Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
In the next second, Rafe shucks off his joggers. “Oh, geez.” I throw up a hand to block Rafe’s form. “That’s a naked dick.” I'm happy for Adele if she's getting some of that, but I don’t want to see it.
“Watch,” Gabriel commands.
I peek through my fingers. In one moment, Rafe raises his leg to take a step into the snow–barefoot. In the next, a massive wolf lands on the bottom stoop.
“What the fuck,” I whisper.
The wolf is black with some brownish markings. It bounces over the lawn and lopes off with the first one. A howl rises up off-screen.
Channing and Deke are next. They both walk out undressed the way Rafe was. I don't even try to avert my eyes from their naked forms. Within seconds, they both turn into huge wolves. Deke is a giant black shadow gliding towards the forest. Channing has mostly white fur that blends with the snow.
“I can't believe this.”I scrub my eyes. “How is this possible? Does Sadie know?”
“She knows. So does Charlotte, the human female you call Charlie.”
The screen shows the wolves running over a snowy field.
“This is nuts. I can't believe this.”
Then the video cuts again, and there's the back of Charlie's house. The big white and gray wolf runs up to the door. It shakes a few times, flinging snow off its thick fur, and scratches the door. The door opens, and there stands Charlie, light streaming behind her, her hand on her belly. She lets the giant wolf in.
“It's not possible.” I rub my temples. I feel a little woozy.
“It is possible. It is real.” Gabriel lowers himself to the seat beside me. His hand rubs my back. It feels good, soothing. Grounding. “My friend’s boyfriends are wolves.”
“The preferred term is wolf shifter.”
“Sure. Okay. Wolf shifter.” Whatever. “And everyone knows? Even Adele.”
“Yes. She found out soon after I met her.”
“Wait, what?” I drop my hands. “You met Adele?”
“Why yes. She bore the scarf you crafted. I caught your scent on it. I thought that she was my mate until I discovered the source of the delicious scent. It was the work of a moment to separate you from them. And now you are here, and you are mine. My own.” He takes my hand, threading his strong fingers between my limp ones. “My mate.”
I tug my hand back. “Back the confessional bus up, Buster. I'm not ready for this.”
“Tabitha–” He captures my face in strong but gentle hands. “You're upset.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” I snap back.
“Shhh, little one. This doesn't need to be a struggle. It's not fair that you had to learn this way, but it is time that you enter into our world.”
I’m trembling in his grip. “What do you mean our world?”
A flash of gold light from his eyes. His pupils slit and narrow. Just for a second but enough to make me gasp.
“You're one of them.” I jerk back, but he’s cornered me in the crook of the couch arm.
“I am. And deep down you knew that something was different about them. You're too sensitive not to know.” His fingers trace light circles over my shoulder. Soothing me. There's that spiced scent of his, sweet and drugging like mulled wine.
“I… this…I don’t understand.”
“Do you want me to make it better?” he murmurs. “I can make it better.”
I swallow. I want to nod. My heart is cracking open, and I don’t know why.
His finger traces the line of my jaw. It feels so good, I can’t stand it.
I twist away and push off the sofa. “I need to get out of here.”
Gabriel doesn’t seem upset at all. He unfolds his big body from the couch. Not a black hair on his head is out of place.
“You can run, Tabitha, but I will chase you. I will always find you.”
I whirl and start running blindly, grabbing doorknobs and rushing through. When I come to a door with a keypad on it, I turn and keep running. I don’t have a plan. I don’t have anything. Gabriel knows this place and probably can tell exactly where I'm going.
Sure enough, when I cross the ballroom he's stalking behind me, taking slow measured steps, but somehow gaining on me.
I race across the ballroom and reach the door, but it's locked.
Gabriel’s already beside me. He puts his hand on the keypad, and the door unlocks, slowly swinging open.
I stare at him, chest heaving.
“Run,” he murmurs, and I do. Down a hall, up a spiral staircase. Every time I look back, every time I look down, he’s a few yards behind me, stalking with that slow measured pace. Gold glittering in his eyes and a half-smile on his face.
My kidnapper likes the chase.
“Run, run, little one.” His deep voice echoes up the grand staircase. I reach the top and fling myself into another long hall guarded by suits of armor. The hall forks into two. Left or right?