Total pages in book: 218
Estimated words: 212458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1062(@200wpm)___ 850(@250wpm)___ 708(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 212458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1062(@200wpm)___ 850(@250wpm)___ 708(@300wpm)
“I can try remotely,” I suggest.
“Time is of the essence,” Vivi states.
“And this is a necessity, Erica,” Ronnie (also known as Veronica) calls out in the background. “Get your ass home!”
Shit. Fuck.
“It’s time,” Vivi says. “And it’s goodwill. Help Mason Quinn and therefore the Arcana Falls council. That goodwill might go a long way with Riley, too.”
I don’t know why they need what they need, not sure how the Brennan sisters wound up there, but I know it won’t be enough. Nothing will be enough to make things up to Riley. I’m sure of it. And I’ve been suffering every day for my mistakes. I suffer for every spell I write that doesn’t take, that goes wrong, and sometimes despite the fact that they go right.
My eyes close and I release a long breath. “I’ll be there in two hours,” I say.
And then I say a silent prayer that I won’t have to face Riley yet. I’m not ready. I wasn’t ready for him to find out the truth, but I had to release some energy for the spell to take with Holden and Isabella Holloway last Halloween. I thought he found out then, but my sister Dani told me he found out just a few weeks ago. I had no choice but to do what I had to do - to protect the Holloways’ unborn child for the second time. With magic, sometimes I have to accumulate good will before I’ve earned it. But I always have to pay the price eventually. With a very heavy heart, I quickly pack up my campsite, fetch my cat Penny, and head home.
54
Mason
It hasn’t been a real pleasant drive to find our runaway mates. Well, mine is obviously a runaway. His just went along for the ride, leaving him a note with a heart on it.
Tyson and me are in his classic truck and we’ve been practically flyin’, both of us pissed off. In fact, we nearly got pulled over for it, but once I convinced him he had to pull over with the lights spinning behind us, the cop kept going, clearly chasing someone else.
I got home from my run to an empty house and lost my shit. My mate was gone. I hoped I’d be home before she woke up but not the case today and I’ve been kicking myself for pushing my luck. I had to run this morning. My wolf was keening in my head and the only thing that made it stop was the run.
I figured she was on foot, and as I was about to shift and start tracking her, Cade called and said he saw her through his window on a bicycle. That bike got left behind last summer after a party and wound up being ridden around the yard by a drunk Jase the night before Ty’s wedding.
I ran to Ty’s, and he was already phoning me, in a supremely pissy mood because his mate was gone, too, but of course I had no phone on me. He lent me something to wear and we got in his truck to chase them down, making calls to them and then their mother and the other women they’d been friendly with in the pack. Nobody knew where they were.
Bailey hesitantly admitted she’d had a text from Amie yesterday asking questions about what was going down with her ex.
Her ex is still in holding. And tomorrow morning, our guests all head out, including Mitch who’s going back overseas, Mitch who feels compelled to bring the matter at hand to the supernatural collective council to discuss what to do about it. I’m expecting that I’ll be called before a tribunal. What’ll happen after that is anyone’s guess. Until we know what’s what, we’re keeping Rick Bullock in holding.
Mitch is a good guy but he’s also a by the book guy. Though he can’t tell me what kinds of sanctions might happen if it’s decided that we have to neutralize Rick Bullock as a threat, the supernatural council will do whatever they need to do. They don’t take kindly to having to exterminate eyewitnesses and their ire will probably hurt.
If he weren’t here, we would’ve been in a position to decide for ourselves.
Rick Bullock is scared shitless in that holding cell. Cat Savage cleaned and stitched up his hand, and he’s not talkin’ about what he’ll do about the knowledge of what we are. And I don’t fuckin’ trust him as far as I can throw him to back down because of a threat. We’ve parked his car and cell phone in Drowsy Hollow for now so that it looks like that’s the last place he’s been.
Right now, I couldn’t care less about Bullock or facing a hearing for my crime because all I can think about is how furious I am at my mate leaving me. She didn’t even take her clothes. Just abandoned the house and left with the clothes on her back on a goddamn bicycle. She despises me that much.