Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
I watch Lance go back to my kitchen, making cooking look like the most masculine task ever invented. I feel myself wanting to resist him still. Because it’s hard to believe this is really what he says it is. That he’s in it for life with me. Dedicated to making me happy.
And yet… when I think about Sadie with Deke, it’s the same. Deke doesn’t take his eyes off Sadie if she’s in his presence. Ever.
“Is Sadie Deke’s mate?” I ask, my mouth still full of omelet.
“Yes. Thank fuck. Deke was close to going feral before he found her.”
I pause in scooping up my next forkful. “What do you mean?”
Lance brings a plate piled high with food—I mean, heaped—and sits down beside me to eat. “Dominant wolves can run into trouble if they don’t find their mate in time. Their wolf goes mad and takes over. It’s probably where humans derived the distorted legends about werewolves from.” Lance shoves a giant forkful of eggs into his mouth.
I eye his plate. “Are you going to eat all of that?”
He flashes that Hollywood-worthy grin. “Yep. We eat a lot.”
“No wonder you feel like you have to worry about providing for your female. Biologically, I mean.”
His eyes are soft on me. “Yeah. Totally.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t eat that much.”
His laugh is rich and warm, and it sends shivers of pleasure down to my toes. “Angel, I wouldn’t worry if you ate like a horse.”
“Or a wolf.”
He winks. “Right.”
“So once you find your mate, you’re obsessed with taking care of her, and if you don’t, you go mad? Sounds like a win-win for the female species.” I reach over and take a forkful of his enormous stack of pancakes.
“Eh. We are a species that’s going extinct. Maybe that’s why Fate matched Deke and me with humans. Diversify the genes a bit.”
I shake my head. “I’m really not sure I believe in the Fate-matched thing.”
Lance shrugs his muscled shoulders. “Fate. Biology. Call it what you will. The instinct is real. Even if I was stupid enough not to recognize it the first time I saw you. In my defense, you were immersed in water, so I didn’t get the full notes of your scent.”
I smile, the memory of our first meeting even sweeter now that I know him better. I’d liked him then, in spite of my better sense. Now that I’m getting to know more about him, I like him even more.
“What you don’t know is that I leapt off the rock above you in wolf form.” He flashes a pirate grin. “I didn’t know you were in there, and had to shift mid-air.”
I clap my hand over my mouth, laughing. “Oh no, that’s hilarious. Well, you surprised the heck out of me, too.”
“A pleasant surprise, I hope.” His eyes grow soft.
“Very pleasant,” I murmur. “One of my best birthdays ever, I have to say.” My hand slips to my belly. Despite the fact that this pregnancy was unplanned, it doesn’t diminish what a gift it is. I’ve always wanted children. Always planned to have a family.
I glance at the clock and pop the last bite of omelet in my mouth. “I’d better get going. I can’t be late to work.”
“Of course not. I don’t mean to delay you.”
I stand and lean in to kiss his temple. He lets out a distinctly animal-like growl, his hands coming to my bare waist. I suppose my breasts swinging near his face are a bit of a temptation. “Want to help me shower?” My voice turns husky.
Lance shoots out of his chair, picking me up by the waist and swinging me into a honeymoon carry. “I promise I’ll get you to work on time,” he swears as he swiftly walks me to the bathroom.
I laugh, warmth sliding through me.
A voice in the back of my head tells me not to get used to this. Not to get attached. Things might not work out.
They probably can’t last.
But I’ve had enough emotional upheaval for one week, finding out I am pregnant and then finding out I’m having a wolf for a baby. I think I deserve to ignore the overprotective voice for the moment.
I can figure out how to re-plan the plan tomorrow.
Lance
Rafe gives me the side-eye when I come into the living room smelling like Charlie’s shower gel. I probably smell like Charlie, too, even though I took care of her needs under the spray of water.
Rafe is at the computer desk in the corner.
“How’s it going with the human?”
If I hadn’t just had the release of sex with Charlie, I’d probably tackle him. I stop still and pin him with a look. He’s four years older, and has been in charge of me since the day our parents gave their lives to save ours. I don’t push back often, but when it comes to my mate, my wolf won’t back down. “Don’t ever call her the human again,” I say with enough menace to make Rafe flick his brows. “Her name is Charlie. You will call her Charlie. I’m going to invite her over to meet all of you, and I expect you to be the fucking welcome-wagon.”