Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 23578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
I hope my mate can forgive me. I drop my head, feeling sick to my stomach.
I was so close and now I’m further than ever.
She might never talk to me again.
And honestly, I wouldn’t blame her.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lainey
Julian.
My body is flooded with a comforting warmth as I trace the swooping J with my fingertip. I can’t stop staring at this tattoo.
I’m in the bathroom of our townhouse, staring at it in awe.
My neck hasn’t stopped tingling and I can’t help but think that it has something to do with him.
Being in his presence was so intense. It was so… unexpected.
I felt drawn to him. I still do.
Even after what he did to me, I can’t stop thinking of his bright green eyes and strong gentle hands. The way they felt on my skin. The way I wanted them to keep moving, exploring my body…
A warm tingling blooms between my legs, making me all wet and needy.
“Oh,” I moan as I trace his name again on the back of my shoulder, loving that I have a piece of him to keep forever.
The thought that I’m somehow marked by him is turning me on in a way I’ve never experienced before. It’s so intense. So all-consuming. My hand slides down my stomach and into my jogging pants. I slip my fingers into my panties and start playing with myself as I think of the possessive way he was looking at me.
“Yes,” I moan under my breath when I remember how growly and protective he got when that guy tried to take a picture of me.
My body is so primed and ready that it only takes a few seconds of rubbing before I cum all over my hand.
I collapse against the counter, heaving shallow breaths as the warmth floods my body from the top of my head into my curled toes.
I need to see him again.
Tonight.
My body is demanding it. Even after pleasuring myself, the intense desire only heightens.
I need to talk to him. To ask him why he tattooed his name on my shoulder. To know what it meant.
Everyone was yelling and freaking out, and I didn’t get the chance. It seemed like everyone was upset except me.
I wash my hands and splash some cold water onto my face, staring at my reflection as the water drips down my cheeks.
Go to him.
It’s a voice from deep inside me, urging me to go.
When I get myself together, I slip out and head into the kitchen. Carly is on the phone with her dad and Himari is texting everyone she knows about this. They’re still both furious.
Neither of them has even bothered to ask me how I feel about it.
But they’re just being good protective friends, I guess. They don’t know that something else is happening here. Something that I’m not even fully aware of.
“Carly, can I borrow your car?” I ask her as I grab her keys off the counter. “I could use some ice cream.”
She nods as she holds her hand over the phone. “Sure. Can you get me some chocolate mint?”
“No problem,” I say as I hurry out before any more questions are asked—like what state am I getting the ice cream in.
I run out into the cool night air and jump into Carly’s car.
It’s not long before I’m on the highway, driving the ninety minutes back to the tattoo parlor.
I don’t know what I’ll find when I get there—probably an empty, closed shop—but I have to go.
I can’t just sit here doing nothing.
I have to find that man again.
And I have to figure out what the heck is going on.
CHAPTER SIX
Julian
After my long ass day, I let my grizzly bear out to burn off some of the pent-up energy he’s been hitting me with since Lainey left. He doesn’t understand why we’re not with our mate and he certainly doesn’t understand why we didn’t mark her neck.
“It’s complicated,” I whisper to him as I take off my T-shirt and toss it onto my back porch. “But I’m working on it.”
The sun has just set over the mountains and the forest sprawled out in front of me is glowing from the silvery moonlight. Fireflies are sparkling between the dark trees. A deer passed by not too long ago. I can smell it.
Normally, my grizzly would be captivated by the scent, but there’s only one thing on his mind right now and it’s not any of the animals frolicking in the forest.
I sigh as I kick off my shoes and undo my belt while my bear claws and paces around, wondering why I’m taking so long to free him.
“Behave,” I warn him as I pull down my jeans.
It’s not uncommon for a bear to go to extreme lengths to find his mate. I once heard a story from an old Kodiak shifter whose bear walked across three states to get to his mate. The bear wouldn’t let him out for five days.