Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
“Sit down,” I said in a low growl to him, throwing out my hand. I didn’t take my glare off fucking Nate Brown’s treacherous face, though. I saw now why he brought his kin. For backup. They probably fueled his previously unvoiced arguments.
“My brothers’ mates were approved by their fucking alpha, end of story.” I infused my voice with alpha command, causing the whole room to draw a breath at once. “The entire pack was invited to Boyd and Audrey’s wedding down at the barn by the big house—it wasn’t news. It’s over and done. No reason to discuss.”
A pup in the back of the room started crying in her mother’s arms at the blast of aggression I’d sent out.
“But Colton mated a human, too.”
I nodded. “He did.” I’d already explained myself enough. Those two words were all he was going to get on the topic.
“Alpha, with all respect,” —bullshit— “you have yet to choose a mate. At your age and with your alpha power, you are treacherously close to moon madness. What happens to this pack when you have to be put down? Your brothers aren’t fit to lead with human mates. And our pack’s alpha lineage will die. That’d be a travesty.”
The pack members either sat quietly waiting to hear my answer or were whispering between themselves. This had been brought up before but not in such an in-your-face manner. Why him? Why now? He didn’t seem the type to be worried I was going to die soon. He had an agenda here, a deeper reason than just sowing discontent.
Boyd growled beside me. Before I could answer, Nate’s kin stood up.
“We’ll take you.” He opened his arms to the pack. “I spoke to my brother, our alpha with the Madison Range pack.” Since he’d told me where he was from at the door, he added that for everyone in the room. Which meant this had all been planned. “He’d be happy to absorb the pack when your alpha goes mad. In fact, he’d insist on it.”
What. The actual fuck?
This was a goddamn coup. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but fuck. Just what I needed right about now. Or ever.
I stood. As soon as I did, Boyd, Clint and every one of my ranch hands surged up around me, all of them growling. Now Clint and Boyd could understand the depth of my problem with Natalie.
“Get out,” I snarled, pointing at the door.
Sal Brown raised his brows in mock surprise, like I was being rude for revoking hospitality. “We came in peace. Your pack’s in trouble, and we want to help. As a friendly neighbor.”
“Get. The. Fuck Out. Now. Before I tear you to shreds.”
The baby in the back wailed so loudly, her mother took her out of the lodge house through the kitchen. One by one, other men in my pack stood, folding their arms across their chests. They might wonder about my delay in mating, but they were behind me.
The outsiders stood and made their way to the door.
“You too, Nathan.” I tipped my head for him to follow. “Get the fuck out.”
Nathan hesitated. He’d gone a little pale. The guy’s balls most likely had already shriveled at the sound of my alpha command, and now he was probably worried he was out of my pack for good.
He might just be. The fucker would have to make it right with me, but if he tried right now, I was likely to bloody the guy.
Silence descended. I didn’t speak or move until I heard two vehicles start and drive away. Then I looked around at everyone who remained, silent and watchful.
“Anyone else here want to say something about my brothers’ choices in mates?”
Or mine?
Something sharp and painful twisted in my gut, thinking of how happy Boyd was with Audrey, his pup in her belly. And Colton, pushed to the brink with his own moon madness, but now mated to the woman who was meant to be his. And me?
My wolf had met its mate. For the first time ever, I knew. Just like Boyd and Colton had. One look, one whiff of Audrey’s and Marina’s scent, and they were fucking goners.
Natalie Shefield, that gorgeous human neighbor of mine. Her scent called to my wolf. Her body called to my dick. Her feisty, brave determination called to my mind.
I’d barely spoken with her. Barely seen enough of her body to satisfy my basest instincts. And yet, she was my mate.
If I’d clung to one shred of hope, I might be able to have her. It just fucking went up in flames. No way would Nathan or anyone in the Madison Range pack think twice about getting rid of me as alpha if I admitted I had a mate who was human.
This pack was a disaster, and it was all because of me.