Total pages in book: 202
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
Jase steps inside and looks right at me. Surprise registers on his face, but I know he knows with one look what’s going on here.
“She’s mine!” I clip. “She’s coming home with me.”
“She’s dangerous,” Joel warns.
I lean in and I’m growling in Joel’s face.
Her small hand starts to quake in my grip.
“Whoa. Let’s calm down,” Linc tries to diffuse the situation.
“Let’s get the fuck out of my way,” I offer an alternative.
“Grey. Buddy…” Jase tries. “Be reasonable. She tried to murder Ty. She’s obviously the one who poisoned the other guys. She’s–” He gestures to her.
“Mine is what she is. I already told these guys. Either I take her home with me or I stay here in that cell with her tonight and claim her there.”
I don’t want their eyes on her. I don’t want her scent in their nostrils. Yeah, these are my pack brothers, like real brothers to me. But this woman is my mate, and nobody belongs near her now. I need to claim her. Mark her. Take her home. Cover her with my scent. Fill her with it. Away from all other males.
“Claim me?” she whispers, sounding horrified.
My eyes dart to her face. She’s absolutely terrified.
And now her eyes widen. “Your eyes are glowing. They’re like… like… molten mercury,” she whispers.
I lean in and inhale her skin at her throat. “Time to get you alone so I can light you up, too, Blossom.”
She gulps down a swallow as her eyes widen further.
I turn to the guys. “This is not negotiable. Either I take her home or you lock us in. But if you do that and make me claim my mate on that cold, dirty floor downstairs for the first time, I won’t forget it.”
“Greyson,” Linc touches my arm. “What if she–”
I lean forward and snarl, “Take a vote! Decide. Because I need to claim my mate. Now.”
“Holy cow,” she whispers. “I think you’re confused.”
“I’m not,” I vow.
“Maybe because my scent was disguised. I… I dabbled with some potions and–”
“You’re mine,” I state. “Every cell in my body knows it.”
“Maybe you’re confused,” she whispers again, eyes bouncing to the other guys and then hitting the floor.
Absolutely not.
“Wh-what do I smell like to you guys?” she asks timidly, eyes pointed at her feet.
“You smell like you’re Grey’s,” Linc answers firmly while pointing his eyes at me. “Smell the gunpowder stronger outside now. There’s a mild trail. Want me to hit it, brother? Find the gun?”
“Yeah,” I say, grateful for the way he answered her. If I’d seen any of their noses twitch I might have lost it.
“I’ll report back,” Linc says.
“I’ll reach out when I’m ready. I’ll be busy. Unless you all insist I’m staying in that cell. Am I stayin’ or goin’?” I demand.
None of them look like they want to stop me from leaving.
Good. I really don’t want the first time I claim my woman to be in that cell. Though if it were the only option, I’d have no choice but to take it.
They move out of my way, and I scoop my trembling, barefoot mate into my arms and walk past them.
3
Stacy
I’m in panic mode as he leads me deeper into their village.
“Five minutes, Blossom,” he says, walking at such a brisk pace that I know I’d never be able to keep up if I were on foot.
I’d have to jog, which wouldn’t be easy since my shoes are in the woods. My shoes, my bag, the gun. The alpha with the beard is gone to find all of it.
I buried it and put that catnip on it, but I did it just quickly and it got really windy right afterwards, so maybe he will find it.
So strange to be surrounded by that many alphas at once. Strange and terrifying. The masculine energy that each of them exudes… it’s almost as if it’s otherworldly. I’m not used to the overwhelming volume of such potent male aromas coming at me all at once.
Inwardly, I’m panicking, but outwardly it’s quiet. Peaceful, even. Scents continue to flood my senses as we move past beautiful, tidy homes on both sides of the street. And I feel so strange. Afraid. Curious. All at once.
We stepped out of an extension on a barn but from what little I took in, it didn’t look much like a barn inside. There was a room attached, filled with bookshelves and comfortable-looking chairs. And looking around outside, I can say this is nothing whatsoever like our village. I see the store I knew was here. There’s a gas pump. Surrounding it are beautiful homes that shout pride in ownership. There’s also the absence of noxious odors from junk. We move past people and a couple of cars. It’s night, and I don’t even know what time it is; it’s been the longest day of my life. Multiple people see us and greet us with waves or smiles, with what looks like excitement.