Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 72(@250wpm)___ 60(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 72(@250wpm)___ 60(@300wpm)
“Go and ask Aubrey to be your Maid of Honor. I will make sure Billy is a perfect gentleman and completely at her service.”
“He will hate that.”
“He will do it because you’re his luna. Now go, sweetheart. I want this settled, so you can relax.”
Madi already looks brighter. She rises up on her toes. “Okay.” She gives me a sweet kiss. “Can’t wait for you to become Mr. Evans.”
I arch a brow. “Excuse me?”
“Blackthroat-Evans.” She winks and sails away.
Billy
I hold a glass of the finest champagne money can buy, but its crisp scent is spoiled by the eye-watering cacophony of smells that surround me–humans with their perfume, cologne, deodorant, and a hint of rosewater that has my wolf on edge.
Engagement parties are a ridiculous human construct. What happened to the mating ceremony?
A wolf claims his mate in private with one bite. They could meet and be mated in a single night. There’s no long, dragged-out courtship. For a simple mating ceremony, they might run together under the full moon, serenaded by the howls of their pack. Then they get busy making pups.
For those of pack royalty, like Brick, there’s often a mating ceremony. A chance for the royal shifter families to mix and mingle. Often members of neighboring packs are invited. It’s a political event rather than something for the new couple.
But this affair has humans at it. The fact that Madi’s not a wolf makes everything complicated. They’re already planning a lavish wedding. I don’t know why the mating ceremony had to turn into an engagement party.
Brick and Madison’s engagement party in the Berkshires is apparently just the first of many. An announcement that Brick has put a rock the size of New Hampshire on his former secretary’s finger and plans to marry her. As if she isn’t already marked for life.
I wouldn’t give a shit, except Madi isn’t the only human here on the premises. On sacred pack land. Her mother is here. A brother. Her friend, Brick’s former assistant, Indira. Her grandmother, the Torrent Cosmetics heiress, and all her entourage.
And, of course, her former roommate, the cafe girl–Aubrey.
All here, mixing with the pack, as if an alpha wolf mating–marrying–a human is acceptable.
I have to admit, the mansion never looked better. The ballroom sparkles, and they even left the back doors open to the winter air. The snow is cleared off the expansive back patio, and there are heaters all over the place for the humans' delicate constitutions. Fate forbid, they get blown over by a winter breeze and catch frostbite.
Catherine Adalwulf is here–she helped Ruby plan the whole thing. I’m still getting used to her being a member of the pack. All is forgiven, despite the fact that she murdered our alpha.
Or had a hand in it.
Her brother’s death is presumed to have released any magical bond they had on her.
I heard she insisted on paying for the whole party out of her personal coffers. Her way of making amends for the fracturing of her family.
I’m not the only one here who hasn’t welcomed her in with open arms. Liz and Dane still clearly resent her.
It doesn’t matter that she and Ruby co-hosted this party to show a united front on welcoming the human into our circle. She’s an Adalwulf. There’s no replacing what the Adalwulfs took from us. Nothing will be right until we wipe that evil pack from the face of the earth.
We should be planning their demise. Instead we’re standing around, drinking champagne, and eating dainty hors d'oeuvres that barely take the edge of my snarling hunger. Fucking crudités.
One of Madi’s guests is vegetarian–the cafe girl, I’m sure–so there’s a whole tray of squirrel food. I wonder how the humans would react if I let out my wolf, brought home a kill, and savaged it right on the pretty green lawn?
My wolf loves the idea. He wants to shock cafe girl.
I search the room for her. I know she’s here by that gorgeous scent. I spot her standing at Madi’s elbow talking with Ruby.
She’s wearing a silvery sheath that hugs her hourglass frame. Her slender neck rises like a swan’s, her multitude of tiny braids trail almost to her ass. There’s a silver stud in her nose this time instead of the gold hoop.
It would burn if it touched my skin.
It’d be worth it to taste those lips. The thought comes and goes in a flash, leaving me scowling.
Brick walks over to me. “Wipe that scowl off your face.”
I make my expression blank. My gaze darts back to Cafe Girl.
“Madi is having a hard enough time getting her family and friends to adjust to her new life. Don’t make it harder for her with your anti-human bullshit.”
“I haven’t thrown anyone out, have I?”
“You will make every effort to make the humans welcome here this weekend.”