Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Justice stood from the long table where he sat with the Humboldt pack Alpha, his betas, and Justice’s brothers. After a long afternoon run, his belly was full of grilled meat and fresh-grown vegetables, his wolf happy and satisfied. They’d only been there one day after the long road trip and Justice and his pack were being treated very well. There were hundreds of packs spread across the country, but this was where Justice always felt the most welcome. The forest was lush and called to his wolf every second he was there. He kept looking to the west, far up into the mountains like there was something there. A force calling to him. The hills and mountains stretched on for miles and it was all regulated by the exceptionally large Humboldt pack.
“Thank you, Markus, for the welcome. My pack and I are here for a very important reason. Though these are serious times for all of us, we are looking forward to being here with you. We lo—” The wind shifted directions and Justice stopped in the middle of his words, his breath catching on his next syllable. A faint smell, the most enticing scent he’d ever encountered, drifted by him, and Justice fought to keep his face neutral and shield his responding arousal. It made no sense. Maybe there was a unique flower or something in these woods that he’d never smelled. Yeah, that must be it. He’d find out more when he ran. He absolutely had to find the source of that smell. Justice blinked when he felt his brother Alek nudge his elbow. The entire pack’s curious eyes were still on him. Justice cleared his throat. “Um, like I said. Thank you so much for having us. Young pups, we can’t wait to see what you’ve put together.”
There was a small lapse into silence and Justice pushed a little positive energy towards the pack to ease their worry over seeing their AZ having trouble. The members began to smile and turn their attention towards the entertainment. When Justice sat back down his brother Alek gave him a cautious look. Alek spoke through his link with Justice.
“Brother? What’s going on? You can shield your emotions from everyone else, but not me. You keep looking away like you’re distracted. I know something just affected you… I could feel it. But I can’t see what it was.”
“It was nothing. I’m fine, Alek.” Justice stared straight ahead. He and his brother were the closest of the five siblings. Not because they were only one year apart but because Alek was his best friend. Instead of turning towards Alek’s questioning look, he tried to concentrate on the young ones and the skit they were hilariously trying to get through, between their fits of laughter. It was a mocking skit of the Alpha and his betas. Before long, they were all enjoying the kids teasing the adults.
The evening wrapped up early, most of the families had returned to their homes spread about the pack’s vast land. After a short power meeting, Justice’s pack finally retired for the night too, leaving him in peace. Allowing him time to contemplate what the hell happened to him tonight. The restless feeling he’d been fighting since he stepped onto the Humboldt pack’s land was only getting more intense.
Justice showered, taking a long time to let the pulsating jets soothe his tense muscles. He ignored his dick that was still half erect and had been since that smell drifted to him. It had to be something in those woods and Justice was going to find it. He’d have to do it alone, though. He couldn’t tell his brother that something out there in the wild was making him inexplicably horny. He thought of requesting company tonight but his wolf quickly dissuaded him. Justice frowned. The dramatic way his body reacted to the amazing scent, coupled with the repugnant thought of touching another were feelings that came when mates found each other. And Justice was sure his true mate was not out there.
“Justice, wake up. There’s been another disturbance.” Justice sat straight up in his bed at the stern sound of Alek’s voice. He sounded pissed, which of course, meant that Justice would soon be pissed too. He picked up his cell off the nightstand, squinting at the illuminated hands. Damnit. It was only two in the morning. It felt like he’d just dozed off into a fitful sleep. Justice stood and stretched. He could hear his pack readying to move.
“Alek, what the hell is going on?” Justice asked while he threw on his jeans and a blue, sleeveless flannel shirt.
Alek growled. “I don’t know for sure. There was another fight tonight in the city between three shifters and seven vampires.”
“Shit. Seven vampires. Are the shifters hurt?”
“Yes. But… eyewitnesses say the wolves were the aggressors and they attacked the vampires when they came out of one of their clubs.”