Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
I intended to drive straight through to the extended stay hotel the agency had booked for me, but I felt too emotional to stay behind the wheel that long. Instead, I pulled off the highway only an hour into my drive.
Deciding to go with the first hotel in the row directly off the main road, I parked near the entrance and grabbed the carry-on bag that I’d used to pack my essentials. Then I headed inside, relieved when the front desk attendant told me there were rooms available.
“Two queens or one king?”
There was no hidden meaning behind his question, but that didn’t stop my thoughts from wandering to what Leyton and I could do with a big bed. “Umm…it doesn’t really matter. Whatever is easiest for you is fine.”
After tapping at his keyboard, he checked me into a room and asked, “Just one key? Or do you need two?”
“One will be fine,” I assured him.
It wasn’t as though I had anyone in my life to share the room with. Which was an especially depressing thought after driving away from the only man who’d ever interested me.
My shoulders slumped as I trudged toward my room. Once the door closed behind me, I leaned against the hard surface with a deep sigh. For the first time since I decided to become a travel nurse, I was second-guessing my decision.
Some instinct deep down inside was crying out for me to turn around, get back in my car, and drive back so I could see if Leyton was still waiting for me at the hospital. But I made a commitment and couldn’t back out of it only days before I was supposed to arrive at my new assignment. Without a logical explanation, I’d ruin my reputation at the agency and never get another assignment again. Unfortunately, telling them that I didn’t want to leave because of my fierce attraction to a stranger wasn’t going to cut it.
3
LEYTON
Ihated to bother Aaron and Cressida when they were celebrating the birth of their first pup, but my grizzly was about to lose his shit because we hadn’t caught a glimpse of Evette for the past hour. It only took one look at the gorgeous nurse to know she was meant to be mine. When her delicious scent filled my nostrils and my cock hardened, it only confirmed what I already knew to be true…I found my fated mate. Finally.
Thank fuck that I had parked behind Aaron’s vehicle, or our paths might not have crossed for years. If ever.
Cressida’s stay at the hospital was bound to be short since shifters healed quickly. And she had an added advantage due the uniqueness of her animal. If baby Andrew needed any extra medical attention, she was better equipped than anyone to help him. That unicorn horn of hers was a miracle, which was why it was a well-kept secret by our pack.
Keeping an eye out for my wayward mate, I headed toward Cressida’s room. Opening the door as quietly as possible, I found Aaron sitting at her bedside, looking happier than I’d ever seen him. After all the wolf shifter had been through, I was thrilled that he’d found his happily ever after. And I knew he’d want me to have mine too. If anyone would understand the single-mindedness I was feeling toward my mate, it was him.
Cressida and the baby were sleeping, so I whispered, “Have you seen the nurse recently?”
He shook his head. “Not the one you’re asking about.”
I should’ve known that my pack mates wouldn’t have missed my reaction to the pretty blonde, even amid the chaos of Cressida being in labor. “Shit.”
He jerked his chin toward the dry-erase board on the wall to my left. “A new one came in a few minutes ago and said she’s assigned to us for the next shift. Erased Evette’s name and replaced it with hers.”
“Fucking hell,” I growled, scrubbing my palm down my face. “I gotta find her.”
“I have no doubt you will.”
My nostrils flared as I caught a trace of her scent in the room. “Damn straight. My grizzly is ready to hunt her down if we have to.”
“She couldn’t have gone far if she works here,” he pointed out. “And you might find that you’re lucky her shift is over when you find her.”
My brows drew together as I gaped down at him. “What in the hell do you mean by that?”
He grinned at me. “The new nurse mentioned that she’s on for the next twelve hours. Just in case you needed the intel, I asked her how often they work if their shifts are that long. Three days on, four days off. So maybe you’ll have enough time with Evette to get her comfortable with the idea of shifters and fated mates before she needs to come back to the hospital. Those early days of your mating can be brutal with your inner animal wanting to be near your woman every waking minute. And the sleeping ones too. A strong bond is the only thing that helps when you’re apart.”