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)
“You and the pup are welcome here,” Glasses claimed, lifting a hand to mess with his eyewear once more. The movement made his sleeve slip down his wrist, showing off a hint of… a beaded bracelet?
Had I seen that correctly? There was too much magic in the room for me to filter out what belonged to who. If he was sitting beside me, I’d have an easier time, but….
“As long as you agree to the three-month trial period and the marriage stipulation. We can help, if you’d like. We have a good record in matching couples,” the man explained. “As mentioned, there is a one-year period for you to find an acceptable mate.”
Cyclops leaned forward. “You’re under no obligation to explain your background to anyone unless you choose to. Your nature is yours alone, and you’ll be accepted for who you are. We can assure you of that.”
I got what he was saying, but I also understood that people were way more complicated than that.
Holding my breath, I peeked at the man I should have called Fluffy again in public just to see how he would react and found his attention already back on me. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t frowning. He was simply watching.
His nostrils were slightly flaring though.
He’d deserved that bite from earlier after this crap.
Maybe we hadn’t been friends-friends, but he knew me. He had been my neighbor for a year when he’d lived with Matti’s family. You didn’t have nicknames for everybody, and he hadn’t forgotten mine even after so many years.
Loyalty, man. Where had it disappeared to?
“Now,” the man with the glasses butted in. His hands were beneath the table again, hiding what sure had looked like an obsidian bracelet to me. “About our other guidelines.”
Chapter
Six
“That was eventful.”
I snorted at Sienna as I adjusted the leather toy Duncan was chewing on. We were spread out on the bed in the room that she and Matti had been assigned for “their short stay”—those had been the exact words of the elders. So they didn’t get any ideas. It wasn’t like I didn’t know this time with them was temporary. I was used to living hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from them at almost all times.
That’s just what seemed to happen to real best friends. It was like the universe knew when there was a bond so strong that nothing—not distance, time, children, or responsibilities—could come between it. So, it proved it to you.
Life couldn’t be too good all the time.
And like that saying warned, nothing good comes easy. Everything I valued in my life required work. This was just one of those things. My best friends and I had to put in effort to make our friendship still thrive after so many years. If things between us had only been one-sided, we never would have made it to this point.
“Tell me about it. That didn’t go like I’d thought it might,” I agreed with her, moving the toy from side to side as Duncan tried to lazily snap at it. If I had to guess, he was putting in about 5 percent effort. I could tell by the way his eyes drooped that he needed a nap. I dropped my voice. “I think I got a couple of gray hairs from the anticipation they made me go through thinking they were going to say no to us staying.”
Sienna fluffed the pillow under her head as she lay on her side with Dunky between us. “They dragged that out, but you know how it is. It’s an older werewolf thing. My grandparents are the same way any time they have news to share. They start off in this tone that sounds all doom and gloom, and then they tell us they’re going on vacation and can someone come by and water their plants? It’s a power play. They’re bored.”
I hummed and nodded, taking in her freshly washed face and wet hair. Did her skin color look a little off or was I imagining it? I wanted to ask if she was feeling all right but figured she had to be fine. The rooms had warm-colored light bulbs. Maybe that was it.
“Are you relieved they agreed to the trial period? Matti was telling me while I was showering that he forgot all about that part,” she kept going.
“I get why they require it.” I bit my lip and met her familiar gaze. “I’m hung up on that satyr woman this afternoon. I might be overthinking it.” Or I might not be.
My best friend said nothing as she stroked a finger down Duncan’s back. He paused lazily snapping and peeked at her over his shoulder for a moment before going back to it. “Don’t mind them. They’re herbivores. It’s instinct for them to fear anything that might hurt them.”