Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“Anything.”
“Let me have your water bottle for a second?”
“My water? Oh, yeah, of course.” She handed it over.
I took it, popped the top, and promptly dumped the water on Orion’s crotch.
“Hey!” he bellowed, laughter drying up quick. “What the fuck!”
I walked off without another word, done with the whole damn day and it was only eight o’clock in the morning.
Going up to my room, I jumped in my bed and crashed. Everything I was failing at wouldn’t find me in sleep.
“DAZE? DAZE, WAKE UP.” Firm hands shook me. “Get that fine ass up already. Paxton’s waiting for you.”
“Waiting for me to kill you for waking me up?” I snapped from the bowels of the comforter. “Tell him I’m about to grant his fucking wish.”
Chuckles floated through the silk and cotton. “Such a sweet pussy on someone with such a foul mouth.”
My hand flashed out and swatted his thigh.
“Stop trying to get something going and get up already. I told you, Paxton’s waiting. You’re going to be late.”
“Late?” I stuck my head out from under the sheets. “But we gave up on that dating stuff a week ago.”
Edric shrugged. “I don’t know anything about that. All I know is he says he has a surprise for you. Something you’ve been waiting for.”
It was curiosity more than anything that got me out of bed.
I got up, raised my brows at the clock that I fell asleep for nine hours, then left my room. I veered for the staircase that led to the main hall, but Edric called me back.
“He’s waiting for you in your office.”
“Curiouser and curiouser.”
I went back the other way, and trekked down the back staircase leading into my office. Paxton got up when he saw me, a smile already stretching his lips.
A pang of guilt went through my heart at seeing that smile. How could he be happy to see me when I not only told him he didn’t do it for me, I also gave up on both of our lives.
I wanted to live. I really, really wanted to live, but unless Luame eased up and spared me, I didn’t see how that was possible. As awful a person as people believed I was, if these were Paxton’s last days, I couldn’t spend them leading him on. He should spend his time finding his own happiness, while I focused on my sole purpose in life—making Wolf Nation safe for Hope.
“There you are,” he said, coming and popping a kiss on my cheek. “You were almost late to your own forum.”
“The forum? Paxton, it’s canceled. You know it is. The projection equipment is delayed in shipping.”
He winked. “It’s not canceled.”
“Uhh... but it is,” I said slowly. “I called the alphas on my way back to my room this morning and called it off.”
“Yes, you did.” He sidestepped me, heading for the door. “And then I called them and told them it was back on.”
“What? Why would you do that?”
Paxton was still grinning like a kid on Christmas. He was so pleased with himself, you almost didn’t notice the dark bags under his eyes or the sallow sheen to his skin. “Because I told you I’d figure this out for you, and I did.” Stepping up next to the door, he bowed deeply. “I will accept payment in the form of sexual favors.”
I rolled my eyes. “May I know what I’m paying for first?”
“I told you”—Paxton swept out the door, beckoning someone in—“the forum is back on.”
I blinked to see that someone was actually someones.
Tracy, Corinne, Davis, and Melisent walked in, waving at me. All four of them were dressed in their best sheath dresses, button-up shirts, mid-heels, and makeup. In their hands, they all carried notepads.
“I’m going to need more information, Paxton.”
He laughed. “So, listen, as amazing as I thought last week was, we obviously can’t have a repeat.” Paxton blew past me, got behind the chaise, and pushed it across the carpet. He set it in front of my desk, gestured for Melisent and Tracy to sit, then moved over two armchairs for Corinne and Davis. “I did check the secret store for projection equipment, but that was above their paygrade.”
I really need to find out about this secret store.
“There’s no way we can hold another video chat with the clan leaders and the whole school. I didn’t know what to do until I remembered what you said, Daze, about huddling around your computer.” Paxton picked up my desktop and flipped it around, facing Corinne and the others. “So that’s what we’re going to do.”
“We are?”
“That’s right.”
“Last week was too big and loud, so this time we’re small and quiet. Last week was a free-for-all, everyone speaking over each other. So this time, we’re only doing groups of four—one alpha, one epsilon, one beta, and one omega.”
Corrine and Davis waved again. Corrine the alpha, and Davis the beta.