Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 21858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Cressida was a rare kind of shifter. One with unique abilities that included being able to choose her mate instead of being fated to someone. But they also put her at risk if her secret was discovered.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
PROLOGUE
AARON
Like all shifter pups, I grew up hearing about how important fated mates were. In our world, finding the person you were destined to spend the rest of your life with was the one moment every shifter yearned for. The life-changing occasion completed your soul. It made you whole in ways you couldn’t truly understand until you experienced it. Nobody taught me the most important lesson of all—how to handle being rejected by the person who was supposed to complete you.
It didn’t happen often, so even though my family had more than its fair share of bad luck when it came to fated mates, it had never even crossed my mind that mine would reject me. Which was why I thought I must have misheard what she just said.
Shaking my head, I muttered, “What?”
“I have no clue who the heck you think you are, but you’re not gonna ruin this for me.” She crossed her arms over her ample chest and jutted her chin out. “I already have a fiancé, and I’m not gonna throw him away for someone like you.”
There was no way I was mistaken about who she was supposed to be to me. For the first time in my life, I felt desire. My hard cock was all the proof I needed that this woman was fated to be mine, no matter how much she denied it. Shifters never experienced passion until they met their mate. And humans who were fated to be with a shifter were no different. If she was engaged to be married, it wasn’t because she’d fallen for the man she was planning to spend the rest of her life with.
“Someone like me?” I echoed, my brows drawing together.
Her gaze raked down my body, her eyes narrowing. “Judging by your clothes, my fiancé is worth a hundred of you. Maybe more.”
“Money?” I growled, fighting to keep my wolf inside my skin. Not understanding what was happening here, he wanted out so he could mark her himself since I wasn’t moving fast enough for him. “I know you feel the pull toward me, same as I do. Are you really going to settle for a lifetime with a man you feel nothing for…just for money?”
“Umm…yeah. Ralph is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Rolling her eyes, she lifted her left hand to show off the massive diamond on her ring finger. “Do you see the size of this rock? I’m not settling. I’m getting everything I’ve ever wanted. If I have to fake orgasms for the rest of Ralph’s life, that’s fine by me. It’s not as though he’s gonna be around that long anyway with how old he is.”
I couldn’t believe that fate had paired me with a woman who was so materialistic. One who was willing to do whatever it took to marry a rich guy who already had one foot in the grave from how she was talking about him.
“You’ve got this all wrong. If I left Ralph for you, then I’d be settling for a life with a guy who can’t give me what I need.” Her gaze dropped to my crotch, where my cock pressed against my zipper, and she licked her lips. “At least not out of bed. By the look of things, you’d probably keep me happy there.”
My skin crawled at the lewd gleam in her eyes, and my wolf howled in my head. Meeting my mate wasn’t going at all as I had expected, and I started to wonder if fate was playing some kind of cruel trick on me. But I couldn't walk away from the woman who was supposed to be my destiny. If I could get her to commit to me, I knew I’d make her happy.
“What if I told you that you wouldn’t feel a day of true joy if you walk away from me? Would you take more than a split second to make a decision that you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life?”
The laugh she huffed out held no humor. “It doesn’t matter what you say. My mind is made up. No stranger is gonna change it. Not unless you have more millions in your bank account than Ralph. I might not get any pleasure from my marriage bed, but his money will keep me plenty warm at night. And I’ll still be young enough to find hot guys once he’s gone. Maybe we’ll even meet again, and we can see if this chemistry is still there.”
“I’m the only man you’ll ever feel an ounce of desire for.” I pounded my fist against my chest. “You walk away now, and you’re dooming both of us.”
Pursing her lips, she shook her head. “You actually sound as though you believe that crap.”
“Because I’m a wolf shifter, and you’re my fated mate.”