Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
“My magic felt crazy-strong when those guys grabbed me. Like I didn’t even have to work for it. Like… I did stuff I didn’t know I could do.”
“No magic until we know more, maybe.”
She nods. “Yeah. I killed two men. It just came out of me, and I didn’t know they’d die.”
I hook a hand around her neck and bring her mouth to mine.
“I killed two people, Riley. I’ve never killed before. Maybe I’m gonna get in trouble for that.”
“They deserved it. Just like the fucker I took out. And I did that on purpose. How about a bath together? Relax us both.”
She nods again, looking in thought.
“What’s on your mind? Something besides guilt you don’t need to feel?”
“I think I want Aunt Mimi here for whatever this meeting they’re talking about is. And my sisters.”
“When I hear back from Mitch, you tell ‘em.”
She nods.
“Bath?” I ask.
“Okay.”
“Then we’ll eat something. For real this time. I’m dyin’ for a big, juicy steak and all the fixins. I’m gonna ask one of the guys to drop off food from Roxy’s. Got any cravings?”
“A banana split,” she tells me.
“Ice cream? We need food, woman.”
She elaborates, running her fingers through my hair. “You offered to buy me a banana split the day I hit the fire hydrant. I really wanted it.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, anger already coming down a notch.
“I hadn’t wanted to eat ice cream since the day I dropped my ice cream cone watching my parents burst into flames. But I wanted ice cream that day by the fire hydrant. I didn’t have any. Haven’t had any since I was a kid. But I really, really wanna share some ice cream with you.”
I smile and caress her face. “You hungry for something with nutrients first?”
She sighs. “Bananas are very nutritious; I’ll have you know.”
I smile.
“Need to take care of my mate.”
“Just so you know, I often eat dessert for dinner.”
“Eat some food like a good little witch and then you can have dessert.”
She pouts.
I hold my ground.
She sighs. “Okay, how about some garlic bread with cheese and a bowl of creamy soup of some sort?”
“I’ll make it happen,” I vow, kissing her.
***
“So… babies,” I say, soaping up her shoulders.
She stiffens.
“Mase and Ty’s mates are pregnant already. Best keep at makin’ up for lost time so we have a chance of our firstborn being born in the same year for the next council.” I kiss her earlobe.
“Um…”
I twist, turning her so I can see her face because her emotions are going a little berserk right now. It’s a strange sensation.
I jerk my chin up in question. “You don’t want kids?”
“It’s not that. I do want kids. As many of them as I can have.”
“Can’t have them? Mase’s mate thought she couldn’t have kids. Turned out she just couldn’t have ‘em without Mase.”
“I want kids, Riley. Your kids.”
“Good. I sense a but coming.”
“I can’t tell you when I might be able to give you kids because of something I did.” She looks panicked. Stricken even.
I wait. But she says nothing, so I say, “You wanna explain?”
“I um… see… this is another reason I wanted to give you the option of a severing. Because-”
“Don’t,” I clip. “Not happening. Not ever. You hear me? Stop sayin’ that fuckin’ word.”
She winces.
“Tell me,” I demand.
“Well, now you’re pissed with me, and I understand why, but can we get out of here and dry off so I can explain?”
I summon some patience. “Yeah. If you promise to stop saying severing. If we have issues to figure out, we’ll figure them out.”
“Okay. Stop being mad at me. Please?”
“Wolf shifters mate for life, little witch. Stop suggesting anything otherwise and I’ll stop being testy.”
“Okay.”
She looks contrite as she stands. I get out quickly so I can wrap her in a towel, which I can tell she likes by the soft expression on her face. The face she made for my wolf while I was locked in. I wrap another around my waist and lead her to the bedroom and say, “Sit down.”
She sits on the end of the bed, wrapped in the towel, so I grab another towel from the cabinet and begin drying her hair, then I dry her little feet.
She’s ticklish, so she squirms. “Nooo tickling!”
“Not tickling on purpose,” I tell her, then I pin her to the bed and then drop a kiss on the pad of her left big toe.
“You’re so sweet, Riley.”
I toss the towel on the back of the chair. “Okay, tell me. No wait…” I sniff the air. “Sean’s here and he has food.”
“Sean?”
“Beta in our pack. Meet me in the kitchen.”
37
Erica
He’s halfway into his steak dinner when he gives me a pointed look.
“Kids?”
I wince.
“Tell me,” he orders.
He looks so sexy sitting across from me eating his big meal with his wet hair and his bare chest. He’s in just a pair of lounge pants and although I’m enjoying watching him enjoy his food, I just want to crawl into his lap and make out with him. And more. I want his mouth between my legs again, with as much vigor as he devours that meal.