Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44845 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Thorn nodded. “Understood.” He gave a slight bow before he and Surge turned, shifted, and bounded away.
Chapter Eighteen
Felix breathed out a sigh of relief, though he was not entirely sure he should let his guard down, and he hated knowing that the only one among them who could tell if the bears were going to return was his sweet Little mate.
Damon nodded in the direction of his home. “Our house is close. Let’s gather there.”
Felix thought that was a good idea. He turned Khloe around in his embrace and met her gaze. “Are they gone?”
She nodded. “They’re still moving away. They have not stopped.”
“Not even Drow and Firat? I didn’t like their attitude.”
“They’re still moving away, too, Daddy, I promise.”
Elias spoke next. “We need to give Olivia and Khloe some time to bump heads. It’s possible the two of them can combine their skills in some fashion that would be beneficial to the pack. In addition, we need to arm them with whatever information they need to be safe and effective.”
“I can tell you something I need,” Khloe stated.
“What’s that, Little one?” Felix asked.
“I need to meet everyone in the pack. Every Alpha Protector and mate. Once I’ve met someone, I know their scent and can detect when they’re approaching. Until then, all I know is that a wolf is going to arrive. It would be helpful if I could tell Daddy specifically who is coming.”
Ezra nodded. “She has a point.”
Elias held up his phone. “I’ll send out an alert when we get back to Damon’s. Any Alpha Protectors who are nearby will come to meet Khloe if at all possible. We might need to plan a time to take her around to some of the outlying Alphas—especially the elders.”
“Thank you,” Khloe responded.
Felix hated the idea of sharing his mate of only three weeks with every member of the Alpha Protectors and their mates. He wanted more time alone with her. The process would take days, but he acknowledged it was necessary and could prove crucial at some point. She needed to be able to tell him exactly who was on the move, not just four wolves.
“Let’s go, Little one,” he encouraged. “Stay with us until we reach Damon’s house.”
When Felix looked over his shoulder, he found Olivia already in wolf form. He knew she preferred to spend a great deal of time in her wolf skin because she was sighted when she was shifted and could trust her surroundings better. He knew even at home she tended to spend hours shifted. The problem with that was that she could not communicate with her mate in wolf form. They did not have a telepathic connection like she had with the bears. Damon felt separated from his Little mate when she was not in human form. It was frustrating but often necessary.
Felix hoped Khloe did not develop any skills that required her to spend time shifted without him. It would tear a piece of his heart if he couldn’t listen to her chattering, singing, or even arguing with him.
Everyone stared as Khloe shifted. Those who had seen her before were not as stunned, but even a second time was shocking. Felix understood. He was somewhat stunned every time she shifted.
Olivia had already shifted, and she crept closer, her head tipped to one side in what Felix assumed was astonishment. It was a natural reaction. He couldn’t blame her. Every time Felix saw Khloe’s wolf, he was taken aback. Her size went against the natural order of things and fucked with the mind.
Finally Oliva turned in the direction of her house and nodded as if to say, “Follow me.”
It worked. Every one of them followed Olivia back to her home.
Felix was relieved they were able to arrive without further incident. When Khloe had stopped running at his side earlier, he’d been frustrated and considered punishing her until he understood the reason for her sudden halt. She’d known things he did not sense. He would need to follow her lead when it came to encounters in the mountains. If she stopped, it would be for a good reason.
It took very little time to arrive at Damon and Olivia’s home, and soon they were all shifted and crowding into the great room. Felix was stressed about the number of Alphas and their mates who would soon be summoned to meet Khloe today. None of them would turn down the request.
Olivia wrapped her arms around Damon. “Please can Khloe and I go to my nursery for a while?”
Damon kissed the top of her head. “Yes, Little one. I think that’s a great idea. Relax and find something to do that will occupy your minds while the rest of us talk.”
Olivia beamed. “Thank you, Daddy.” She reached out a hand in Khloe’s direction. She had a strong sense of where people were located in the room, so her outstretched hand was almost perfectly aligned with Khloe’s location.