Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Yes, so that has to show you how badly I want you.”
She closed her eyes as she sifted a hand through her hair. The guy was so unbelievably stubborn it drove her crazy.
“Look at me, Ally. Be honest, this isn’t about Cain. You’re hesitating because you don’t want a repeat of what happened with Zeke. I get it. But I’m not him. I would never turn on you like that.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” she conceded. He was too loyal for that. In such a situation, he would claim his mate, yes, but he wouldn’t treat Ally like she was a stranger. He would support and defend Ally if she needed it. “But I have no wish to lose someone else to their mate. To be put aside again.”
Derren laughed, but it had a bitter edge to it. “The likelihood of me recognizing my mate is practically nonexistent.” He’d once heard a mating bond be compared to a frequency. If it were jammed by such things as doubts, fears, or an imprinting bond, the shifters would be unable to pick it up. Derren was too damn messed up inside to be able to sense his mate.
Ally didn’t need to ask why he’d assume that. “You have issues with trust.” Not to mention that he was so preoccupied with serving Nick that he wasn’t fully living his own life. She didn’t bother asking why he felt so indebted to his Alpha. Derren shared only what he chose to share when he chose to share it, and she respected that, because she didn’t like confiding in others either.
“My point is there can’t be a repeat of what happened with Zeke,” said Derren, the latter word a growl.
Maybe, but what he didn’t realize was that it wasn’t just about how she’d lost Zeke to his mate. Ally had also lost her life the way it was. She’d suddenly found herself living alone, was more pitied than respected, and had eventually lost everything—including her status.
“Stop overthinking it, Ally. This doesn’t have to be complicated; we’re not talking permanence here. But we’re not talking some kind of empty fling either. I like you, I respect you.”
In other words, while this would be casual and temporary, it also wouldn’t be meaningless sex to him. That idea made Ally hesitate to rebuff him again. Emotionless flings weren’t something she was capable of; she wasn’t one of those people who could separate sex from feelings. If she hadn’t come to like Derren, she could never have slept with him. She could only agree to this if their temporary relationship wouldn’t be impersonal and cold.
Derren’s cell phone ringing cut off what he would have said next. He knew by the ringtone that it was Nick. Without losing eye contact with Ally, Derren dug his cell out of his jeans pocket. “Yeah?”
“Come to the main lodge.”
Hearing the urgency in his Alpha’s tone, Derren stiffened as his wolf shot to alertness. “Problem?”
“There could be.” Nick hung up.
“I have to go,” Derren told Ally, returning his phone to his pocket. He cupped her nape, pinning her gaze with his. “Understand this, Ally. There is very little I consider an obstacle when I want something. And when I want something as badly as I want you, I won’t let anything or anyone keep me from it. I marked you, and I don’t consider that a small thing. Do you? Is branding a guy something you do often?” he rumbled.
After a long moment, she confessed, “No.”
That was what he’d thought. “We both want this, Ally. Don’t we?” He needed her to admit it to both of them.
His eyes dared her to lie, but she didn’t. “Yes.”
Derren smiled. “Good girl.” He kissed her hard, pouring every bit of his hunger and resolve into it. When he finally pulled back, he brushed his thumb over the mark he’d left on her neck. “Don’t cover it up.”
Minutes later, Derren was striding into the living area of the main lodge, where most of the pack stood around. He frowned. “What’s going on?” he asked Nick.
“Fifteen minutes ago, a car pulled up outside the road leading to the main lodge,” replied his Alpha. “It didn’t cross into our territory, but it isn’t showing any signs of moving. Eli and Bracken took a closer look without approaching the vehicle. There’s one guy inside, and he’s not only covered in injuries but he’s unconscious.”
“He’s also in the passenger seat,” added Eli, “which means someone drove him there and then deserted him.”
“You’re certain he’s not dead?” Derren asked Eli.
It was Bracken who answered. “His chest is rising and falling. It’s a small movement, but it’s there.”
Shaya cuddled Willow close. “Knowing there’s a wounded guy so close who might need our help isn’t sitting well with me. I don’t like the idea of just leaving him there. But the whole thing seems . . . off to me.”