Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
“We should go,” she said.
Eli frowned. “Because he’s here? Fuck that.”
“Not because he’s here. But because he’ll probably take this chance to play mind games with you.”
“Probably,” Eli agreed. “But I’m not going to let anyone chase me out of here.” There wasn’t a chance in hell that Eli would jump in the combat ring, though. He wasn’t going to leave her side for even a second.
“Half an hour,” she said. “You promised me you’d fuck me silly later—I expect you to deliver.”
Eli smiled. “Oh, I’ll deliver.”
Just as they’d done earlier, he and Casey watched fights and placed bets. It was just when two polar bears started their second round that the scents of cougar drifted toward Eli. That might not have made his wolf lunge to the surface, wanting to maul and kill, if one of those scents hadn’t belonged to Ignacio.
Keeping his body slightly in front of his mate, Eli turned to face the Alpha, his expression carefully blank.
Ignacio smiled at them as he greeted, “Eli, Casey.” His gaze danced between them. “Mated life suits you. Although … I cannot help but notice that your bond hasn’t yet snapped into place,” he said with false sympathy. “Hmm. That must be driving your animals insane.”
“Is there a point to this conversation?” asked Casey, sounding bored.
Ignacio tilted his head. “Still smarting after that unnecessary business with Dahlia?”
“And the attack on Eli,” she said. “And the shooting. And the fact that you breathe.”
Tension coiled in Eli’s muscles, readying him to spring. The cougar would surely lunge at Casey for that remark. Surely.
But he didn’t. The corners of Ignacio’s mouth tipped up. “As I’ve said before: Balls of steel.” His gaze shifted to Eli. “I am sorry to hear your pack has had such problems recently. I take it there have been no more incidents, since I’ve had no other accusatory calls from your Alpha. I suppose it’s fortunate that I’m not easily offended. If I were, I might take exception to his insistence in pointing the finger of blame my way.”
“I think we can safely say that, no, there is no point to this conversation,” Casey decided, turning to Eli. “Let’s just go.”
“Have you seen anything of Miles, Casey?” Ignacio asked.
She lifted a brow. “You think I’d really tell you if I had?”
“Perhaps not,” said Ignacio. “If I were you, I’d be worried. He’s disappeared several times in the past, but never for this long. Yes, in your shoes, I’d be on tender hooks, dreading that I might get a call to say he’s been found in a gutter somewhere.”
“And if I were in your shoes, I’d cut off that ponytail and just face the fact that it didn’t look good on me.”
Once again, Eli braced himself to intervene, expecting the Alpha to try pouncing on her for the derogatory remark. But Ignacio’s smile didn’t even falter. And, wait, had the cougar’s eyes just … softened? Hell, yeah, they had. Not much, but a little. Something wasn’t right. Unease slithered through Eli as a dark suspicion pricked at him.
“It’s touching that you have such a vested interest in my appearance,” the Alpha said to her.
“Go back to your table, Ignacio,” said Eli, wanting the male away from his mate yesterday.
“At least let me buy you both a drink first. Call it a congratulations on your mating.” There was the slightest edge to his voice as the cougar spoke the latter word, and it made Eli’s wolf bare his teeth.
“I only drink with people I respect,” Eli told him. “And how can I respect a man who has lone shifters do his dirty work?”
The cougar’s face hardened. “I can assure you, Eli, I do my own dirty work. Mostly because I enjoy it. There’s something about watching the life leave a person’s eyes that is almost … invigorating.”
“Is that comment supposed to spook me?” Eli snickered. “I’ve met plenty of people in my time who were sick in the head. It didn’t keep them conscious when I beat the shit out of them.”
“Yes, yes, you’re a big, tough guy,” said Ignacio with a bored sigh. “We’re all very afraid.”
“You should be,” Casey told him. “Come on, Eli, we have plans.” The sexual implication was clear.
Ignacio tensed. “Leaving so soon, Casey? I was going to propose that you and my enforcer, Brenna, have a duel in the ring.”
And there he was, trying to snag Casey’s attention again. Narrowing his eyes, Eli cocked his head. “Why is it that you feel the need to toy with Casey? It’s like you just can’t help yourself. You see her, and your first instinct is to pit your personality against hers; to needle and goad her into reacting to you … almost in an attention-seeking way. Why would you want my mate’s attention?” That dark suspicion pricked at him again. “You don’t think she’s your true mate, do you?”