Total pages in book: 203
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Jase turns my wolf, looks into my eyes and commands, “Bailey, shift!”
I land softly on the rug by his feet and he’s immediately moving between me and his sister, shielding me.
Panting, adrenalin still surging, I scramble for my clothes, hearing people coming in, feeling shaky and adrenalin-fueled, and also proud of my wolf, who burst through because I was cornered and under threat. Like she’s supposed to do. Like she’s becoming part of me. And I couldn’t control what she did, she certainly couldn’t have done much to protect me from an adult wolf in attack-mode, but she tried, fully believing she could save me. I feel even more connected with her than before.
And Jason saved me. He got here in the nick of time and I vividly feel his rage like it’s a monster expanding from my own skin.
“What the fuck?” Jase shouts at his trembling sister. “You attacked my mate?”
“What the fuck is going on?” Sherry demands, tears streaming down her face. “Tell me what’s happening!”
“She just woke up,” I say. “Taylor asked me to watch over her but said she didn’t need any medicine.”
Jase looks over his shoulder at me and the burning rage that glows in his eyes somehow goes from level ten to level five-hundred.
“What the fuck happened to Bailey’s face?” he demands, his hand collaring his sister’s throat.
I swipe my cheek and there’s blood.
Cat rushes in now, with my dad. I’m hiding my nudity behind the chair, getting dressed.
Jason’s sister’s face is red, verging on purple as he chokes her.
“Jason!” I shout. “Let go. You’re choking her to death.”
Jase responds with a guttural growl, not taking his angry gaze off her face, not releasing his grip on her windpipe.
“Jase?” my dad calls out. “Let’s talk this out, son.”
“She hurt Bailey,” Jase grits out, glaring at his sister. She’s in pure panic mode, eyes bulging, nails digging into his wrist.
Jase abruptly releases her and she’s gasping for breath.
Jase’s parents just pulled into the driveway. I see them getting out of their car through the dining room window. Thank goodness.
54
JASE
I’m still worse than riled when Bailey and I get home. Sherry fully intended to end my mate’s life, despite seeing my mark on her, smelling my scent on her, and knowing what that means to me.
I could smell my mate’s blood on her!
Bailey’s face has partially healed gouges the exact shape of an adult female shifter’s right front claws. I’m done with that cunt and all her bullshit and told her and my parents as much before I grabbed my mate’s hand and stormed out of there.
Taylor was pulling up as we were leaving, looking quizzically at us as I pulled Bailey down the street probably with a face full of rage. I said nothing since she had one of my nieces with her.
Bailey’s phone began ringing two or three minutes later and as we walked home, Bailey talked to Taylor on speaker.
“I’m so, so sorry you guys. Mom and Dad told me what happened and it’s my fault. I was all discombobulated when Lucy called and I fucked up and forgot to sedate her.”
I growled, wanting to rip something to shreds.
“I totally understand. We’re almost home and I’ll call you in a bit. That okay?” Bailey asked, winded, but my sister spewed more apologies.
“Can I call you later, Tay? We’re almost home and Jase needs a minute to calm down.”
“Okay. Jase heard me apologize?” Taylor asked.
“He did. He’s just… processing.”
“Got ‘cha. I’m sorry, Jase. I really am.”
“Later, Tay. Don’t feel bad, okay?” Bailey said. “I’ll call you later.”
***
I scowl as I shove our front door open.
When she closes the door, our eyes meet.
“Don’t feel bad?” I ask, incredulously.
“She didn’t do it on purpose,” Bailey reasons, tossing her handbag to the console table inside the door. “Um, for your information, I’m not an athletic girl,” she says.
“What?”
She’s holding her side.
“I don’t do cardio, Jason. I do cupcakes. And I just had to powerwalk for six blocks to keep up with you. I have a cramp!”
I blow out a frustrated exhale and flop onto the couch, rubbing my eyes, feeling beyond frustrated. “Sorry, baby. I’m so fucking pissed. At Sherry. Pissed at Taylor…”
“Don’t be mad at Taylor–” she starts to say, but my phone rings. It’s my dad.
I’m also pissed at myself for leaving my mate alone this morning. Because of what would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten there when I did. Because if I’d been home when Taylor called, I’d have been the one to sit with Sherry and this wouldn’t have happened.
Bailey goes upstairs while he tells me Sherry understands where things are at and prefers to be sedated, because if she’s being forced to carry Wyatt’s kid, she doesn’t want to be awake until it’s out of her. She claims the pregnancy is stopping her from thinking straight, which is a fucking excuse if I ever heard one. Pops says that furthermore, if that kid is being adopted by anyone in this pack, Sherry wants it known she’s not staying. She’ll move to our aunt’s pack in California. She wants us to make sure the kid is adopted by someone in another pack, preferably far away.