Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
“You’re angry.”
“You’re not going to take from me, Constance. You were never good enough. Your parents saw that. Everyone sees that but Tanner and Gage. You’ve got the alpha at your beck and call.”
“Tanner didn’t give me this mark,” she said. “Gage did. I don’t want to belong to Tanner. I never loved him. I never found him attractive. I only ever wanted Gage.”
“You’re lying.”
“No. I’m not lying. I swear. I have no reason to lie to you. None at all. I don’t love Tanner. I told you this before.”
Tiffany wasn’t listening to her. She struck out with the knife, and Constance screamed as it sliced her arm. She tried to ward off the blow.
She did miss a couple of strikes of the blade, but in doing so, she moved to far to the edge.
Glancing behind her, she knew there was nowhere for her to go. Panic filled her.
“Tiffany, please, stop this. I don’t know what has gotten into you. I would never take Tanner from you. I know you love him. You will always love him.”
“I will, and I will love him when you’re gone. I will make sure everyone believes you have run away. You’re pathetic, useless, and no one will miss you.”
Tiffany struck out, and Constance couldn’t keep her balance. She screamed as she fell from the ledge to the ground below. A spike was sticking up. There was nothing covering it, and Constance fell onto it, feeling it tear through the flesh of her leg. The impact knocked the wind right out of her.
Looking up, she saw Tiffany looking down. “You’ll die quickly.”
Tears fell thick and fast as she watched Tiffany go.
The building site was off-limits. No one was going to come to save her.
She couldn’t move. The wolf was hurt. She didn’t have the strength to turn, and she knew she didn’t have a lot of time before she died with her blood leaking out of her. Someone needed to rescue her soon.
She wanted Gage so badly. To at least tell him once that she loved him. That she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
Whimpering, she tried to move her leg, but the pain was too much.
“Help!” She began to yell at the top of her lungs. Each movement sent another shockwave of pain through her entire system.
“Please! Help!”
No one came. No one was around to answer.
Her heart broke for the chances she wouldn’t get to take. She loved Gage so much. She wanted to be his mate, and she would never get the chance.
How could life be so cruel to her?
****
“I don’t think going to lunch is a good idea,” Tanner said.
“It’s the perfect chance. You and Connie need to mend fences. You’re my son, and there’s a chance you could be friends. For me?” Gage asked.
“Dad, we weren’t friends in high school.”
“Son, Connie is important to me.”
“I know.”
“No, I mean, I am in love with her. This is not some pity scenario. I am in love with Constance and I want to make her my wife. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. To have wolves, to guide this pack together. You are my son, and I want you to be part of that, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
He looked at his son.
Tanner’s mouth was open. “Have you told her any of this?”
“No, I just mated with her instead. I was hoping action would help me along.”
Tanner shook his head. “Yeah, I got a feeling that Constance isn’t like that. And hey, you totally called her that rather than Connie. Why do you call her that, anyway?”
Gage smiled. “Because I am the only one who does. No one else calls her anything else.”
“It’s a pet name?”
He glared at his son, who held his hands up. “Look, I’m just trying to put it all into perspective here. I’m doing my job.”
They entered the library and he saw the main reception desk was empty. No sign of Connie or Lana.
Leaning against the counter, he looked at his son.
Last night had been rough on Tanner, but this morning, waking up, his kid looked … relieved. “You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked.
“Dad, I know you’re worried, and I get it. Last night was rough. I felt it. Rejecting Constance was my choice. I deserved what I got last night, but today, I feel … free. I feel like I can be myself. I don’t have to pretend with anyone. I’m not hurting anyone. Constance is going to be looked after, and I’m free.”
He nodded at his son.
Gage had read the books, knew the consequences his son was going to have to deal with in the event of him mating with Connie. In the beginning, he intended to take his time and to allow it to be a slow process, only he’d become impatient.