Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 62782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
I try to shove those awful memories back and focus on what’s right in front of me.
After hours of scouring the woods and finding nothing, I make my way back to the cabin. Inside, everyone is bleary-eyed. Rey is perched on the edge of the sofa where Van is asleep, and Cash sits close, his brows furrowed. Judd was out front, keeping watch when I got back, whereas Ewan and Finnick are still hunting. Remy sits on the floor by the fireplace, an unreadable expression on his handsome face.
His head whips my way, sensing my return, and his jaw tightens. I fixate on the muscle along his neck that’s taut and protruding. He’s so tense. The urge to prowl over to him, knock him down onto his back, and then run my tongue along that strip of skin is nearly too much to bear.
Stop.
Fuck, just stop.
But I can’t stop. My wolf yips in agreement. Licking Remy’s neck seems like our favorite fantasy at the moment. All I can do is stare at the flesh in question as it reddens under my attention.
What? Remy signs, his forehead wrinkling and mouth set in a pout.
Cash perks up, clearly ready to eavesdrop. But since he doesn’t know sign language, he can keep his happy ass out of our conversation. I throw the Easton kid a smirk before sauntering over to Remy and squatting in front of him.
You okay? I sign back. The heat on my back from Cash’s glare is easy to ignore.
Remy is quick to reply. Van is hurt and you’re worrying about me?
I’ll never stop worrying about you, I toss back with fast hand gestures.
I expect the usual tired eyeroll or an exasperated sigh. Not the cold, dead expression mirrored back to me, chilling me to the bone. Christ, he really does hate me.
Unable to stop myself, I reach up and run my thumb along the muscle in his neck I’d been fantasizing about licking moments before. It’s firm, but the tension releases as I stroke his scarred, pink skin. I can still remember how worried I’d been when it was touch and go at first. When his life hung so precariously in the balance. I’m not a religious man, but I prayed to God he’d make it out alive. Offered my soul or whatever the fuck the higher being wanted if I could just see the boy to the other side, safe and sound.
Now, he’s no longer that boy.
He’s turning into a man. Not just any man, but one built of strength and persistence. Passion for life and the things he wants out of it radiate from him. His intellect from years of his nose buried in books is like a crisp plucking on a guitar, vibrating through the bond, making me aware he’s no longer a child but someone with hopes and dreams and curiosity and desires. I yearn to sit my ass on the hardwood, pull him into my lap, and beg him to tell me what those wants are. The sudden urge to give it all to him is overwhelming and confusing.
I know what he wants.
An escape.
But an escape means losing him. An escape means freeing him into a world where monsters prowl the dead of night, bloodthirsty and mad. Everything in me hums with the need to protect. I can’t do it without keeping him right where I can see and touch him. Letting him go means sacrificing his safety. Forcing him to stay slaughters his happiness. It’s a double-edged sword I’m flayed upon no matter which way I slide.
Cash clears his throat, breaking the spell between me and Remy. I turn my head, giving the kid an unimpressed look. He grits his teeth, glances at Remy, and then addresses me.
“Did you see Wyatt out there?”
“I did not,” I say in a gruff tone. I don’t hear him either, which means he’s not close. “Have you tried calling him?”
“Only fifty times.” He yawns, glancing back at Remy. “Want to go lie down?”
Before I can explode, Rey stops me with a hand held up. “Cash, hon, why don’t you take Remy’s room? I’ll stay here with Van to keep an eye on him. Remy can take my bed.”
Remy’s annoyance can be felt through the bond, but he doesn’t argue against Rey. He loves her and respects the hell out of her. A flare of jealousy blooms in my chest, but I quickly fan it away. Rey is not my enemy. She loves Remy. He lost so much as a child. Having someone like Rey care so deeply for him isn’t something I’ll ever interfere with.
Cash, on the other hand…
I lift my chin, gesturing for Remy’s room. “You know where it is, kid. I’ll let you know if we hear from Wyatt.”
He shoots Remy a plea to argue with Rey and me so he can stay with him, but Remy wisely remains quiet. “You still have the dogtags I gave you?” he asks Remy.