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 felt her cheeks heat. Those words meant a great deal coming from him, someone who wasn’t family and had no stake in the game. Someone who was watching her grow and flounder in equal measure, but who clearly wasn’t judging her for her mistakes.
“Thanks,” she said, grabbing a washcloth. “I got lucky we picked Aljoe up along the way.”
He looked away, probably noticing her embarrassment.
“We all did,” he said noncommittally. “The final reason I’m still here…is because once I put you in the tub, I realized it would be my fault if you drowned. I didn’t want to suffer the wrath of a couple angry alphas, and definitely didn’t want a colorful female gargoyle breathing down my neck. I figured I’d better stick around to make sure your head stayed above water.”
She laughed as Sue grabbed a carton of soaking salt and poured it in.
“I trust you’re beyond the stinging stage.” He put the lid on and tucked it under the sink again.
“If not, it’s too late now anyway.”
He nodded, grabbed the chair, and turned to leave. At the entrance of her room, though, he hesitated.
“Nessa is already at Ivy House, working on something with Sebastian. She’s going to get ready there. I’ll pick you up before dinner. I’ll make sure Jasper brings by your phone, and I’ll text when I’m on my way.”
With that, he was gone.
She rubbed the washcloth on a bar of soap, smirking to herself. You could take the alpha out of the pack, but you couldn’t take the alpha out of the gorilla. He couldn’t help looking after people. It was in his nature. He’d probably been amazing in his role. He still was. Uncle Auzzie was doing the right thing in making it clear to anyone visiting that Sue was an equal.
An equal with a weird name.
He wasn’t family or even kinda in the same pack anymore, but she hoped to one day do him proud for believing in her.
Until then…he’d have to dump her into a bath and make sure she didn’t drown because she didn’t know her limits.
6
Aurora
She heard a soft knock at her door.
“Come in,” she called. She finished applying lip gloss before doing a quick check in the mirror.
The door didn’t open.
A flurry of unease rose in her stomach as she thought back to what Sue had said earlier about the positioning of this house and the danger that presented. But would someone hellbent on killing her really knock on the door?
She looked through the peephole to find Sue at the edge of the porch, hands in his pockets, looking out at the street.
She pulled open the door. “Did you not hear me?”
He turned to her. He wore a fitted black knit cardigan over a luxurious brown V-neck, paired with brown trousers and shoes. With his hands resting casually in his pockets, combined with his posture, it gave him an effortless, self-assured vibe. With his striking handsomeness, and adding in his menacing and rugged aura, he stood out. It was the perfect outfit for what Nessa wanted.
“I did,” he answered simply.
“Right, well, I just need to spritz on a little perfume and I’m ready.”
She left the door open so he could continue to loiter without being cut off. This time he entered the house, clearly knowing that once the door was open, the blood ward was not in effect.
“Are you afraid to give blood or what?” she called, smirking as she created an air mist of fragrance before walking through.
He waited to answer until she was back in the room and had grabbed her handbag. “I didn’t know I was on the approved list.”
“A detail you assumed I’d forgotten?”
His eyebrows lifted incrementally. “Easier to just wait than find a way to draw blood and possibly still be left standing on the porch.”
She grabbed her phone from the coffee table. His eyes flicked to it, a question in their depths, although he didn’t voice it.
“What?” she asked, curious.
“You’re close with them. Ulric and Jasper.”
“Yeah. Very. I’ll admit to you, since you saw it in L.A., that they are my life raft. They’ve got my back. I can let my hair down, and they’re always standing by in case I want to pull back in a hurry. They’re always ready to leave if I say so, no matter what they’re doing. Or they help facilitate shenanigans.” She shrugged. “It’s freeing, being with them. They don’t judge me. Ever. They don’t care about my background or my standing in the pack. They tell me how pretty I am when I dress up without making it sexually charged, or how proud of me they are with each win. They’re just…my buddies. They are very cool guys who want nothing more than friendship. It’s…special. They’re special.”
“I reckon you also guard their backs when the need calls for it.”