Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
There’s no way in hell I’d sit on the sidelines and let her marry another man. But since she won’t find Landon, she doesn’t need to know that. “Not much of a wedding guy. I’ll send you a nice gift though.”
She chuckles. “No, you have to be there. You’re the beta helping me find my alpha.”
The beta. She just called me the sidekick, the one that doesn’t get the girl. Anger and jealousy burn in my gut even though this was my idea in the first place. There’s a twisted part of me that wants to show her I am the alpha and she’s the luna, the female wolf who belongs to an alpha.
An image of her in my bed with her hair spread on my pillow flashes in my mind. Her perfect tits would be pointing up, her chest heaving with every breath. She’d be pleading for her orgasm in that soft, breathy voice. Begging her alpha to let her come.
Fuck, my jeans grow impossibly tighter. At least, it’s dark enough that she can’t see the hard-on I’m sporting.
“Your place is pretty.” She sighs. “I wonder what his place looks like.”
For just a moment, I let myself think about what it’d be like to have her here in my cabin. I have plenty of space in my office. Would she sit at her desk and type away on that old laptop while drinking those overpriced coffees she loves so much? Would her cat play at my feet while I read out another scene? Would I steal kisses from her between chapters?
Shaking my head, I dismiss the stupid fantasy. I’ve been alone my whole life and that’s not about to change.
5
GWEN
Blade leaves the truck as soon as I acknowledge how pretty his place is. Try to give the guy a compliment.
He’s around my side a second later and opens the door for me. He did it earlier too. He’s always opening doors for me. I wonder for a moment if he has a wife or girlfriend and force myself to ignore the stab of jealousy that hits me.
When I try to reach for the cat carrier, Blade takes it instead. He’s so thoughtful, always doing things for me. Maybe it’s just the way guys in his town behave. I’m not sure. All I know is that I like the way the moonlight glints off his bicep as he easily takes the carrier.
As I approach the cabin, the moon bathes it in a soft glow that makes the place look magical and inviting.
I love living near the beach and hearing the sound of the ocean hitting the sand. I love the way the air always smells salty, and the way the heat is so oppressive in the summers.
But I can’t deny that lately, I’ve started to feel a bit lonely there. What would it be like to have a little mountain cabin? To watch the sun rise on the porch swing while sipping my coffee? To leave the bedroom windows open at night so I can smell the pine trees and fresh air?
Blade stops on the porch. His voice is gritty when he speaks, “What has you convinced he’s the one anyway?”
I don’t know how to explain it to Blade. I don’t know how to explain it to anyone. I only know that my soulmate is here in Courage County, and I want to find him. I desperately need to find him.
Blade has already made it clear that he doesn’t understand this, my quest for true love. I don’t know why it disappoints me that he doesn’t get it. For some crazy reason, I find myself wanting Blade of all people to support me.
I finally settle on shrugging, the strap from my purple bag digging deep into my shoulder. My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten in hours. I don’t normally skip meals, but I was too nervous at the thought of meeting Landon to eat anything after my book signing.
Blade sets the cat carrier down and turns to me. If I thought he was handsome in the light of day, it’s nothing compared to how he looks in the moonlight. All harsh lines and deep shadows. He’s mysterious and striking and breath-taking in his fierce beauty. “You can tell me.”
I shift my weight, and a porch board groans beneath my feet. I went skydiving last year and spent most of the night before so nervous that I thought I’d throw up and so excited that I couldn’t sleep. That’s exactly how I feel when I’m standing next to Blade. Like I’m about to do another freefall.
An owl hoots in the distance, and the wind rustles through the long grass. Nature is oblivious to our conversation. To the way my heart is pounding, and my blood is buzzing.
What would it be like to live here with him? Would he spend his days watching as I type furiously? Would he bring me a fresh cup of coffee when the writing is going really well? Would he massage my neck when it’s tight, and I just need a moment of encouragement and the reminder that he believes in me? And why am I even thinking about these things when it comes to Blade?