Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 137004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“Bullshit. Get out there. You’ve avoided going the last few times, and don’t think I don’t know why. Your wolf needs this.”
“He needs you more.” It was true.
“There’s that mouth again,” she chuckled. “Get out of here. I’ll be waiting naked in bed for you. How does that sound?”
Rising from his seat, he went to squat in front of her. Taking the laptop from her and placing it on the sofa, he took her hands in his and massaged her palms with his thumbs. “Come with us.” He breathed her in, letting her delicious, captivating scent galvanize and arouse him.
“I can’t. You know that.”
“You don’t have to shift. You can still come with us. Taryn used to do it all the time before overcoming her latency.”
“I know, but the others hadn’t felt threatened by her. The pack might have accepted that my wolf is messed up, but that doesn’t mean their wolves will be so accepting.” He brushed his lips against hers, still as obsessed as ever with that carnal mouth. “Their wolves will sense your wolf’s temperament, yes, but they’ll also sense your control over your wolf.
If I thought they’d be tempted to challenge you, I’d never suggest it.”
“Trey won’t like it. He’s too overprotective with Taryn right now.”
“He and Taryn won’t be there. He took her to bed just after dinner. The pregnancy wipes her out.” Drawn by the marks on her neck, he leaned forward and licked at them. He grazed his teeth over a certain spot, thinking his claiming mark would look perfect right there. And he would claim her, would ensure that she irrevocably belonged to him. “Come. I want you with me. My wolf wants you with us.”
Touched by the sentiment, she swallowed hard. It had been a long time since she had been on a pack run, and it called to her on a primal level—a call she had ignored for a very long time. “Okay.” As they walked through the tunnels toward the main door, Dante smiled at how silent and fluid her movements were. After only two months of training, she was effortlessly stealthy, and he was so proud of her. The determination, persistence, and tenacity she had exhibited had shocked all the enforcers. It had earned their respect in a way that nothing else could have. In fact, Tao had actually admitted that he had been wrong about her—and he wasn’t a guy who would easily admit when he was wrong.
Midway through one of the tunnels, they came across Gabe. Jaime gave him a huge smile.
“Hey there. Aren’t you going on the pack run?”
He returned her smile. “No. Hope and I have plans. Look, um, I’d like to talk to you alone for a sec.” He flicked a brief glance at Dante, who Jaime suspected wasn’t pleased.
“Sure.” At the sound of the objecting growl behind her, she sighed. “He’s my brother, Dante.
I’m pretty sure he’s not about to make any sexual advances if you leave us alone.”
“It’s not anything bad,” Gabe assured Dante. “I just want to talk to Jaime about something before I mention it to anyone else.”
Dante didn’t like that there might be secrets between him and Jaime, but he knew that Gabe often went to her for reassurance or advice. They had a close sibling relationship, and that wasn’t something Dante would ever impose on. He kissed her temple and nodded. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
“Nothing’s wrong, is it?” she asked Gabe as soon as she knew that Dante was out of hearing distance. Although he’d assured Dante it was nothing bad, she wouldn’t have been surprised if her brother had simply told Dante what he thought he’d want to hear to make him leave.
“No, not at all. It’s good news.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense.”
He inhaled deeply. “Hope and I have begun imprinting on each other.” That had not been what she’d expected, though maybe it should have been, considering how much time they spent together. “Oh, wow. Gabe, that’s great.” His perceptive eyes narrowed slightly. “You don’t seem as though you really mean that.” Knowing he would sense if she was lying, she held her hands up in a placatory gesture. “Hey, look, I’m not going to ask you if you’re sure this is what you want. I know you well enough to know that you’d never forsake your true mate unless you loved Hope. I just…let’s just say that I know someone who was partially imprinted with someone who then met their true mate. What happened afterward wasn’t pretty. But if you care enough about Hope to risk that, then I’m happy for you.” His expression softened at her support and approval. This was what she had wanted for him when they came here. She had wanted him to be happy and settled here in case she had to leave. Gabe being mated was more than she could have hoped for, and it meant that he would never follow Jaime if she left.