Total pages in book: 254
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 240032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1200(@200wpm)___ 960(@250wpm)___ 800(@300wpm)
“Is that why you’re the size you are?” I interrupted.
“Yes and no,” he answered cryptically. He moved on real quick. “I think that whoever it is doing this can communicate with more than just you because you’re here. Maybe it’s projecting into you… whatever gift it is that he’s known for.”
I gasped, already figuring out what he was implying: dreams. But, more than I wanted to know about someone I hadn’t given a crap about in decades, I wanted him to keep talking, so I snapped my mouth shut even though I was positive I was at least a tiny bit bug-eyed. What he was saying made sense.
Too much sense really.
He noticed. “I don’t know, Cricket. I might be wrong about it all. The gnomes might be too, but at the same time, why not? Why now? They sensed you. The elders might not want to face it, but they didn’t come back here for no reason.” Henri looked me dead in the eye. “They made that comment to you. Maybe they want to reproduce. They brought up your biological mother too.”
“I did wonder about that….” I trailed off.
“Why not?” He repeated it like this wasn’t an unreal conversation that included old, magical beings and gnomes who wanted to have kids.
And now, I was even more confused.
My shoulders slumped at how much I knew, how much I could guess, and how much could be a sheer matter of luck and coincidence.
“When you were small, everyone called you ‘Honey Bun’ because you smelled so sweet,” Henri told me quietly, surprising me with bringing it up out of nowhere. “Now….”
“Now I’m like cilantro. Some people love it, some people hate it.” From the way his eyes lit up, I was pretty sure he hadn’t expected that. Part of me wanted to joke and ask if he liked cilantro… but my mind went blank when our eyes met. I bit the inside of my cheek as some invisible force landed smack in the middle of my chest.
I could’ve sworn my ears started ringing, but that couldn’t have been true because his voice was clear a moment later.
“Part of me still can’t believe that you and Matti didn’t end up together,” he admitted.
The comment wasn’t exactly a bucket of ice water, more like tepid water, and it made me snicker.
“When he told me he was mating Sienna, I tried to talk him out of it,” he said.
My whole body jerked. “No! You didn’t!”
“I did. You two were always drawn together, and he’d mention that you were still friends….” Henri was watching me closely.
I shook my head. “I think my parents thought the same thing for a while, but there was never a chance. To me, he always felt like my twin in another body.” I shrugged. “Sienna is my right hand, and Matti is my left. I love them. They love me. All three of us have worked hard to stay close.”
“I didn’t understand until I saw the three of you together now, in the present.” His voice went a little funny. “You don’t love him other than as a friend.”
“No. I’d give him a kidney if he needed it or find a way to get him one. I know he’s not ugly, and I’ll be the second person to argue with someone if they said he was, but it’s not like that.” I smiled at him, taking in the rough structure of his masculine face. He was so handsome to me. And the way he smelled, the way he felt….
The tiniest little growl built up in his throat a moment before his features twisted into something between a scowl and a frown. A scrown. A frowl.
Crap. There was no hiding anything from him. Not when we were this close. Not when what I felt was so strong.
So I did what I had to do, and that was own what my body had just done to betray me. “I’m sorry, you’re attractive, but it doesn’t mean anything.” My voice went a little high, and I had to fight the urge to nervous laugh. “I know we’re only friends. You’re just… you’re gorgeous, and you’re nice, but I’m sure everyone thinks that about you, so… please ignore it and take it as a compliment, all right, Fluff?”
Henri Blackrock, law enforcement officer, werewolf, protector of this land, leaned back. It wasn’t much, but he definitely tilted his upper body away from me. But before I could get offended or worry I’d screwed up by being so honest, he blinked. Then he let out a huff through his nose that counted as a laugh.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes.
“You,” was all he said.
“I’m just trying to ease the tension,” I told him warily. “No need to make it weird.”
There was that frowl again. “I’m making it weird?”
Did he sound offended? “You laughed. Your tone just now. All you needed to do was say ‘okay’ or ‘that works for me,’ and we’d both move on and pretend you didn’t just smell me thinking that you’re a good-looking person when I’m sitting on your thigh and we both have less clothes on that usual.” I raised my eyebrows. “Be uglier. There. Problem solved.”