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)
“I think he did that. Right after he peed all around the place.”
“Makin’ sure everyone and everything knows you’re his,” he says.
My eyes boing. “Oh.”
“Later, cuz,” he says, laughing.
“Later, cuz,” I parrot.
And then I set the phone down and lean over to look the wolf in the eyes.
“So, if you’re in there, Riley, I’m not sure if… Scooby Dooby here is holding you back from getting back in or not, but… I like him. I hope you two work it out if you’re in some sort of argument right now.”
The wolf pants while seeming to listen to every word I say.
I lean back, put my feet up on the coffee table, and get back into my e-book.
26
Riley
I’ve always had dominion over my wolf. We’ve always been one. In synch. Until the past couple weeks where I now realize I’ve been systematically splitting in two. Until now, specifically, because my wolf is showing himself to be too smart, too even-tempered to go along with the asshole behavior I’ve been pulling.
Clearly, he’s distanced himself from me and barely made himself known the past two days. Not since I made the snap decision to take what was mine. It’s only in hindsight I realize this. He was part of me when I ripped Greyson’s mate’s cousin’s throat apart. But departed after I mated her.
Now I know there was a separation happening. We’ve heard of it plenty of times working with other packs who needed help. He was biding his time. Waiting for me to let him in. So he could fuckin’ take over, and lock me down. The fact he’s been able to do this shows how fucked up I am.
He’s put me in time-out. And being in time-out, I’m getting an opportunity to see her through new eyes. His eyes. I’m also seeing how much more relaxed she is when I’m not there, which says a lot. She’s still sad. Incredibly sad. But she prefers his company to mine. And him? He loves her. Deeply. And he’s pissed at me for being such a dick.
When I couldn’t get back in, felt him push against my own will and win, at first I was livid. Because I’m in control, because I’m me. But also because I want answers about the supernatural council that sentenced her, no, sentenced us, to that extreme punishment. If she’s meant to be mine, if I’m meant to be hers, then what the fuck was the difference when it happened?
Why was such a harsh punishment delivered when she felt so drawn to me that she used the tools she had to get what she wanted? I’d have done the same. Alpha male shifters do it. They identify what they know is theirs and they take it.
The Young witch saw me, wanted me, and broke some rules to have me. Which didn’t cheat a true mate out of her fate because she is my true mate.
I need to know the deal. Yeah, punish a witch for breaking a fundamental rule, sure, but a punishment this harsh? With both of us suffering for seven years when we’re meant to be together? A punishment like this putting a wedge between what should be our bond?
I’m infuriated at what it’s done to her. At how different she is since the day we met. At what it’s done to me. So infuriated it’s made me a hard ass dick who couldn’t pull his shit together. Couldn’t function. I’m broken. I was pissed off, angry, but then seeing her after all this time and the warring feelings, then feeling her pain? Having her emotions chase me? What came at me through our connection that day in the restaurant made me splinter apart inside. I’m her mate and I can barely talk to her. I’m her mate and there’s nothing I could’ve done to protect her through this. I’m her mate and I’m the one breaking her even worse than she’s been broken. All this time she’s waited to be able to come to me and this is what she gets?
I haven’t even purred to comfort her. All I’ve done is rut her, scowl at her, let her down, and shut her out.
I’d been messaging Joel, Grey, and Jared to ask them to help me get answers about her punishment, about the supernatural council. In my time on the Arcana Falls pack council we haven’t dealt with any non-shifters on the supernatural council. We’ve dealt with two wolf shifters. That’s it.
But I’m not getting my answers as I can’t control my wolf to use my phone and can’t get my wolf to let me in or get his furry ass to Joel’s place so Joel can tell me what he knows, obviously, since I agreed to stay here a week. So for now… I wait.
I wait. And I watch. Watch her talk to him, feel her stroke his fur and tell him he’s better company than me. Feel her emotions as she tells him she loves me. Feeling strangled that I can’t speak, can’t touch, can’t run away from her emotions.