Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“Tomorrow? He doesn’t hang about, does he?”
“I think it’s a good thing. Why spend days twiddling our thumbs when we could just get the meet out of the way and find out for sure if we’re compatible? It’s best to find out as soon as possible. I don’t exactly have the luxury of taking things slowly anyway for obvious reasons.”
Harlan sat back in his chair. “If this is truly what you want, if this is a path you’re certain is right for you, then I will support you. Arrange the meet for ten tomorrow morning.”
Feeling the stiffness in her muscles leach away, Quinley let out a long, relieved breath. “I will.”
“Am I right in assuming you’d prefer to keep working at the salon with your sisters?”
“Yes. Would that be an issue?”
“Not for me.”
Quinley nodded, grateful. “Then that’s what I’ll do.” She rose to her feet.
“Who else in the pride knows about this?”
“Only my sisters and their mates.”
“You might want to keep it that way. At least until papers have been signed.”
Understanding what he was getting at, she nodded. “That’s the plan.” Because Nazra’s friends would otherwise hear of it, they’d pass it on to the soon-to-be-Alpha female, and Quinley didn’t trust that the bitch wouldn’t try to sabotage everything.
“Good.” His gaze dropped to the papers on his desk.
Quinley nodded at Astor and then walked out of the office. It didn’t surprise her that her older sisters waited there. Both petite blue-eyed brunettes looked so alike they could probably have passed for twins if there wasn’t a seven-year age difference between them.
As their parents had died when Quinley was just five, Adaline—being not only the eldest but thirteen years her senior—had been her main mother figure growing up. All three of them were very close.
“How did it go?” Adaline asked without preamble.
Raya cast a brief frown at the office door. “I didn’t expect you to be in there that long.”
“Surprisingly, he didn’t immediately agree because he wanted ‘better’ for me,” Quinley explained. “Turns out he does feel just a little bad about how he put the pride before my right to be with my mate, though he doesn’t regret it.”
“Huh,” said Raya. “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Me neither. He tried talking me out of it, but then eventually he agreed to support me. He warmed up to the idea once I told him that Isaiah’s from the Olympus Pride.”
The corners of Adaline’s mouth tightened. “Typical.”
Indeed. “I can’t see him getting any kind of alliance out of this, which I warned him of. I don’t think he’ll try to screw me over if that turns out to be the case, but we’ll see.” He’d said he wouldn’t, but Harlan had been careful not to give her his word on this.
“He’s screwed you over before,” muttered Adaline.
That he had. “Come on, let’s get gone.”
Together, they made their way through the Alpha’s grand lodge toward the exit. They rarely ever came here. The unranked weren’t invited to all pride events, they didn’t eat meals in the large hall here at the lodge, and they didn’t associate with the majority of the ranked. It was how most black-foot prides operated.
Stepping out of the lodge into the winter air, Quinley shivered and huddled further into her jacket. It was so cold her breath misted the air in little puffs. While December was one of her favorite months of the year, she often missed the summer warmth.
She halted to avoid bumping into two males who tromped right into her path carrying a wide and very tall arch of artificial flowers. Her cat narrowed her eyes at the female trailing after them holding a clipboard. Fila, Nazra’s bestie.
Harlan had kept to his word, keeping Nazra and her friends in line. There’d been no challenges. No attacks. No harassment. But, thanks to Fila here, there’d been bullshit rumors. And with those had come insults, snickering, and a loss of not only respect but friendships.
Attacks weren’t always physical.
Luckily, that crap hadn’t come from every corner. A fair number of people—most of whom were unranked—had believed Quinley’s version of events and had taken her side. But not vocally. They hadn’t dared speak up in her defense, for which she couldn’t blame them. Still, it hadn’t felt good.
Unsurprisingly, Fila was playing a huge part in setting up all the decorations to celebrate Nazra and Zaire’s return and ascension. Quinley sure hoped she was gone before the celebrations began, because attendance was compulsory—she absolutely could not be a part of them.
Fila cast her an ugly look. “What are you doing around these parts? If you’re hoping to help out, the answer is no. I can’t trust that you wouldn’t try to wreck the decorations.”
Quinley shot her a bland smile. “It’s uncanny how well you read me.” She glanced at Raya. “Don’t you just love her?”