Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Bracken nodded. “Same here.” He bit into his muffin. “My wolf likes this place.”
“How did your wolf react to Gwen?”
Bracken blinked. “He likes her well enough, I guess.”
“He’s not bothered by her?”
“No. Why?”
“My wolf backs away from her.”
“Seriously?” Bracken blinked. “That’s weird. Nothing about her raises my hackles, and she doesn’t rub my wolf’s fur the wrong way either. Then again, your wolf has always acted strange when a female shows an interest in you.”
That was true. Zander’s wolf might be attracted to a female, might like her scent or her confidence or any number of her qualities, but he never wanted her. In fact, he often became irritated by female attention, especially if it was sexual. There were very few females whose company he tolerated—thankfully, those included the females of his pack.
If Zander didn’t know any better, he’d think the wolf had mommy issues or something. Still, one thing his wolf had never done was back away from a female. He’d growled. Snarled. Brooded. Turned his back on them. Hell, he’d even clawed at Zander if they annoyed him enough. But act wary and cautious? Never had he done that.
“Yeah, but she didn’t show an interest in me.” She’d acted cordial and professional. “I don’t know what to make of it. My wolf’s always been a fearless fucker. Nothing has ever thrown or shaken him. She unnerves him, and I’m not used to him being disturbed by anything.”
Bracken chewed on that for a moment. “Is he fighting you on being around her?”
“No. That’s the point. He’s not engaging. He literally just backs away.”
“That is odd. I wouldn’t worry on it, Z. You have enough to think about, like the reading of the will tomorrow . . . and just how hard we’ll have to work not to kick the living shit out of Rory.” He shoved the last of his muffin into his mouth. “Let’s go for a run. Your wolf might feel better afterward.”
Zander was counting on it.
CHAPTER THREE
Later that day, acting on Yvonne’s recommendation, Zander and Bracken headed to Half ’n’ Half for dinner—a place owned by Yvonne’s future son-in-law. The moment he strolled inside, Zander understood the name. The dimly lit place was half bar, half pool hall. Unlike the last pool hall he’d been to, it wasn’t dingy or fogged by cigarette smoke. There was a slight smell of tobacco, but it was drowned out by the scents of beer, leather, oiled wood, and food grilling.
Rows of pool tables lined the left side of the wide space, where there were also plenty of stools and small round tables. On the right side was a long bar, a wall-mounted TV, cushioned booths, and wooden tables. Sports paraphernalia and framed photos lined the wood-paneled walls of the entire space.
The place was fairly crowded, but not enough for Zander to feel smothered. Most patrons were either sitting at tables watching the game airing on the TV or gathered around the pool tables.
There was a lot of cursing and trash talk, but it was all banter. Among the sounds of balls colliding and tumbling into pockets were the bleeping of the gaming machines, the sizzling of cooked food, and the music coming from the jukebox.
“Damn, I’m starving.” Bracken patted Zander’s arm with the back of his hand. “Hey, look, there’s Gwen.”
Zander tracked his gaze, not sure why a weird sort of anticipation began to slowly spread through him like warm syrup. His vision was blocked by a group of guys, but he could see her head, see her smiling that distant but courteous smile as she carefully took plates from the tray she was holding. Well, it would seem she worked for her brother-in-law as well as her mother. Or adopted mother. He knew from the females’ scents that they weren’t biologically related.
Spotting an empty booth nearby, Zander headed straight for it and slid onto the cushioned bench.
Bracken sat opposite him. “I can’t help but notice that you found us a table in the area Gwen seems to be working.”
Well, it would give Zander the opportunity to watch her, to see how she interacted with people, to work out what the hell was unsettling his wolf. The run hadn’t helped ease the beast’s tension at all.
Dressed in a lemon T-shirt and cutoff shorts, she weaved her way through the group, heading toward the door that he suspected led to the kitchen. Jesus, she had shapely, tanned legs that looked as smooth as butter. His cock twitched. He’d always been a sucker for legs. He could see himself hooking Gwen’s over his shoulders as he—
Spotting him and Bracken, she blinked and then held up one finger. She went into the kitchen only to reappear moments later. “Hey,” she greeted them with a smile, stopping at their table.
His wolf immediately withdrew. There was no submission or fear in the act, just a sort of primal wariness.