Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 688(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137524 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 688(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Each step bounces me. One even makes me grunt. The sound makes him slow his strides in an effort not to jostle me again. I try to find words to plead with him, but nothing comes now that I’m over his shoulder and he is taking me farther and farther away from my brothers’ cabin.
I try to shift to see if maybe I can catch him off guard and break free, but his hold only tightens on me.
“Still or you’ll hurt yourself.”
I do as his deep voice commands. It would be a fruitless effort. I’d probably break something if I fell from this height. The man is ginormous, even compared to my brothers.
“You’re hurting me,” I lie, finally finding my voice again.
“Am I holding you too tight? If you stop struggling, I can loosen my grip. I don’t want to drop you.”
I huff, not answering his ostensibly generous question. He kidnaps me but wants to make sure I’m unharmed.
When I opened my eyes and stared into the deepest brown eyes I’d ever seen, I was shocked. That shock only grew when a honey color started to blend into them. They were beautiful. I also knew instantly he was a shifter. Human eyes could never do that. I wasn’t scared until he jumped away from me and started to growl.
When he lunged for me, I felt a moment of panic, unsure of what he was doing.
“Mine,” he’d growled. At the time I was in fight or flight mode, but now thinking back on it, I know what’s happened. I’ve seen it before. Mates. I’d seen my brothers, one after another, find their mates. I’d witnessed the instant attraction they had. The need they had for them so strong and unstoppable.
It’s what’s gripping the man carrying me over his shoulder. I’m his mate, and he doesn’t seem all too happy about the idea. In fact, he seemed enraged for a moment. I try to think back to what he’d said
“I will treat you kindly, and no harm will ever come to you as long as I live. It’s more than your kind ever gave me.”
That sealed it. He was mad that I was human. I could do absolutely nothing about it. Something even I wished I wasn’t. The humans I’d been brought up around were evil, vile people. Not like the shifters in my life who’d taken care of me and shown me more love than my father ever did.
My body jerks a little when he takes three stairs at a time, then I hear the sound of locks clicking before a door opens and slams shut. I hear the sound of locks clicking into place once again. Then I’m on my feet, staring up at one angry-looking man.
“What are you?” The honey color is back in his eyes, pushing all that dark brown away.
“A shifter.”
“I know that.” I put my hand on my hips. I’m used to having to look up at my brothers, but this is just crazy. I’m going to get a crick in my neck.
His eyes narrow on me.
“Yes, I know all about shifters,” I inform him. There’s no beating around the bush or pretending I don’t know. Besides, it’s more than obvious he is with all this grunting and growling he’s doing.
“A bear. How do you know about my kind?”
I just shrug, not feeling scared of him anymore. Shifters don’t hurt their mates. Most even die if the other does. But those are true love cases. It’s clear my big bear isn’t happy with his choice of mate. “I grew up with shifters, you could say. In fact, they’ll be looking for me.”
“They can look all they want. They won’t come on my land,” he says with utter certainty. It makes me wonder what they will do. The Alpha doesn’t even know about me.
“They will when they track my scent,” I retort.
“Snow will cover it. It’s coming down hard now.” I know he’s right. They won’t even be home for hours. My shoulders drop, and I’m not real sure what to do. Glancing around the wooded cabin, I see it has an open floor plan and is somewhat decorated. Like someone came in and spent the time to put the cabin together—new-looking leather couches, a dining room table that looks like it could fit a whole bear family.
Everything looks new, but the place is a mess. Dishes litter the counter. Clothes are strewn all around, random crap piled on the table. It looks a little sad. Like a home was built but wasn’t loved. And all the windows are locked up. Shutters closed over them, blocking any light from outside.
“So you’re just going to keep me here? Against my will?”
“Your kind did the same to me. At least I will take care of you, not lock you in a cage.” His words don’t sound angry, just matter-of-fact. Each one hits me hard, making my stomach cramp. Please no. Could he have been one of the shifters I’d left behind?