Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Johnny nodded. “You got it, Alpha.” He looked to me, gave me a reassuring smile, then cut out of the stable.
“Might take a little bit, but he’ll find out what she’s up to,” Rob assured me. “If someone in my pack is being threatened, even from a she-wolf, I want to know.”
I tipped my head. “Thank you.”
He eyed me. “Your job is still to get your human to fall for you. The alternatives aren’t all that great.”
Like Colton said, now who was the grumpy one?
18
JOY
It was after dark when I stepped beneath the hot spray with a long sigh. I would go over to Wes’ after I took a shower and felt more like myself.
I tipped my chin down, closed my eyes, and let the one splurge I made when I bought my house–the fancy shower head–beat hot water against my back in just the right way. I’d just come home from my mom’s house, and I was fighting the sensation of defeat.
I wasn’t the kind of person to say I’d had a shitty day, but…if I were, this was one. Definitely.
I groaned aloud, the sound bouncing off the avocado green tiles.
No, I should be grateful. I’d started the day with Wes’ head between my legs, and I’d probably end it that way, too. To say he was talented with his tongue was an understatement. Maybe I was insatiable. Maybe he was just that good, but I came fast. Record speed.
I had zero reasons to complain.
Things could be much worse. I could suffer from depression like my mom.
She’d been in a funk today, which was why I’d gone over. She hadn’t been able to get a new air conditioner which meant she wasn’t sleeping, which meant she couldn’t keep herself together. She’d considered telling Clyde yes to a date, but that made her anxious. What if he changed his mind and turned her down? All the usual girl thoughts circled her brain.
She’d called in sick to work today because she couldn’t get out of bed. When I saw her, she was in a very dark place. I never knew when it was bad enough that I should take her to a hospital or something.
She’d never tried to self-harm, so at least I didn’t have to worry about that.
Still, she was my mom, and I wanted her to be happy. It was hard to watch someone not even try.
To add to my gloominess, the insurance adjuster showed up to inspect the damage, and it sounded like it was going to be weeks before I even found out how much they would pay for the renovations. I could hire someone to do the work sooner, and I’d be reimbursed, but I couldn’t afford it.
I needed to follow up on my idea of picking up some shifts at Cody’s for extra cash. That meant all day in my studio and late nights slinging drinks.
I sighed again because I was tired just thinking about it.
Bright side. Think of the bright side. My business was going great, and the setbacks weren’t something a client saw. I made pottery. It broke. It could be so much worse. I was lucky enough to know Cody and have been a previous employee. It’d be easy for me to transition back. I was lucky to be able to get a fill-in job like that one in such a small town.
I was lucky.
Right?
I stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around myself, and then headed to my bedroom to find some clothes. It was still a disaster inside. The bed pushed up on end, mostly blocking my closet. I hadn’t even been in with a broom to clear the rubble because I wasn’t sure if the roof would collapse on me if I did. There was no light since the ceiling had collapsed and took the sconce with it, so I had to rely on the hallway one to try to see.
“Joy?” The sound of Wes’ deep voice calling from my back door didn’t startle me. It sent a surge of pleasure and comfort through me. Like Wes belonged in my house. In my life.
“I’m in the bedroom,” I called back.
“You’d better not be.”
I smiled at his bossy growl.
“Well, my clothes are in here. I can’t very well run around naked, can I?”
His heavy footsteps announced his approach. “It’s not safe.” In a matter of seconds, he was in the bedroom, picking me up by the waist, and swinging me around to put me back in the hallway. My towel dislodged and dropped in the doorway.
“Fuck, honey.” His eyes seemed to glow bright green as he glowered at me. His gaze dipped to my breasts, and he growled in a low animalistic rumble. “Definitely nothing wrong with naked,” he muttered, stooping to pick up my towel as he took a slow perusal of my body.