Especially with his experience.”
“We are all very aware what offense you did and did not mean,” Mr. Tom said loftily. “Some of us are also very aware of how ignorant you sound. Rest assured, I would rather be looking after the heir of Ivy House on her rise to greatness than holding up a wall for a washed-up cairn leader who doesn’t recognize the very extreme danger he is in after insulting an alpha shifter’s mate. Care for a drink?”
Anger bloomed on Eram’s face, and he shifted his focus to me. I could feel the next cairn leader coming for the door. The phone lit up at my side—likely Nessa filling me in on who was arriving.
“This is how you allow your staff to address—”
My blast of stinging magic shut Eram down.
“We as a whole have no interest in your dramatics,” I said. “Would you like a drink, yes or no?”
Mr. Tom received the order but stopped at the door to admit the next cairn leader. In walked my dear friend Withor, his eyes wary and his guardians clearly stressed.
“Hello,” I said after he was introduced and his guardians backed away, still hovering close. “Nice to see you again. Mr. Tom is just headed out to get a drink for Eram. Would you like something?”
He placed his drink order as Austin stood, helping me up in that way we’d practiced. It gave the impression he was the lead enforcer, a cue for the gargoyles that he would protect me violently if necessary.
“Since we already met yesterday, this is Austin, original alpha of the Dusky Ridge pack.”
Austin didn’t reach his hand forward for a handshake, having heard my story yesterday. Instead his power pumped out in waves, filling the room to bursting as he stared Withor down.
“What do you mean you met yesterday?” Eram said, pushing up to standing. “I didn’t hear anything about a meeting! What were you discussing?”
Mr. Tom walked to the door again, followed by one of the catering people carrying the tray of ordered drinks.
“He turned up unexpectedly,” I said, gesturing for them to sit down. “Alone. We shared some words on my front porch and then parted ways.”
“My business here didn’t concern you,” Withor said, his eyes not having left mine. He took his drink and found a seat.