Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
They were not experienced wolves. Yes, they’d been transitioning every full moon, but that didn’t make them professionals.
Alexa still felt the pain. The last full moon, she got injured. What would she do if Cheryl was out looking to finish what she started?
Landon didn’t say anything. He reached across the table and held her hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and it was.
****
After enjoying a large lunch, they headed back into the forest. There wasn’t much they could do. With the full moon due that night, they couldn’t exactly escape far. They needed to be ready for the transition. It was how he knew his father wasn’t too far away. His alpha, his father, would never put him in danger.
There had to be a reason why Marcel didn’t go chasing after them last night. This was all part of Marcel’s plans
“So, what will we do after tonight?” Alexa asked. “I’ve never been away from the pack for any length of time.”
“Me neither.”
She chuckled. “That’s a lie. You often go away with your dad to go and visit other packs.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“Why not?”
“Simple, I’m always with my dad. We even share a room. We got two beds in one room at a hotel. I’ve never been away from the pack. Never wanted to, to be honest.”
“I’m a bad influence, aren’t I?”
He took her hand, locking their fingers together. “No, you’re not.”
Landon couldn’t help but wonder if she felt it whenever they held hands. The undeniable connection they shared. He couldn’t get enough of touching her. Whenever he did, he felt … safe. It was an odd sensation to have, but it also wasn’t the only thing he felt. He needed her. This was an insane feeling considering how long he’d spent not wanting anything to do with her. At the same time, the pictures in his drawer, on his cell phone, even the number of times he’d gotten close to her. He’d always felt compelled to be close to her, but he’d never told his parents that.
They headed back into the forest, and for several hours, they didn’t speak to each other. For Landon, words were not necessary. Just touching her was enough. Holding her hand, enjoying the feel of the sunshine on their bodies.
It was a lot more freeing than wearing the damn cuffs.
After a short time had passed, though, the feeling of uselessness started to overwhelm. They came to a fallen tree, and at the same time, they both sat down, neither of them letting go of the other.
“This is probably going to sound lame, but I have no idea what to do,” Alexa said.
“You’re not the only one. I’ve never done anything like this. Never wanted to.” Landon stared down at their joined hands, wondering what was going on back home. Was his father worried? Was there a search party?
He didn’t actually like to cause trouble. The pack meant everything to him.
“We can’t even leave. I … do you think we should head back?” Alexa asked.
“They’re going to put the cuffs back on us,” Landon said.
She sighed. “You’re right.”
“Are the cuffs so bad?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I mean, they’re not bad. It’s not like we’re being hurt, but wouldn’t you like this to be our choice?”
He nodded, agreeing. Going back home wouldn’t help matters.
Landon spun, lifted his leg, and turned toward her. “Let’s try something.” He hadn’t let go of her hand, and Alexa followed his stance, staring at him.
“I’m listening.”
“I want to kiss you.”
“Landon?”
“Look, our parents and the whole pack are not going to allow us to be without the cuffs unless we show we’re willing, so how about we show them some?”
“By kissing?”
“Maybe we can come up with a compromise that shows we’re willing to do whatever the hell they ask, so long as we don’t have the cuffs. It wouldn’t be hard working with you at the diner, or the library, or wherever you work. Would you care where I work? What I’m doing?” he asked.
“No, of course not. I’ve seen you in action, and I kind of like what you do.”
“See.” He pressed a finger to her thigh. “There’s no reason we can’t do this. We can make this work and go back home, but we have to do it on a united front.”
“As mates?”
He wanted to say yes, but he also didn’t want to push. “How about we call ourselves mates in training?” he asked.
She giggled. “Did you hear what they called us before?”
“Hate mates?” he asked.
“Yep.” He laughed. “Yeah, it does have a nice ring to it.”
She shook her head and held her hand up. “So, you’re saying we should, like, kiss and get used to each other, or something like that?”
“Yeah. We hug now, all the time. Why not … kiss?”
Alexa pursed her lips, and he had to wonder if he’d taken this a little too far, but then, all of a sudden, she smiled. “Yeah, I’m in.” She licked her lips and tilted her head to the side. “I, er, I’m not exactly sure how this goes. Don’t laugh, but I’ve never kissed anyone.”