Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Dante chuckled. “Marcus is a born hunter; when he truly wants something, he will run down his prey with a patience that not many dominant males possess—obstacles be damned. You were fighting a losing battle from the start.”
Damn right, thought Marcus.
Nick growled at Dante, “Fuck you, Garcea.” Ignoring the Beta’s chuckle, Nick closed his eyes again, dismissing him.
Turning back to his pack, Dante smiled. “Jaime’s going to be so jealous she didn’t come.”
Taryn snorted, cuddling into Trey. “You’re not smug that she’s missing this, you’re disappointed that she’s not with us. You hate leaving her.”
“Of course I hate leaving her. She’s my mate.”
“You have to admit to being a little more overprotective than most,” said Ryan.
“I have no choice—the female has no flight instinct.”
Taryn smiled. “What a pretty excuse for trying to control her.”
Dante returned her smile. “It is, isn’t it?”
Roni was just thinking how fortunate she was that Marcus didn’t attempt to control her, but then it occurred to her that, hey, why would he? He had no reason at all to feel inclined to do so. He’d staked a temporary claim on her, but that was nowhere near the same as being mated.
A mating bond was a metaphysical connection that amplified every emotion. Mates were often possessive and overprotective to the point of being controlling and domineering. It was part of the package, part of how fiercely mates felt for each other. Although it sometimes meant that the couples clashed a lot, it didn’t subtract from their feelings for each other.
Having watched the pain her mother went through when Roni’s father died, she’d often wondered if the mating link was such a good thing at all. Kathy might still be alive, but it wasn’t a full life without her mate. But Kathy had told Roni that she had no regrets, that if she had to do it all over again, she’d still complete the mating, even knowing her mate would die and that she would spend most of her life without him.
She’d told Roni that if she found her mate, she should grab on tight, that the bond was something sacred and special. But, honestly, Roni wasn’t sure she’d ever know the intensity of emotion that came with a mating link. Roni was so messed up, she probably wouldn’t sense the guy even if she tripped over him in the street.
The best chance she had at mating was through imprinting, though she would bet it would be hard to find a male who would happily take on her and her irritating family. Although Shaya seemed sure that Roni and Marcus would imprint, Roni wasn’t convinced. Despite that she had made the decision to explore this thing she had with Marcus, she found it hard to believe that anything would truly come of it.
For one thing, she had more flaws and baggage than even she knew how to deal with. For another, Marcus was incredibly loyal. Surely for him, taking what they had any further would feel like he was betraying his true mate. She wanted to ask how far he was willing to allow things to go, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. It would hurt to hear that she was basically just a way to pass the time until his mate came along. In fact, it would place him in serious danger with her naturally jealous wolf if that were the case.
“You’re thinking very hard about something.”
Pulled from her thoughts, Roni double-blinked at Marcus, who then picked up her hand and began massaging her palm. Like him, she kept her voice quiet to keep the conversation private. “Just wondering what we’ll do if we find nothing in Seattle.”
“You do know you can go to hell for that, right?” Marcus nipped the heel of her hand punishingly and then licked over it to soothe the sting. “If you don’t want to tell me what’s got you so tense, fine. But don’t lie to me.”
“It’s fine if I don’t want to tell you?” Doubtful. He was a nosy, pushy bastard.
“Okay, it’s not ‘fine,’” he admitted with a smile. “I don’t like the idea that something’s bothering you. I want to fix it.”
“I’m not much for sharing stuff.”
“I know. But I’d like it if you’d talk to me when something is eating at you.”
At that moment, a human female appeared, lathered in makeup and practically marinated in perfume. “Hi, I’m Hazel. I’m your flight attendant for today. Can I get you anything?” Her eyes were solely on Marcus as she gestured to the selection of foods on the menu she handed him. Her eyes were also shining with lust and, therefore, at serious risk of being gouged out by Roni.
“I’m good for now, thanks,” he replied with a polite smile. He’d stuffed his face only moments before boarding. “Want anything, sweetheart?” Roni simply shook her head, so he handed the menu back to the attendant. “We’re both good.”