Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Deke had quickly learned that Bailey might be a handful, but she never let down either Havana or Aspen. If they needed something, she was on it. Say what you want about the mamba, but she had a steadfast loyalty to those she loved.
As the hours went on, she loosened up, her temper cooling. He’d noticed that hers tended to run quick and hot. She wasn’t one to stew for long.
By the time the party died down, she was back to her old self, though a little quieter than usual. Introspective, maybe. She was probably plotting something.
After wishing his father a happy birthday once again, Deke, along with Bailey, Aspen, Camden, and the Alphas, piled out of the Tavern with Isaiah and Farrell taking up the rear. As the cool evening breeze stroked over Deke’s heated skin, he tipped his face up to enjoy more of it, uncaring that it carried the scents of fuel and car exhaust.
As a group, they all stalked along the sidewalk. It was late, so the bus stop was empty, the cart vendors were gone, and the store security shutters were down. A few pedestrians roamed the sidewalks, and two hung near the stoplights. Other than that, the street was empty.
Light spilled out of the windows of the apartments above the stores, casting shadows on the sidewalk. Each of the premises were owned by the pride. There were many, including a coffeehouse, a bakery, a bookstore, and an antique shop. Most of the employees were pride members. Others were lone shifters or even humans.
Of a daytime, the street was often hectic. The stores received a lot of custom—not only from the pride, but from outsiders. So cars would be parked in every space, and the bus stop was often crowded.
In front of him, Bailey shuddered. “Damn, it’s chilly tonight.”
“It’s not that bad,” said Camden beside her. “As soon as fall hits, you’re always shivering.”
Bailey rubbed at her upper arms. “I’m a snake shifter. I don’t like to be cold.”
“Then it would have made sense for you to bring a jacket,” Deke chipped in.
Without altering her pace, Bailey glanced at him over her shoulder. “You butt into my conversations a lot. What do you get out of it?”
“Your annoyance,” he said.
“Gotcha.” She faced forward.
Deke ground his teeth. She said it with complete understanding. Like they were on the same wavelength when they absolutely were not. He didn’t get off on riling people unless they were Bailey—she was the single exception.
As they reached the corner of the street, the Alphas and guards headed to the nearby cul-de-sac where they lived. Deke and the others crossed to one of the two pride-owned apartment buildings. He’d been on high alert for any signs of Roman, but the walk was uneventful.
Inside the complex, the four of them trickled into the elevator. Deke and Camden pressed the buttons for their respective floors.
Deke stood apart from the others to avoid any incidental touches. It wasn’t enough to stop the touch-hunger from flaring up, though. Because the scents of the other three shifters bounced around the confined space, and one of those shifters was an unmated female.
His arousal ramped up. His nerve-endings sang. His flesh turned fever-hot. The skin around his rock-hard cock suddenly felt too tight.
Silently cursing to himself, he focused on the changing numbers on the digital screen. The elevator smoothed to a stop on Aspen and Camden’s floor. The couple said their goodnights and exited the elevator.
Then he and Bailey were alone.
She hummed low as the elevator once more began to ascend, adjusting the straps of her dress and bra. She began studying her reflection in the mirrored wall, baring her teeth to rub at one of them.
He felt a muscle in his cheek twitch. She often did stuff like that when no one else was around but them. Hummed or muttered to herself or demonstrated other types of behavior that people generally did when alone—dismissing his presence so easily.
He wasn’t going to react. He wasn’t going to say a word. Not even now, while touch-hunger clawed at him so hard that agitation was a drumbeat in his blood.
Finally, the elevator halted again. She strode out first, still humming. He followed, wondering why the universe had thought it would be amusing to stick them on the same floor.
As she was approaching her apartment, her neighbor’s door swung open. An elderly woman dressed in a long robe stepped out, her gray hair in rollers, and pinned an angry gaze on Bailey. “There you are. There was another damn snake in my apartment earlier. I opened the lid of my toilet and got the surprise of my life.”
“It just wanted to say hi, Vera,” Bailey told her, pulling her keys out of her purse.
“Say hi? It hissed at me.”
“No one likes being looked at when they’re using the toilet, jeez.”