Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“You’re nervous? Whatever Lucinda had to say must have been important.”
“It’s not about what she said. Lucinda doesn’t say a lot of anything. She tries to show, and that is about all she does.”
“She showed you something and it has you freaked out?” she asked.
Dex shook his head. “It’s … it’s a potential path for you and me.”
“Like our future?”
“Yeah.”
“But our future is never clear,” Casey said. “I’ve heard Lucinda talking, or more like mumbling, on the rare occasion she comes to town and one of the kids ask her to tell their fortune or their future.” She rolled her eyes. “Go on, go on.”
“Well, she explained that there are constant directions that a future can go. Different decisions, how we make those kinds of decisions. It’s all relevant, and it is never easy or clear on how we’re going to get to that path.”
She listened and she knew if Lucinda had given Dex a warning, there was a real chance it had a high probability of coming true.
“And what did you see?” she asked.
At first, he didn’t say anything, and Casey felt that wave of panic wash over her. She repeated the question and felt the tears in her eyes, as if she already knew the answer before he said anything.
“I saw my death,” Dex said.
Casey shook her head. “No, that can’t be possible.”
“You and I have two outcomes. One of them, we’re happy, we have a blissful life, and the other, you don’t save me, and I die.”
She pressed a hand to her mouth because the very thought of anything bad happening to him was like a constant punch to the gut. “No, that is not possible. She must have this wrong.”
“I know, but, I know what I saw, and trust me, Casey. This one … I can’t get it out of my head.”
She moved toward him and cupped his face. “No, we won’t let this happen. How do you die? I can’t … no, there is no way this is going to happen. I don’t know why Lucinda has shown this to you, but it must be wrong.”
“It’s not. Someone kills me. I don’t know who. I mean, I’ve got my suspicions, but…”
“Buddy?” Casey asked. “He’s the only one who would do it. We’ve got to do something. Chain him up or something.”
“No,” Dex said.
“Wait,” Casey said, frowning. “You said I don’t save you. What does that mean?” She couldn’t help the tears from falling as she looked at him.
“You don’t turn into a wolf. You don’t save me, and because of that, I die.”
She shook her head. “No, no, no.” She turned away and pressed her hands against her face in the hope of trying to contain her scream of fury.
Once again, it came back to what she wasn’t capable of doing.
“Then I have to leave,” Casey said, spinning around.
“No,” Dex said.
“I can’t be responsible for your death if I’m not here. Please, I can’t … no.” She tried to keep the sobs inside, but it wasn’t possible. They fell down her face, and she pressed one hand against her stomach and covered her mouth with the other.
This couldn’t be happening.
Dex came to her as she collapsed to her knees.
“I can’t kill you. I can’t save you. You’ve got to let me go,” Casey said. “You need someone who is going to be able to save you.” She couldn’t even stand the thought of another woman touching him, being close to him. It made her sick to her stomach and all she wanted to do was scream. She didn’t say anything, but it was there, bubbling beneath the surface, threatening to come out.
“Casey, no,” Dex said.
“You can’t die.”
“I’m not going to die. Lucinda said it was a potential path, but there are at least three main players in this one.”
She frowned. “What?”
“Well, there’s you, then there’s me, and whoever decides to kill me. What if he or she doesn’t make that choice?” Dex asked.
“This is insane,” she said, ready to sob again. “There is no way you can take a chance that this person might not attack you!”
She wanted to scream at him, but instead she could only shake her head.
“We can’t live our lives in fear,” he said.
“Dex, someone in the pack is going to kill you.”
“Might kill me.”
She growled. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” She shook her head, and then began to sob. “This isn’t right. We shouldn’t be arguing about this. What if we leave?” she asked.
“We can’t do that either, Casey. The pack is our home.”
She knew it was a long shot.
Staring at Dex, she looked into his intense eyes, which no matter what, always had a hint of his wolf. “I don’t want to fail you, Dex. I love you. I love you so much and this scares me.”
He cupped her face, and then in the next second, he kissed her. “We’re not going to fail each other, okay? We’re going to make this work. I promise you. We’re going to make it work.”