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)
“We would like to hear your side of the story before we discuss the situation,” Cyclops ended.
Franklin’s glare toward the other elders went chilly. Even his tone had frost hanging off the syllables when he said, “There’s no need for threats, Yiannis.”
Was he defending me?
The cyclops looked insulted. “I am not threatening anyone.”
The man, who I thought might be my new champion, scoffed. “Do you not hear yourself? To make the situation worse, you won’t tell us who approached you with this rumor. If you can demand to speak to Nina about it, I can demand to speak to the gossip.”
“I don’t see why that information is necessary,” the cyclops argued.
Not knowing what to do, I held up my hand like I was back in elementary school, and that was enough to get all three of the elders’ attentions. “I don’t need to know who tried ratting me out, but I don’t think I did anything wrong,” I rushed out. “I’ll tell you what happened. I don’t want to pack our bags.”
“Why would you need to pack your bags?”
A body that could only belong to one man came up beside me, and I almost did a double take at the uniform that had to have been poured over Henri. Black pants and a polo shirt had never looked better on anyone in history. I think I had a new favorite outfit over football uniforms.
Then I remembered how his mouth had felt touching mine, and I smiled at him, but tried to keep it within reason.
“Did you hear everything, or do you want me to tell you what happened?” You never knew with him.
His eyelids dropped low over his light-colored eyes as his arm brushed mine. “I meant it more along the lines that you didn’t do anything worth packing your bags over.” His eyes slid across the elders at the island, his expression melting into his flat one. His tone was thick. “Who was it?”
There was an odd moment of silence.
“Hello, Henri, I don’t see how that’s relevant,” the cyclops answered with a sniff.
The increasingly familiar feel of Henri’s palm skimmed up my spine to land just short of my nape. “It is when they left out one important fact in their story. If they could sense the ‘other’ being and could recognize Nina in the same place, then there’s no way they wouldn’t have been able to tell I was with her the entire time.”
The cyclops didn’t look so comfortable all of a sudden. “You were together?”
“Who do you think invited her to come along? I got the call, and you can contact the greenskeeper who was on duty, because I can’t remember which one I spoke to, to confirm. Nina rode over there with me and helped me take care of the issue,” he explained in a low, steady voice. “It was an unauthorized visit, we dealt with it, and the visitors left. If there’s a problem with that, then there’s a problem with my decision-making it sounds like.”
Franklin shifted in his seat, still irritated with the cyclops, but more interested in what Henri had finished admitting. “Who were the visitors?”
“Two bogeymen,” Henri answered.
“Bogeymen? Here? Why?” the woman elder squawked, alarmed.
Amber irises found mine, and I shrugged. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t warned them about already, and maybe they would back up on the threats if someone put in a good word for me. I didn’t like whoever this snitch was, but….
“Rumors have made their way out of the ranch, which is something we need to address with everyone, because that information shouldn’t be shared with outsiders, and that is part of our guidelines.” He sounded so saucy, I almost called him my hero in front of everyone. “The trespassers came looking for a blessing from our fertility g—”
I whipped my head up and started shaking it. “I’m not… that’s an exaggeration.”
Franklin very clearly shifted in his seat.
Henri pretended I didn’t say anything. “They met Nina with my one-time blessing, under my supervision, and left a minute after they were done. Nothing inappropriate happened, and I don’t appreciate rumors.” The hand he’d left between my shoulder blades slipped down and spanned my lower back. That time, I did lean back into it just a little. “Tell me who I need to have a discussion with.”
The Great Wolf was back.
Franklin’s gaze discreetly swung toward me, and even though I didn’t know him well enough to recognize the little nuances that might reflect on it, it was obvious that his eyes slightly widened.
“I will give you that information in private,” Cyclops amended, looking almost remorseful.
Maybe he felt guilty.
The muscle in Henri’s cheek popped, aggression in his tone as he asked, “Was it Dominic?”
The cyclops didn’t need to say “yes” because his face did. “The resident said they recognized Nina’s scent along with another. I suppose we can close this matter now.”