Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 44804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
“I love you, Grace.” Hearing the tender words spoken in his deep voice has my heart swelling in my chest. My limbs continue to tremble as he holds me tighter.
A small smile pulls at my lips until the heat in my veins slowly returns, demanding attention. I struggle not to pull away from my mate, my Alpha.
The sensation tightens my throat with a fire that’s unsettling.
“It feels like I’m choking.” I murmur the words, writhing in his grasp. He doesn’t react except to pull me closer to him. As if he didn’t hear at all.
I need air. I need this burning to stop. Every inch of my body feels superheated, growing hotter and hotter with every passing second. Fear latches on to me as I push away from Devin. The cold ground calls to me, promising me respite from the unrelenting heat. His arms tighten rather than loosen and I struggle against him. “I’m too hot.” I can barely push out the words. The feeling of my breath against my face is too much. It’s too hot. My hands shake, and my muscles tighten all at once. I try to push away again, but a dizziness overwhelms my body. Anxiousness washes over me. I’m not okay. Something’s wrong. Something’s very wrong.
“Shh, sweetheart. It’ll be over in a minute. I’ve got you.” His words are a soothing balm, and paired with his dominance, I’m able to settle for a moment. It’s a much-needed reprieve. Devin rubs soothing circles on my back as he licks his mark. His touch calms me and his tongue soothes the burn. I manage to take one deep breath, and then another. The burning slowly wanes, starting at my neck and cooling in small waves down my body. The cold sweat that’s left makes me feel even more tired. I lie limp in his arms, knowing I’m safe. Knowing he can comfort me and heal my pain.
It’s only then my racing heart seems to steady and beat in tandem with his.
“Why?” I don’t have the strength for more words, but I know he won’t need any more. He’ll tell me what I need to know.
“The essence of my wolf is claiming you. It will scent you as my mate.” Devin gently pulls away from me to look into my eyes and I whimper from the loss of his calming touch. “Everyone will know you are mine. Only mine. Forever.”
With his hand around my throat, he lowers his lips to mine and kisses them lightly. Before he says the word, I feel it, I hear it even, just a moment before. “Mine.”
Exhausted, I lie in his arms, feeling the heat turn to warmth as my body slowly comes down from the high and adapts to the effects of his mark. My eyes close as he kisses my hair, murmuring words of love and devotion.
At the sound of a sob, my brow furrows and I pick up my head, immediately on alert. Lizzie? Brushing Devin aside, I whip around to my right to find her somewhere in the dark. “Lizzie?” I whisper as I try to creep from Devin’s lap. His stubble gently scratches the shell of my ear as he shakes his head.
“It’s not her, sweetheart.” His voice carries a hint of anguish. Oddly, I feel it. That worry, that knowing concern, in a way, is present deep in the pit of my soul. I glance up at him and then follow his gaze to the gap in the tree line where we entered the clearing. Off to the left I make out the tall form of Veronica. She’s alone and another sob rips through her as my eyes focus in the dark. She’s hunched on the ground and crying. I scan the area for Vince, but he’s nowhere to be found.
“He left her?” First disbelief, then anger runs through me, awakening my senses and energizing my limbs. How could he leave his mate crying? She must be in pain! The very thought she’s suffering from his bite, from that unbearable heat, has me nearly in tears. How could he leave her alone to suffer?
“It’s not what you think. She’s not in pain. She’s not human, so she won’t be feeling the same as you. She may not even feel anything at all.”
“How could she not feel anything? How could she not feel that?”
He chuckles and my instinct is to strike him for it. A member of our pack is broken down and alone. “She needs us.” He must hear the insistency of my comment because his grip tightens and his voice lowers to a serious timbre.
“They’re working through other things right now. It’s best to leave them be.”
My head shakes of its own accord. “She needs someone.” My whispered plea begs him to understand. Regardless of whether or not she felt the pain of Vince’s mark, she’s obviously hurting from something. “I want to go to her.” I’ve already started to stand as I make the statement, but Devin’s powerful arms constrict around my body.