Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
The way their Thanksgiving had worked, the pack joined in stages. While she and Shadow were around the table, Pam had stayed, as had Adele. It had been wonderful.
Adele had also joined them Halloween night, and they stayed up all night watching horror movies. Shadow, as per their request, had to keep checking that the dead hadn’t risen. He would leave the house, circle it, and come back in. He never looked cold to her, but he certainly made her mouth water as he stripped out of his jacket. Every little thing he did made her ache for him.
“Shadow had a whole bunch of decorations in the basement. He’s not decorated in a couple of years. Not since his parents’ passing. His mom used to love Christmas, and every year she’d create something, and you know, it always sounded pretty good.”
Lisa had told him that if it was too painful to get the old decorations out, then she was quite happy to wait and not decorate. She did have a few of her own decorations, but in his much larger house, they would look silly.
He’d not minded, and they had a lot of fun putting up the tree. Several of the pack had come to help when they saw the two of them lighting the outside of his home. She couldn’t climb any ladders or do much in the way of heavy lifting, but she went inside, made lots of hot chocolate, and served it with her mint-chocolate brownies. They were a hit, and the moment the pack heard they were on offer, it didn’t take long for it to become a party.
“Man, you have hit the jackpot,” Adele said.
“What is your story?” Lisa asked.
Adele turned toward her.
“You know, to be in No Wolves Road. Why you don’t spend a lot of time around anyone?”
“There’s not much of a story to tell,” Adele said.
“But there is one?”
Adele sighed. “It’s … not that important.”
“When you’re comfortable, you can tell me.” Lisa offered the other woman a smile. She put a hand on her stomach as the baby began to move. She didn’t know when her baby was supposed to start moving, but according to a lot of the previous pregnant mothers, a wolf pregnancy was different than a human one.
Shadow had also gone to see Beau and Eloise Alpha to ask for their advice. She also believed he was worried the baby might kill her. They hadn’t talked about it. She knew Eloise was very much alive, and her pregnancy hadn’t been too problematic.
It was going to be an interesting pregnancy. She had spoken with Eloise on the phone. The hormones were going to be all over the place, which she already knew. The baby was going to move like crazy, then there were the cravings. Lisa already had all of them. She couldn’t go an hour without having some kind of food. This was another little bonus. She could eat what she liked because the energy she needed to have a wolf baby wasn’t going to stay too long on her body. This was all good news.
The birthing was difficult. Eloise had told her the worst part was Beau couldn’t stand to see her in any pain, and those that helped tended to be threatened, as he did quite literally get his claws out and threaten.
Lisa wasn’t ready for the gory details of childbirth. That would come soon enough.
“It’s not that big of a deal. Well, it is, but it isn’t. My mom dated a couple of wolves. It was a long time ago. She liked having them flirt with her and chase after her. She loved Alphas.”
“I’ve never met your mother,” Lisa said.
“She’s not around anymore. Anyway, a couple of the Alphas took an interest in my mom, and when she denied one of them, it got ugly. He began to stalk her, and seeing as she couldn’t exactly go to the police, it ended badly. Her body was found about ten minutes from home, clawed to death.”
“Wow, I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, I think the crazy part is they had a guy turn himself in. A complete human. I remember the cop telling me he was a nutjob because he kept saying she was a dirty human for sleeping with animals.”
“No kidding,” Lisa said.
“Anyway, before she died, she had kind of hated the world, and she intended to come to this place—to No Wolves Road—and told me it would be where we would start afresh. She said this place was different, and it is.” Adele smiled. “I don’t get involved with anyone because it’s a lot easier.”
Lisa rounded the counter and went to her friend. “You know, not all men are like that.”
“I know. I’m just not ready to find someone to settle down with. I’m happy, you know, just by enjoying life and not freaking out every single time there is a bang.”