Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120031 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Shaya’s head snapped around to face Eli. “What? What is it? What am I … Oh. Wait, you found your true mate?” The shrill note to her voice woke a pregnant Ally.
Eli stepped further into the room. “Yes, I found her. Knew she was mine within seconds of meeting her. The mating urge hit us hard, and we claimed each other last night.”
Standing, Shaya glanced behind Eli. “Well, where is she? Tell me you’re not making me wait to meet her. You know how I hate to wait.”
Eli snickered. “She’ll be coming here for dinner. You can all meet her then. And I expect you to be nice.”
Blowing out a breath, Nick stood and held out his hand. “Well, congrats.”
Eli shook his brother’s hand and accepted the well wishes that came from the rest of his pack mates. As he’d anticipated, they were happy for him but also seemed wary about what would come next—particularly his mother, whose smile was somewhat strained.
Ally studied Eli. “You feel a lot steadier to my Seer-senses.”
“I was just thinking that he looked it,” said Bracken. “You’ve always been kind of unflappable, Eli, but there’s a … restfulness about you that wasn’t there before. Like every bit of turmoil inside you just went still.”
Probably because that was exactly the case. “Being the last unmated pack member was getting to me and my wolf. If I’m honest, it was eating at us. What made it worse was that I couldn’t be sure I’d find her, or that I’d even instantly know she was mine if I did. And then there was the possibility that she’d imprinted on someone else. It all messed with my head, and I wasn’t in a good place. Then there was her.”
Bracken’s gaze briefly slid to his own mate. “Yeah, I get it.”
“Tell us about her,” urged Harley.
And then several questions were hurled at Eli at once from various people …
“What’s her name?”
“Where did you meet her?”
“How old is she?”
“Is she a wolf?”
“Does she want kids one day?”
“Is she dominant or submissive?”
“Does she have any food allergies?”
Eli raised his hand to stop the flow of questions. “Her name is Casey Frost. She’s twenty-seven. I met her at The Den—she fights there sometimes. She’s an enforcer for her pack, and she’s strong as fucking hell. Even more dominant than Roni.”
His sister’s eyes widened. “Really? Well, now I’m super intrigued. What pack is she from?”
“The Craven Pack,” replied Eli, relieved that Roni didn’t seem bothered by the idea of having a female around whose level of dominance exceeded her own.
Marcus frowned. “That’s not a wolf pack, is it?”
“No,” said Eli. “Casey’s not a wolf. She’s a mink.”
Zander gaped at him. “You’re kidding.”
“Wait, there are mink shifters?” asked Gwen, the only human in their pack. She was also mated to Zander. “That is awesome.”
Kathy shot to her feet. “It’s far from ‘awesome.’”
Eli’s brows snapped together. “Why is that?”
Kathy spluttered. “Maybe because they’re the psychopaths of the shifter kingdom. And cannibals. Did you forget that part? They’ll kill and eat each other.”
Nick sighed. “Mom—”
“Are you sure she’s your true mate, Eli?” asked Kathy. “There’s no mistake?”
Eli felt his face harden. “I’m sure.”
Kathy flapped her arms. “I just can’t believe fate lumped you with a mink.”
Madisyn shrugged one shoulder. “I like them.”
Smiling, Bracken snorted at his mate. “You would. They’re as bloodthirsty as your kind.”
Kathy perched her hands on her hips. “But whereas pallas cats are crazy, minks are just rampant, indiscriminate serial killers.”
Shaya cast her an exasperated look. “Do you have to be so dramatic? Really?”
Kathy blinked. “Dramatic? It only takes for you to hurt one of them—just one—and their entire pack, which often totals hundreds, will descend on yours in a fury. Crossing a mink means you get to experience the meaning of wholesale massacre.”
“If they were bigger, they’d rule the world for sure,” said Madisyn, smiling. “And pallas cats would totally help them do it.”
“Well, I’m glad you’ve found your true mate, Eli,” declared Derren. “It doesn’t matter what breed she is; what’s important is that you’re happy. Isn’t that right, Kathy?” It was more of a pressurizing statement than a question—it had no effect.
Kathy pushed her hair out of her face. “I think it’s possible that you’re wrong about her being yours, Eli. As you said, it was getting to you and your wolf that you hadn’t found your mate. I’ve known males your age to start panicking that they’re never going to find their true mate—they can be so eager to do it that they’ll easily mistake a strong attraction for a true-mate situation. Think about it, Eli. Really think about it. Just because you’re sexually attrac—”
“And we’re done,” Eli cut in.
Kathy’s lips thinned. “But—”
“No.” Eli slashed a hand through the air. “You had your say. I listened. Now the conversation is over. And make sure you don’t repeat any of that shit to Casey. Think what you want, but don’t offload it on her.”