Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
I bob my head as if I agree to whatever he’s said.
“You’ll be okay, Lana.”
“Uh huh.” My voice sounds dead.
We both know that’s a lie.
The ATV rolls out of the forest and into a private parking lot that looks a lot like the one where my rental SUV was parked before it exploded. “This is me.” He motions to a red sports car. If I was in a good mood, I would tease him about buying a flashy doctor car, but I’m not, so I dismount and walk over to the passenger side, feeling numb.
Beside the car is a big silver Mercedes SUV. A light goes on inside, revealing a big blond guy. I catch my breath for a second, thinking it’s Teddy, but no, it’s Darius. I can tell by the way he holds himself as he exits the car. He’s barefoot and no longer in his suit, but stripped down to an undershirt and slacks.
“Darius,” Matthias greets him. “You went for a run?”
“Just got back and changed,” Darius confirms. His eyes flash silver when they light on me. “What's going on?”
“I'm going to be mindwiped,” I tell him. “Teddy and I broke up.”
Darius narrows his eyes.
Matthias opens the car door for me, and I slide inside. I don’t want to explain anything more than I already have.
Matthias and Darius confer a moment in muffled voices. I don’t even try to listen in. Soon enough, the driver’s side opens, but to my surprise, it’s not Matthias but Darius who slides in.
Matthias taps on my window. “Darius wants to drive you. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” I say. What does it matter?
Darius adjusts the rear view window. “There are a few things I want to tell you on the way there.”
I clutch my bag to my chest and turn my head to look out the window. “Whatever.” I sound like a surly teenager for the first time in my life.
Darius puts the car in gear, and it purrs from its parking spot. Matthias stands with his hands in his pockets, watching us go. I probably should have said goodbye. But it’s not like I’m not going to remember him or anyone else anyway.
Teddy
What. In the hell. Was I thinking?
How could I, for even one minute, consider erasing Lana’s memories of me?
The moment she leaves, it’s like my heart left my chest. No, more like every organ left my body. I’m left a pile of dry bones, with nothing to give me life.
I try to stagger to the cabin but find myself on my knees in the dirt. My legs don’t even work.
“Lana.” I try to say her name, but it comes out as raspy cough. Like my mouth is full of dirt. Too dry to even form a word. “Lana,” I try again with no greater success.
What have I done?
Can this really be the answer? If this was right, why would it feel so wrong? Not just wrong—horribly, horribly off.
But Matthias thought it was right. So did Darius.
They had to intervene with Tiffany, too.
Am I just unable to see what has to be done here? Am I blinded by lust for the sweet human?
Mate! my bear roars.
And that’s when real fear sets in. Because if my bear is right–if Lana is our mate–I just fucked myself beyond all fuckery.
Shifters who find a mate and don’t claim her turn feral.
I just signed my own death warrant in order to save the mountain.
And honestly–I don’t even care about death. Because dying is nothing compared to the pain of knowing I hurt Lana. Knowing the last thing she’ll remember of me–although not for long now–will be my total betrayal.
Lana
There’s a boulder in my throat, threatening to choke me. I focus on taking deep breaths, so I don’t have to ride next to Darius with tears streaming down my face. When we pass the Bad Bear Mountain sign, I close my eyes, so I don’t have to see the painted bears romping across the faded wood.
“So what happened?” Darius asks, his voice casual like he’s asking about the weather.
I grip my bag tighter. “Teddy says we're from different worlds.”
“He's right, you know. You are,” Darius says, and I briefly contemplate throwing my bag at his head. I don’t want to ride the whole way with Darius saying, “I told you so.” I don't want to look at him right now because he looks so much like Teddy. A business-minded, anal retentive version of Teddy, but Teddy all the same. Darius even has let his beard grow out a little messier, probably for the town meeting.
Darius lets a few miles of road pass before saying,“You know, the last time Teddy was with a human, it went badly.”
“Was it Tiffany?”
“Yes, Tiffany. Did Teddy tell you about Tiffany?”
“No. He hasn’t told me anything.” I’m angry about this Tiffany and whatever she did to screw this up for me. I’m mad at Teddy, and I sure as heck don’t love his twin right now, either.