Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
I pull back as longing hooks around my heart and tugs.
The room's energy shifts. I’ve been touching these men, their hands, their faces, and more. It's such an everyday thing, but it is charged with everything that's lingering between us.
Destiny.
Hope.
A future for us and generations to come.
Security.
I look between these men, feeling an ache in my heart. I left them, but they don’t blame me. They’re not angry, just terrified. I put myself at risk. They came when I needed them and ensured I was okay, at a physical cost to themselves and a huge detriment to the future.
Who knows what’s going to happen next? The wolves are an enemy I wasn’t even aware of. How might they affect our lives?
But the doubt that crouched inside me isn’t there anymore. These men have proven themselves to be good and honorable. They’ve proven that they have my well-being at heart. I’m inexplicably drawn to them, despite their nature. The least I can do is give this a try.
They’re confident that we’re meant to be together, that our union was written in the stars. If that’s the case, then I’ll feel it. There will be certainty where there is doubt and hope where there is fear.
I have to give this a chance, or I’ll regret it. There will always be a part of me that will wonder and an even bigger part of me that will feel guilty. They’re so sure that I’m their mate, their one true partner. If I don’t agree, will they ever be able to find someone else? I can’t face the thought that without me, they might be alone, or that their dreams of a house full of children will be lost to the sands of time.
Hunter turns, staying close. I reach out and take his hand.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” I say. “Thank you for coming for me, even when I was running from you.”
“We’ll always come for you, Goldie. We’ll fight to our last breath to keep you safe.” His voice is low and gravely, his chin set with determination. I believe him, and the happiness, like a downy comforter, settles warmly inside me.
“I won’t run again,” I say. “I’m going to stay here. I want to try to be what you want… what you need. You’re sure we’re fated mates, but I need time. Can you be patient?”
Hunter nods, and I look at his brothers, who also affirm. I didn’t doubt that Robert and Evan would wait for me, but Hunter’s always been different.
My throat tightens with emotion because no one has ever been so patient and dedicated to me, not even my own parents. I don’t know if I’ll ever come close to what they know with such certainty, or be ready to take the next step, but Robert, Evan, and Hunter are willing to fight for me and wait for me.
In the face of such devotion, I have to put my doubts aside and try. They deserve that much.
29
EVAN
Goldie’s a terrible cook. We find out after she’s been staying for a week, and Hunter suggests she take a turn at making dinner. The pasta is hard, and the sauce is watery. She grimaces when she tastes it, apologizes, and we all laugh.
“What a disappointment I must be,” she says, taking our full plates. “You’ve been waiting your whole life for a mate, and she can’t even feed you.”
“We don’t want you for your culinary skills,” Hunter says, arching a dark brow and staring at her pertinently. His heated gaze sweeps over her body, and a flush creeps up her chest.
“Down, boy,” Robert warns. Is it too soon for Goldie? We’ve tried to keep flirtation to a minimum, but we’re all desperate for progression.
“I can make good sandwiches,” Goldie offers. “How about I rustle us up some grilled cheese?”
“Make it grilled cheese and ham, and you’ve got a deal,” I say.
When we’ve finished eating, we take Goldie through to the den. It used to be our playroom, the only informal space in the entire house. We converted it into a kind of man cave or bear den when Dad passed away. Comfortable couches and a huge flat-screen TV dominate the room. Painted in dark blue, with light wood parquet flooring and a shaggy cream rug, it has a warm and comfortable feel that’s missing from the other traditionally furnished rooms in the house. We flop down onto the large sectional. I toss Goldie her blanket and dig out the candy basket from under the side table, offering it to her and then snatching it away before she can make her selection.
She rolls her eyes at my antics, then, out of the blue, launches herself at me, swiping for the basket. We end up in a tangle of limbs, laughing so much we can barely breathe. There’s a moment between us, when we’re breathing hard and smiling, our eyes connected, that I feel like she wants me to kiss her.