Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
She nodded in thanks, and Aurora wrestled with a smile behind her back. There might’ve been another almost-faint just there.
“One of these hasn’t been done in decades,” Mimi said. “I was at the last one and it was chaos. Mayhem. There were too many deaths to count. Challenges happened constantly. Constantly. The hosting pack didn’t have the resources to quell the aggression. Most packs left early. Any sort of meaningful meetings were impossible. It was an utter failure.”
“Then…why would people show up this time?” I asked in confusion.
“Because they would’ve all heard stories about it, that’s why. Because they don’t learn from history.” She paused. “But also, because the packs who didn’t lose anyone raised eyebrows. They were viewed as the best and strongest. Their alphas the smartest. I made a lot of connections from that conclave. From those connections, I received life-changing help for my pack. It was worth it for us, as rough as it was to make it through.”
“How many did you lose?” Aljoe asked.
“One. He wasn’t where he should’ve been, and I didn’t notice until it was too late. I didn’t have the power to drag him out of trouble. We couldn’t get him healed in time to save him.”
Aljoe nodded gravely.
“And your pack?” I asked him.
His gaze flicked to me and then away. “None. My grandfather had several people get into trouble, but he did have the power to drag them back out. From what I’ve heard, that’s basically all he did the whole time.”
“He’d already been at the top level,” Mimi said. “He stayed there.”
“He did,” Aljoe confirmed. “And now he thinks Austin is a damn fool.” He grinned. “He’s mad at Austin for putting one on, and I’ve lost my mind for being part of it. He thinks the youth are making the same mistakes as their elders.”
“Little does he know,” Sue said, “that this one is going to have more magical types, which will make it ten times more dangerous.”
“Or ten times safer.” I lifted my eyebrows at him. “Most of the other magical types are already in our corner.”
“Which is why the basajaunak or gargoyles might decide any offense toward us is a grievous one and try to kill someone for it,” he replied.
There was that.
My stomach churned in unease. Austin rubbed my back.
“We’ll be good,” he reassured me. “It’ll be like balancing on a knife’s edge, but we can handle it. We can manage.”
“We can.” Aljoe crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps popping. “I’ve seen you and Austin work miracles, and I’ve just come on board. Just like the convocation, no one else could make this work. You two are uniquely qualified. Where everyone else would fail, you will succeed.”
“That guy is so good at inspiring confidence,” I murmured a while later as we walked down the street toward Austin’s bar downtown. The warm evening air brought the scent of flowers on a soft breeze. “He says a thing and you can’t help but believe him.”
Austin entwined his fingers with mine. The others would meet us there, Tristan staying behind with Aljoe to talk about something to do with the gargoyles.
“Yeah, he has a way about him, that’s for sure. I’d always heard that. Clearly it’s true.”
“He’s this—”
A strange moan cut me off. The sound rose in pitch and then dropped away again.
“The golem in Betty’s basement is getting restless,” I said, looking that way. “She needs to take him for a walk or something.”
“What were you going to say?”
“Oh. You guys all know him. Mimi is basically fan-girling. I’ve never heard of him, though.”
“If he’d been an alpha when we started all this, you would have. He would’ve been the pie in the sky. His dad and his grandfather were both formidable alphas, I hear.”
We turned the corner at the end of the street, the darkness gathering quickly now.
The sweet air mingled with his delicious scent, clean cotton and spice. A hint of pine also rode the breeze, rolling off the mountains.
“It’s good to be home,” I murmured, bumping into him and feeling the hum of his proximity.
He stopped us, pulling me around to stand in front of him. The failing light shone in his cobalt eyes, so beautiful and expressive. “It is.” He brushed his lips across mine. “I love you.”
I smiled against his lips, closing my eyes. It wasn’t just the town, or Ivy House—he felt like home, too. His intoxicating taste and the strength under my palms. His assurance and his confidence.
“You’ll be every bit the legend Aljoe is. I think Aljoe knows that, too.”
“We will, you mean.”
I narrowed my eyes as I pulled my lips to the side. “No. I definitely didn’t mean me. I’ll be the lady who can’t seem to teach her team how to stand in a straight line.”
He laughed, pulling me down the sidewalk. “There are all types and sizes of crowns.”