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)
Raya grunted. “No.”
Adaline guided Quinley away from Fila. “That woman is a trial.”
Amen. “I really won’t miss her.”
Raya gently bumped her shoulder against Quinley’s. “You’ll miss me, though, right?”
“Probably.”
Adaline snickered. “I’m still bummed that you’re going to leave. Raya and I talked about moving with you. Our mates would—”
“Don’t,” Quinley advised. “I appreciate it. I do. But there’s a chance that imprinting won’t occur. If it doesn’t, I may have to leave. There’s no point in any of you uprooting when I might not stay in the pride.”
“I know, but you’re my baby sister—it’s my job to look out for you.”
Raya frowned at Adaline. “How come you don’t look out for me anymore?”
“That’s a full-time job that I don’t have time for these days,” said Adaline. “I love you to the depths of my soul, but I’ve never been more relieved by anything than when Lori claimed you—you’re her problem now.”
Raya huffed. “That’s very nice.” She looked at Quinley. “It’ll be hard not having you live close by anymore.”
It would. Mostly because they’d emotionally banded together so tightly after their parents died. It had even been difficult for them to live apart at first.
“You’ll still see me almost every day,” Quinley reminded them. “I’m not going to quit my job at the salon. Harlan said I could keep working there if I wanted to.” She’d worked there since she was sixteen, and she loved it.
Blue Harbor Beauty Salon was owned by the pride and exclusive to shifters. A simple spell that Adaline had purchased from a witch was enough to repel any humans who might otherwise enter the salon. Black-foots hadn’t stepped out of the closet yet, so humans were oblivious to their existence.
Blue Harbor provided several services—hair, nails, makeup, spa treatments, massages, and even pampering for their inner animals.
Shifters found the place relaxing because it accommodated their enhanced senses. The products weren’t too strongly scented, the music was never too loud, and the lighting wasn’t too bright. Also, no one had to keep up the pretense of being human since there were none around. They were free to be themselves.
“That is good news,” said Adaline. “I figured he would.”
Raya nudged Quinley. “What about Isaiah, though? You don’t think he’ll want you to give up your job, do you? I mean, he might not like the idea of you working for another pride.”
Quinley frowned. “I stupidly didn’t consider that.” She inwardly cursed. “I’ll make it clear in advance that it’s important to me that I keep working at the salon with you two. If he won’t accept that, I don’t want him. I’m not interested in being with someone who won’t care what’s important to me.”
Raya gave a pleased nod. “So, when’s the meet?”
“Tomorrow morning, providing Isaiah’s good with it.” With that in mind, Quinley fished her cell out of her pocket and used the FindYourMatch.com phone app to message Isaiah: Hi. My Alpha says we could do the meet tomorrow morning at ten. Would that work for you?
It wasn’t long before his reply popped up: 10am tomorrow is fine.
Nosing over Quinley’s shoulder, Raya mocked, “Very verbose, isn’t he?”
“He’s to the point, which I like.” And he was not at all hard to look at. Very masculine with his rugged appearance.
His eyes were an unusual smoky grey that pulled you right in. Intriguing tattoos skated up his neck, ending below a strong jawline that was shadowed with dark scruff. The strands at the top of his black close-cropped hair stuck up slightly in a just-rolled-out-of-bed look.
His profile had only showed his face, throat, and shoulders. But she’d been able to tell he was broad, and she’d seen from his profile details that he was also tall.
Having him in her bed would certainly be no chore.
“I wouldn’t have thought he’d contact me,” said Quinley, pocketing her phone.
“Because you’re unranked?” Adaline waved a hand. “That doesn’t mean much to most shifter breeds.”
True. It was easy to forget that, what with how obsessed black-foots were about it.
“If all goes well and you both decide to move forward,” began Adaline, “do you think there’s any chance this will all be done and dusted before Zaire and Nazra are appointed as Alphas?”
Quinley worried her bottom lip. “Isaiah made it clear he wants to move fast, so maybe. At the very least, there’s a chance the papers will be signed, which is what’s most important. There’d be no way Nazra could try to cancel the contract without offending the Olympus cats. Who’ll want to do that?”
“Hopefully not her,” replied Adaline. “She’ll want rid of you eventually, but not for a while. She didn’t get to torment you all these years because Harlan kept her in line. Once she’s Alpha, she won’t answer to him anymore. And she would just love you to have to owe her your submission and loyalty. That would be hell for you, and she knows it.”