Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
“So, all of this is to make sure you cover your ass?”
“Nope, but I know I’ve got a lot to make up for, and if we do that without prying eyes, I think that will help us.” He stopped and pulled her in close. “Don’t you want that?”
“I don’t know what I want, Rocco.”
She pulled out of his arms and kept walking.
“You don’t know what you want?” he asked, and followed her, once again taking hold of her hand.
Rose was tempted to shrug him off, but then she stopped herself. There was no problem with holding hands. It was nice, she liked it.
She stopped and turned toward him. “I thought I did know what I wanted. To find my mate, settle down, maybe have a few kids.”
“And you don’t want that now?”
Staring at him now, she saw his frown and sighed. “I think I do, but—and this is not me being difficult—but your reaction to me has changed things a little.”
“I fucked up. I know this.”
“Yeah, you did, and in that fucking up, it has made me question everything I want. I’m sorry.”
They got to the entrance of the cages.
“We better go and tell him the good news.”
Arriving at the cages, Rose made her way down the small steps. Graham was sitting, reading a book, the small book light she’d given him glowing in the darkness.
“Hey,” she said.
He dropped the book.
“Hey, yourself.”
“So, I’ve got some good news.” She held up the keys. “You’re getting to come and live with me for awhile.”
“You’re springing me out of here?”
She chuckled.
“Not quite,” Rocco said, coming up behind her. “We’re getting you out of here. It’s going to be a day-by-day thing. You and me will be living with Rose, and we’re going to see how you get on, how you handle things. You can’t be with the pack yet. You pose too much of a risk.”
“Will it help if I tell you I’m feeling fine?” Graham asked.
“No,” Rose and Rocco said in unison.
“Look at the two of you, finishing each other’s sentences. That is so cute. Does anyone else know you’re mates yet?”
“No,” Rose said.
“They will soon,” Rocco said.
She wanted to dispute him, but instead slid the key into the lock. “Why don’t you gather everything up, and then we’ll head to my place?”
Chapter Nine
Three Days Later
Rocco stepped onto the back porch and the moment he smelled the coffee, he felt at ease. Graham was curled up on a chair, complete with a mug of coffee and a blanket. He’d been tense the last three days, living with Rose, aware of another man close to her. The only reason he’d been able to cope was the fact Graham had no scent, which was fucking weird.
He didn’t like the camouflage that had clearly been added to Graham’s DNA, or whatever kind of shit Milton messed with.
“Morning,” Graham said. “I made a whole potful.”
“I know.”
“You wanted to make sure I’d not done a runner?”
“It could happen.”
“True,” Graham said with a sigh. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’d thought about it. Just so you and Rose could figure out your shit. You know.”
“Why didn’t you try to run?”
“And go where? I ran into this place and I didn’t even know where I was going.” Graham laughed. “You guys are fucking real-life wolves, and I’m this experiment. You don’t have a clue what hope I have with the human world. Knowing my luck, they’d hunt me down, stuff me, or worse, throw me in a cage and experiment on me. None of those options are good. I’d rather take your kind of cage, thank you.”
“Rose’s place is not a cage.”
“I wasn’t talking about this place. I was talking about your actual cages. They were comfy, and I even got a hot woman to give me a care package.”
Rocco growled. “Be careful. You’re lucky you don’t stink, otherwise, you and I would have a problem.”
“Yeah, I am curious, though, I wonder if my farts stink.” Just then, Graham tensed up and then let one out.
“Are you for real right now?”
“Rose isn’t around, and it’s just you and me. I don’t smell, so I guess neither do my farts.” His face scrunched up and he seemed to go a little green. “That was a bad idea.”
Rocco couldn’t even believe he was entertained by this man. In the last few days, he’d come to the conclusion he wasn’t a bad guy, and because of that, he also found it incredibly sad because there was no way of helping him. One day, he was going to die.
“So, now that we know my farts do in fact stink, why don’t you tell me how you’re going to fix things with Rose?” Graham said.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t meddle in something that is not your business.”
“Seeing as I live with you, and I can see you stealing little glances at one another, I kind of think it is my business. Besides, last time I checked, you were still trying to make up for being an asshole. I’m a guy, I might be able to help.”