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)
“I apologize for that. You’re right. But… what’s the mission?” Mom asks, concern etched into her features.
“I’m putting together a petition to present to the SCC where females can dispute a claiming by an alpha before it happens and I want it rushed and done before tomorrow afternoon so I can call in a favor to Dr. Blakely or to Lucinda Walsh. I’m hoping to get the Youngs to extend my three-day reprieve so he can’t claim me while the SCC reviews the law change request. If I get the ball rolling far enough along, that might be the best way forward.”
“Mitchell Blakely might be coming over. It’s being discussed because of what’s happening with Cicely’s mate,” Mom says.
“Will he be here today or tomorrow?” I ask.
“I don’t know,” Mom says.
“I’ll see what I can find out. Thanks, Mom.” I hug her. “Don’t worry about me. I’m worried about you too, you know. And Dad.”
“Dad and I will get through. I know how powerful a thing scent can be and your brother’s cousins are working on helping us get things back to normal. But speaking of scent, boy, you smell good, honey,” Mom says, leaning in. “Are you wearing a new perfume?”
Stacy stifles a laugh.
We both look at her as I say, “Just put on my usual stuff.”
Stacy shakes her head and waves her hand. “Don’t mind me.”
But she looks like she’s about to crack up laughing.
“What?” I ask, because there’s something she’s not saying.
Stacy’s eyes bounce between me and Mom and she’s blushing.
Mom and I are both waiting.
“Um…” Stacy’s face is getting redder by the second.
I demand, “Spill!”
“This isn’t exactly a conversation to have around my new mother-in-law…”
Mom waves. “Bah! You can say anything in front of me, believe me.”
I nod. “A hundred per cent. Mom is equal parts bestie and mom.”
Stacy leans in just a little. “You smell like Jase has marked you.”
“Oh?” Mom inquires.
Marked me?
“I think that’s why your dad left the table,” Stacy whispers. “Why Grey pulled Jase outside.”
“Huh?” I ask, but suddenly, it dawns.
“Marked me?” I check. “Like…”
“I’m guessing she means you smell like alpha cum, sweetie,” Mom says softly, patting my arm. “Something wrong with your nose?”
I jerk back. I have a damn good nose, and I know there’s something extra-Jase about my scent right now. I figured it was sleeping in his bed, his shirt…
Mom unnecessarily explains things I already know, “If you’d mated, the whole area would smell just like that scent. It would be a highly concentrated aroma covering a wide distance. I wouldn’t know what it is, but I’d smell it and ask and your dad or your brother or even you would’ve told me who it belonged to. But since you haven’t mated and Stacy smells it, I’d say she’s right about Dad’s reaction as well as your brother’s. Some males spray a scent around their mate to ward off other males, but they can only do that after mating. Since you haven’t mated, I’d say Stacy’s assumption is likely the right one.”
I clench my fists, blood pressure levels soaring. What’s wrong with my nose? It’s muddled by Jason Creed, I suspect. Wait. He didn’t!
“That’s… grr.”
“Calm down,” Mom requests.
“Nope! Later Mom. Meet me in the car, Stacy,” I mutter as I spin away and storm outside, finding my brother and Jase looking like they’re having words.
Grey speaks louder, eyes on me. “I’m goin’ home. You’ll bring Stacy home when you’re done at the Creeds’?”
Without waiting for me to reply, Grey walks to his car, gets in and drives off. He’s obviously pissed off. He didn’t even say goodbye to Mom and Dad. Or Stacy.
“What did you do?” I demand.
Jase eyes me from head to toe and back to head again with a dimpled smile. A big one.
“Stacy says it smells like you marked me. Did you… did you shift to wolf and spray your scent on me? You couldn’t, right? Because that’s putting a cart before a horse?”
He doesn’t answer me. But he looks supremely pleased with himself.
“That’s not only gross, it’s violating. It’s… it’s… vile!”
“I did not shift and mark you while you were sleeping, Bay. Though it’s not a terrible idea, I can’t do the wolf protection circle around my mate until you’re officially my mate.”
“I’m aware. Then what did you do? You’re conjuring up visuals for them and me that nobody needs.”
“And you should be at our house, eating the breakfast I cooked you. But you’re here, after sneaking out so the way you smell right now is more on you than on me.”
“What does that even mean? And… I didn’t sneak. I just walked straight out. Because as far as I’m concerned, there was no reason for me to continue to be in your house. They’re saying it didn’t rain. Did I imagine that?”
“Nope. Maybe Fate rained on just us so we’d go to my house and you’d see that’s where you’re supposed to be. Maybe you smell like me because that’s what you’re supposed to smell like.”