Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
She’d also used a tall shelving unit as a divider between the living space and small bedroom area. She didn’t have a lot of furniture, so the place didn’t look cluttered. Really, given that shifters didn’t do well in enclosed spaces, it was a wonder that the apartment didn’t drive her crazy, despite that it was warm and cozy.
Eli carefully settled her on the bed, shed the rest of his clothes, and then slid in beside her. She wasn’t small, but she was petite against his larger frame. He liked that, though he couldn’t really explain why. He just dug it.
Lying on his side facing her, he drank her in. She was truly beautiful with her bewitching eyes, extremely fuckable mouth, satin-soft skin, and delicious yet delicate curves. She also had a … presence. An energy that was gritty, earthy and commanded attention.
Nothing had ever enticed him the way she did. Everything about her incited his senses and drew him in. Her scent, her taste, the feel of her skin—all of it was perfect.
“I was starting to think I’d never find you.” He pressed a soft kiss to that plush mouth he had all kinds of plans for. “You were worth the wait.”
Casey felt her lips curl, feeling his sincerity through their bond. She could also sense how relaxed and at peace he felt, and that both warmed and reassured her.
She hadn’t realized how very alone she’d felt until the mating bond roared to life, connecting them. With her family, it had always felt like she was on the outside, watching a show unfold; she’d never felt a part of them. She had her soccer teammates and fellow enforcers, of course, but it wasn’t the same as having someone who was indispensable to you.
She’d only ever been truly close to her maternal grandparents, who’d taken her in when she was just fifteen. Both had long since passed on.
“So, is there a male in your life who’ll now need to be warned off?” he asked far too casually.
Goosebumps swept across her fresh. “No.” Dread suddenly filled her as she asked, “Were you dating anyone?” He simply shook his head. And the world was a fabulous place once again. “It feels wrong that I don’t know much about you other than your name.”
“I’m Head Enforcer for the Mercury Pack,” he said, gently removing her hair tie so he could unravel her sleek braid. “My brother, Nick, is Alpha male. My mother, Kathy, and my sister, Roni, are also part of the pack. There are eighteen of us in total. There’ll be nineteen once Ally has her baby. She’s the Beta female. Her mate, Derren, has been so extremely overprotective since she fell pregnant that he’s driving her crazy.”
“Wait, I’ve heard of your pack. It owns the Velvet Lounge, right? I went to the club once with my teammates. There was a woman singing there—she’s amazing. Her voice is all smoke and soul.”
“I think you mean Mila. She mated into the Phoenix Pack, which is closely allied to mine. She’s also a pallas cat, like my pack mate, Madisyn.”
“Those little felines might be cute as a button, but they’re plain crazy.”
His mouth kicked up into a smile. “I won’t deny that. Madisyn sure keeps Bracken—that’s her mate and one of my pack’s enforcers—on his toes.” Eli combed his fingers through the silky mass of Casey’s hair. He could just imagine bunching it in one hand as he took her from behind. “You said, ‘teammates.’ What do you mean by that?”
“I play for my pack’s female soccer team. Minks love soccer; it’s kind of our thing.”
“Yeah, I heard. The females were long ago banned from playing in the pros, though, because they tended to attack the referees or opposing team, right?”
“That’s right. So, now the female teams play against those from other mink packs. Each year, the six US teams compete against each other, all financially chipping in to cover the prize fund.”
“What position do you play?”
“I’m a forward. The teams take turns hosting the event. It’s our turn this year, so all the games will take place on my territory.”
“What’s the prize?”
“It’s often different each time—it can be anything from a team all-expenses-paid vacation to a year’s supply of luxury chocolate. All minks have a major sweet tooth, so the latter was a favorite of the past prizes. This year, the winning team will receive twenty-five grand, which will be distributed among the players. But it’s never really the promise of a prize that motivates us. The win itself means far more to minks than anything else—we’re highly competitive and hate to lose.”
“I can relate,” he said with a smile. “So, has your competition started yet?”
“It will soon. Whenever the games approach, our coach puts us through ten weeks of high-performance training, which basically involves an endless amount of soccer drills, sprints, and workouts so grueling that they make you want to die. We’re now on week nine. After training is over, the teams will draw straws to see who plays against who, and then they’ll eliminate each other over qualifying rounds. Those that come in first and second will then play in the final.”