Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Isaiah sidled up to Deke, saying nothing; communicating with his steady gaze alone that he couldn’t be intimidated. Glaring at the male who might have claimed their mate if certain things had been different, Isaiah’s cat snarled and flexed his claws.
Zaire continued to stare, his body stiff, his neck corded, his jaw clenched. Lines of tension were etched into his face, giving him a pinched look. He was absently drumming his fingers fast against his outer thigh, as if filled with a restless energy that he couldn’t quite contain. “You must be Isaiah.”
“I must be.” Isaiah slid his fellow enforcer a sideways look. “It’s all right, Deke. I got this.” And Zaire needed to see that; see that Isaiah didn’t need backup. Something that became clear when Deke stepped aside without hesitation or argument, showing he had faith in Isaiah’s ability to protect himself and his mate.
“My name is Zaire Daniels,” he said, his chin inching up. “I’m Alpha of the Crimson Pride.”
Ah, so he’d ascended, then.
“I heard what happened to Quinley.”
“And?”
“I want to see her, I want to know she’s all right,” said Zaire, his voice stilted. The concern lacing his tone held a begrudging note, and there was a strain to his words … as if speaking them aloud vexed him.
The guy didn’t want to be here, Isaiah thought. Not really. He didn’t want to be so affected by the situation. But he—probably largely driven by any concern his cat might feel—had been unable to ignore the urge to check on her.
“Quinley is fine,” Isaiah told him. “If you heard what happened, you’ll know that, too.” He cocked his head. “How did you know where we lived?”
His shoulders stiffly rose and fell. “I heard Harlan mention the cul-de-sac. I knew there was one near the stores run by your pride. I drove here, noticed Quinley’s car, figured out this is your place.”
“Our place,” Isaiah corrected. “Mine and Quinley’s.”
The black-foot ground his teeth. “I want to see her.”
“I’m unsure why you’d think I care what you want,” said Isaiah, keeping his tone bored.
The corners of Zaire’s eyes tightened. He opened his mouth but didn’t speak, either intent on choosing his words carefully or struggling to find the right ones. Finally, he settled on asking, “Did she talk to you about me?”
“You were mentioned.”
“So you know who I am to her.”
Anger pricked at Isaiah and wrenched a growl out of his cat. “You’re no one to her. The woman you imprinted on? She’s yours. Not Quinley.”
Zaire’s nostrils flared. He drew in an impatient breath and then exhaled slow and heavily. “If you don’t want to let me in your house, fine,” he clipped. “Just call her out here. Five minutes is all I need.” Authority vibrated through his voice, thick and oppressive.
“Throwing your Alpha weight around isn’t going to work here. You’re not my Alpha, or hers.”
Zaire swore. “You can’t stop people from seeing her.”
“I don’t keep people away from her. I’m just keeping you away from her.”
A taunting brow hiked up. “Why, worried I’ll lure her from you?”
“Not at all.” It was the truth. “Even if you weren’t mated, neither she nor her cat would ever accept you.”
Zaire’s flinch was minor, but Isaiah saw it.
Taking a slow yet aggressive step forward, Isaiah felt his face harden. “That being said, I’m really not fucking okay with you showing up to see Quinley whenever you feel like it. That’s never going to be something I’ll tolerate, or something she’d want even if I okayed it.”
The black-foot’s face scrunched up, his cheeks reddening. But then his expression smoothed out as all emotion washed away from his face. “I looked into you.”
“Did you now?”
“You had nothing to gain from entering an arranged mating. And you’re not so far ahead in life that you’re running out of time to start a family. That tells me you did this because you found your true mate but can’t have her.”
Isaiah didn’t allow his expression to change, giving the cat nothing.
“Put yourself in my position for a minute. Let’s say you heard she got shot and pursued by a pack of fucking wolves. Would you not want to know she’s all right?”
In truth, yes. But Isaiah wouldn’t seek Lucinda out; wouldn’t try to check on her even from afar. To do so would shit on the promises he’d made to Quinley. Worse, it would not only disrespect this female he’d come to care for, it would hurt her. That wasn’t something that Isaiah would ever intentionally do.
“You already know that Quinley’s fine,” Isaiah pointed out. “And as it happens, no, I wouldn’t be stood where you are right now if our situations were reversed. You shouldn’t be here at all. I get that it can’t be easy to keep your distance from Quinley now that you’ve faced reality. But it’s too late for you to do shit about it. Focus on the woman you chose to mate. She needs you. Quinley doesn’t.”