Total pages in book: 193
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
“Not at the moment, but she’ll hear us if we’re not careful. We’re downwind, so as long as we stay quiet, we should be fine.”
As if fate had other plans, Zeke’s radio crackles and then Khalil’s deep voice comes through with a boom. “Hello? Hello? Zeke. Zeke! If you’re getting this, pick up!”
Across the dried riverbed, Meera raises her head. Her warning growl is faint when it reaches my ears, but it still raises the hair on my nape all the same.
“Shit,” Zeke swears before crawling away to keep from giving away our position. I watch over my shoulder as he stands when he gets far enough and unclips the radio attached to the back of his jeans.
I’m reluctant to leave Meera’s den behind, but my worry for Khalil wins out when I remember that we left him alone this morning. I cast one last longing look at Meera, who’s standing now and staring in our direction but not seeing us. Her hackles are clearly raised, so the best thing I can do for Meera and her pups now is to leave them be.
The guys are right. Meera is an unusual wolf but a wild one all the same. She’s a predator who won’t hesitate to rip out my throat. I have to either trust that she can take care of herself or…
I gulp.
Let nature take its course.
Up ahead, Zeke presses the receiver button while Thorin and I catch up. “Khalil?”
“Goddamn,” Khalil immediately fusses. “Where the fuck y’all at? You were supposed to be back hours ago.”
“We went sightseeing, asshole. What do you want?”
The radio is quiet for a few seconds before Khalil finally answers in a more subdued and curious tone. “Is Aurelia okay?”
Zeke rolls his eyes and presses the receiver with a quick glance my way that at the last minute becomes searching as if he’s assuring himself of his answer. “She’s fine,” he offers curtly. He lets the receiver go and then he presses it again. “Thorin and I are fine too. Thanks for asking.”
“Look, I ain’t ask you about all that,” Khalil immediately retorts. “Let me talk to my baby.”
Zeke hands me the radio, and I reach out to take it. There’s a brief moment when our fingers graze, and it feels as if my entire body has been electrified by that small, accidental touch.
I don’t have to question if he felt it too.
Zeke snatches his hand back so quickly someone might think he’d actually been electrocuted. Cursing to himself, he avoids further eye contact as he stomps off. His mood swings are really starting to piss me off.
I press the receiver. “Hello?”
“Hey, Goldilocks. Where are you? Where did you go?”
“To find Meera’s new den.” I grin again. “Her pups are getting big.”
“What is it with you and this wolf? She’s a wild animal, Goldilocks.”
I huff. “So everyone keeps reminding me.” It’s not like I’m trying to domesticate her. Jeez.
“You’re on your way back now?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool. See you back at the cabin, Goldilocks. And hurry up. I miss you.”
Zeke looks back at me at the same time I feel my smile widen. “You wouldn’t have to miss me if you had come with us like I begged you to.”
“Fishing? Nah. That shit is boring.”
“Thank you!” I shoot Thorin, who’s walking a few feet away, a smug look. Hearing me, but not looking away from his constant scan for threats, he flips me off.
Khalil is saying something else on the radio, but I don’t hear a word of it because in my peripheral vision, Zeke has gone deathly still. He was leading the way home, but now he’s facing me and his green eyes are full of panic.
A moment later, there’s a low growl that comes from my left. Fear melts into my bones, and I wish that I could evaporate too. Better than being torn apart by whatever made that sound.
“Aurelia, don’t move,” Thorin warns.
“Really? Because I was leaning strongly toward running for my life.” Another low growl reaches me from another direction, and my voice trembles when I ask, “Wolves?”
Why is it always wolves? I swear they’re drawn to me like flies to shit.
“It’s not Meera.”
“Does that really matter?” I hiss. All around us twigs snap as the brush is disturbed by the padding of multiple sets of paws. Two more wolves finally come into view and… Fuck, they’re huge. Bigger than Meera. A shuddering breath escapes me. “What do we do?” I whisper-yell.
“Try not to look appetizing?” Zeke suggests like he’s bored.
“Oooh, I don’t like the way that one is looking at meeee,” I squeal as I point toward a black wolf. He snarls and snaps at me, and I flinch, yanking my hand back.
I’m vaguely aware of Khalil screaming my name over the radio.
“Aurelia, back toward me slowly, baby. Do not run.”
I don’t immediately do as Thorin orders because terror has me rooted to the spot. My gaze shifts to Zeke, who’s farthest away, wanting to see for myself that he’s still in one piece.