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)
Casey nodded. “Her mink has probably gotten angrier and angrier at how hard Emily tried to deny she existed.” Propping her elbow on his shoulder, she combed her fingers through his hair, smiling at the low growl of contentment that vibrated his chest. “I sometimes wonder if part of the reason Emily acts human and ignores her mink’s needs is that she’s irrationally angry with the animal for not surfacing. Whatever the case, she’s not ignoring her mink so much now.”
“Do you think Emily might come here at some point?”
“I doubt it. She loves Ira. It’s sad that she can’t see that it’s only a one-sided relationship with him. You don’t get emotional feedback from people like Ira. Maybe she just chooses not to see it. Whatever the case, it would break something in their relationship if she came here. He’d see it as a betrayal so, no, I don’t think she’d come to me.”
Eli rubbed her thigh, trying to pet the tension out of her. “Why would she literally hide from him? Is she afraid of him?”
“No, she’s afraid of his disapproval—always has been. Which is why I’m genuinely shocked that she left Theo.”
Toying with her wet hair, Eli kissed her temple. “I’m pissed that he came here, and I don’t trust that he won’t come back. The sooner you move into my lodge, the better. Today would work.” And no, he didn’t feel bad using this situation to try convincing her to move in with him before she’d originally planned. Not just because he wanted her living with him, but because her father wouldn’t be able to reach her there.
“When I finally do move in, will I find my photo albums? Because I’ve searched this place from top to bottom, and I can’t find them anywhere. I’m just wondering if, like many of my other possessions, they’ve mysteriously migrated to your lodge.”
Stifling a smile, Eli shrugged. “It’s possible. I can’t say for sure.”
Casey snickered. “It’s a good thing I love you, Eli Axton.”
“Yeah, it is.” Because he’d be a miserable bastard without her. Needed her like he needed air to breathe. Despite that their bond wasn’t yet complete, they were so closely bound that it almost felt like she was an extension of him at times.
He’d never felt part of anything the way he did this mating. Never knew it was possible to feel so connected and at ease with someone. He didn’t need to hold back with her. Didn’t need to guard parts of himself or ever worry that he’d be anything other than her number one priority, just as she’d always be his. Which was why it continued to baffle him that their bond hadn’t snapped into place yet.
“Speaking of your possessions, they should all be boxed up by now.” He glanced around, noticing that quite a few cardboard boxes had been packed and taped shut, but she had plenty more to do. “You said you’d move in with me after the games were over. The final is tomorrow.”
“I got started this morning. I don’t have a lot more stuff that I need to take with me. Your lodge is fully furnished, and I don’t have any real attachment to any of the furniture here. It’s not all mine anyway. Some of it was already in the apartment when I moved in. I’m sorry, but my focus can’t be on packing right now. It has to be on the game tomorrow.”
Unable to deny or grumble about that—at least not out loud—Eli asked, “You nervous about the game?”
“A little, yeah. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. The Seals are super good. We’ll need whatever edge we can get.”
“Sherryl will probably do her best to provoke you tomorrow,” he warned, nuzzling her hair, inhaling the scent of her coconut shampoo. “What better way to have you sent off the field than by goading you into a fight?”
“I’ll be ready for that. When I first heard Ira pounding on the door, I thought he was Sherryl. Like Adrian, I expected her to spend the past couple of weeks hassling me, but I haven’t heard a peep out of her. Neither has Adrian. Her team’s coach spoke with him and negotiated for the ban to be lifted for a single day to allow her to partake in the final game, but that’s all. Maybe the attack spooked her, though she’s not the kind of person to back down after something like that. It would only make her angrier.”
“I don’t think it was the attack that rattled her.” Eli tucked her hair behind her ear. “The last time you talked to her, when you threatened to kill her if she didn’t back off, you scared her. More, it shook her that you were able to scare her—she wasn’t expecting that.”
“Hmm, maybe.”