Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22412 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Gasps echoed off the stone walls surrounding the courtyard, but Booker’s gaze stayed locked on my brother, steady and unflinching.
“He still didn’t shift. Not even when the attack turned real,” Tarek finished.
A hush fell so heavy it pressed against my skin.
Caelan stepped closer, studying Booker with that unreadable alpha stare that showed no hint of the big brother I grew up with. I held my breath, waiting for the verdict, my lynx clawing at my ribs.
Finally, he nodded once. “The trial is complete. Booker Redmond has more than proven himself.”
Murmurs of approval and reluctant respect swirled around me. Some of the older warriors even dipped their chins in rare acknowledgment for an outsider.
My chest swelled so full of relief and pride that it almost hurt. Booker turned toward me, and his wolf flashed in his eyes. The mating bond was pushing me hard, and I knew he had to be feeling the same.
The moment Caelan dismissed the chain and sent guards to sweep the perimeter, the courtyard began to empty in a swirl of tense whispers and hurried footsteps. Booker didn’t move at first, not until Kace and Keane each clapped him on the shoulder.
Kace grinned. “Told you he wouldn’t need our help.”
Keane snorted. “Never doubted him for a second.”
“Sure,” Kace muttered, shaking his head.
Keane’s lips twitched. “Fine. Maybe a little. But I’m glad we came.”
“Me too.” Kace’s gaze slid toward me. “It allowed us to be the first from his life to meet you.”
Heat prickled behind my eyes at how sweet that was. Booker had people who deeply cared about him, and they came all this way for me, too.
Kace winked at Booker before pulling my brother aside for a terse conversation about what needed to be done next, with Keane joining in. The moment they stepped a few paces away, Booker closed the remaining distance between us.
His gaze swept over my face like he was cataloging every flicker of emotion. Then he reached out and brushed his thumb beneath my chin. His touch was so gentle that I almost sobbed.
“You okay?” he murmured.
I gave him a jerky nod and shoved weakly at his chest. “I should be asking that. You’re the one who’s bleeding.”
A wolfish smile tugged at his lips. “It’s nothing.”
“It is not nothing. My heart almost stopped when the warriors returned, and you weren’t with them,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “You could’ve died.”
His expression softened, all the fierce lines melting into something unbearably tender. He cradled my face with both hands, his large palms warm against my skin. “It never would’ve come to that. I have too much to live for now that I found you.”
“You should’ve shifted,” I grumbled, hating that he’d been in danger because of my brother’s decision.
“I didn’t need to, kitten,” he reassured me, dropping his hands to interlace our fingers. “And I didn’t want to because I needed to meet that third trial. I had no way of knowing how your brother would react if I shifted, even with good reason. It wasn’t worth the risk.”
My lynx purred in my mind, pleased with his answer. But I wasn’t as happy with what that cut on his arm meant. “If it ever again comes down to your safety and some challenge Caelan has given you, you do whatever it takes to come back to me, whole and healthy.”
“You don’t need to worry, Alara.” His lips curved into a smile. “Now that I've jumped through the hoops your brother required, I’d burn down your borders before I let anyone decide you’re not mine.”
Butterflies swirled in my belly at the possessiveness in his voice. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his blue eyes as he slowly lowered his head, giving me every chance to step away. Which I didn’t even think of doing. Instead, I rose onto my toes, closing the last inch between us.
Our lips met in a kiss that started soft, barely a brush of our breath. But it was no less devastating. Almost like a promise we were making to each other without any words needing to be said. Then the mating bond surged through me so fast I gasped.
Booker took full advantage of the parting of my lips, his hands sliding to the back of my neck to pull me flush against him as the kiss deepened. It grew hungrier, and it felt like years of loneliness were burning away in the space of a single heartbeat.
Lost in the moment, I didn’t even realize I was clutching his shoulders until I felt the faint tremble there. We broke apart only when footsteps echoed across the stone. Caelan’s voice carried toward us a second later. “Alara.”
Booker’s thumb swept over my lower lip before he stepped back. My pulse thundered, and so did his.
Everything had changed. And absolutely nothing could push us back to where we’d been before that kiss.