Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23283 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23283 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
And they’re not going to like what they find.
Layla drops to the bed with a shiver as I pull my cream-coated cock out of her.
The strength leaves my muscles and I collapse beside her. She nuzzles into me and I put my arm around her, enjoying the moment, enjoying her.
I wish we never had to leave this bed. I wish we could stay like this forever.
We might not have forever, but we have this moment…
And I’m going to enjoy every second of it with my perfect mate.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Layla
My neck is tingling as I drive down the road with my mate by my side. I reach up and touch it as Noah watches out of the corner of his eye. I don’t know why, but this spot under my ear has been tingly since last night. It seems to be getting stronger for some reason.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Noah says again for the tenth time. “You shouldn’t be here. I should be handling this alone.”
“Not going to happen,” I say as I grip the steering wheel. “I saw what happened last time.”
“That was different,” he says.
“How so?”
He sighs heavily. “I had given up. I was laying down for them. I wanted to be taken out.”
I raise an eyebrow as I turn to him. “And now?”
There’s a fire in his brown eyes as he squeezes his hand into a fist. “Now, I’ll take on the whole world if it means I get to wake up to your beautiful face every morning.”
I can’t help but smile. Waking up next to this gorgeous man this morning was indescribable. After a long night of lovemaking, it was pure bliss waking up completely satisfied while being engulfed with a warm feeling of pure love. It was the best start to a day I’ve ever had.
“I feel the same way, Noah. I’m not about to let you handle this on your own.”
“But—“
“It’s us against the world.”
I hold out my hand. He takes a deep breath and then takes it. My heart flutters when I feel him gently squeezing my fingers.
“But these men are dangerous. They’re out for blood.”
“Luckily, I have a shotgun in the trunk and I’m a hell of a shot.”
“A shotgun won’t do much against these guys.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Or, maybe it will help tip the balance in our favor. Either way, I don’t want to live without you. I’d rather die by your side than live another day without you.”
He sighs as he looks at me with pure love. “How do I deserve you? Make it make sense.”
I chuckle as I pat his leg. “I’m sure you’ll be sick of me by Christmas.”
He laughs as he shakes his head. “I’m sure you’re wrong.”
We talk about happier things as we drive back to the rock climbing spot. He tells me about growing up in Texas and it sounds like an idyllic childhood. His parents owned a small printing press and they lived on a hobby farm with all sorts of animals. The only shifter in his family was his grandfather who died young in the war, so it was a huge surprise when Noah first phased into his bear at three years old.
“How does it work with shifters in families?” I ask. “If the parent is a shifter are the kids shifters too?”
“Sometimes,” he says. “Or, sometimes they’re regular humans. It’s a gene that gets passed down. Some kids get it and some don’t.”
“How come you got it if your parents weren’t shifters?”
He shrugs. “It was probably swimming around in the gene pool, waiting to be plucked out. Like getting your grandmother’s big nose or your aunt’s red hair.”
“Well, I’m glad it found you.”
He looks so touched as he gazes at me.
“What?”
“No one has ever thought that me being a shifter was a good thing. Ever. Not my parents, not society, not even me.”
I grab his hand and hold it. He squeezes my fingers in gratitude. “I’m thankful,” I tell him. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
We drive the rest of the way in silence. I park the car and grab the shotgun out of the trunk. It’s a pretty wet fall morning, so there are no other climbers out. I’m thankful for that.
“Tell me about your family,” he says as we walk over to the cliff.
“My younger sister Dawn is getting married in the spring,” I tell him. I’m so happy for my sister, but at the same time, I’ve been so jealous. She was head over heels with a great guy and about to start a family, and meanwhile, I had never even kissed a man and didn’t know why. I wanted what she had and hated myself for being envious.
That’s all over now. I’m not jealous anymore. I have something here with Noah that’s even better than what I had hoped for. I have a true soul mate. A deep connection that I didn’t even know was possible.