Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Good. Thank you.” Xandra offered her hand. He shook it, her fingers cool against his palm. She turned and extended the same courtesy to Emily before striding out of the office with her brother on her heels.
Emily flopped back into her chair, exhaling through her nose. “She’s one cold fish.”
Jackson chuckled, settling back into his seat. “I agree. But this is a business arrangement.”
“Oh.” Emily sounded somewhat surprised. “Well, you’ve met all six females with Alpha blood that I found. I can look for more if you want.”
“No, that’s okay. I’ve narrowed it down to Abilene Ironclaw and Xandra Millstone. That is—if you approve?”
Emily’s mouth opened slightly, then she shut it again, her eyes shadowed. Was he needling her, or did he mean it? Even he wasn’t sure. But he needed a mate, and those were the two best prospects—after Emily, of course.
“I do approve,” she murmured.
Good. “All right.”
“So, you’re telling me that out of all six of them, you’re choosing between the free-spirited painter and the female who sees you as a business transaction?” Emily asked, her voice dry.
“Yes.” He met her gaze. “I felt a connection to them more than anyone else, and I understand where they’re coming from. I figure I’ll date them both and then see.” God, he hated the sound of that. The whole situation lacked romance. But he needed to be practical and step up with his pack.
“Well,” Emily said, her voice neutral but her gaze a little too steady, “I’m glad I was helpful.”
His eyes held hers for a long moment, tempted to push her right into his bedroom, pack politics be damned. “You certainly have been. And I owe you one.” Silence settled between them before he shifted, stretching out his legs. “We need to get going before the storm strengthens. It’s a bit of a flight.”
She sighed. “I wish our territories weren’t located at opposite ends of the damn state.”
“Ditto.” Both the Silver and Copper Packs lived between them in mountainous territory. “However, the Embervault Mine is to the east of any claimed territory, so we could create some sort of route between our lands that skirts everybody else.” How, he had no clue. They both lacked the necessary pack members to sufficiently patrol such an area.
“If only we had more members.” She bit her bottom lip and then released it, her tone softening. “I would like to ask you to be, well, polite when you speak with Victor in a few hours. I don’t believe he was behind my kidnapping.”
“He’s the most likely suspect, considering he wants to take over your pack, but I don’t know why he’d have you kidnapped.”
“I agree,” she murmured, frowning. “If Victor is behind the kidnappings, he should’ve just had me killed to get me out of the way.”
Jackson’s gut twisted at the thought. His wolf growled low in his chest, rejecting the very idea. “No one’s killing you, Emily.” His voice was rougher than he intended. “I’ll take out even the remote threats. I promise.”
Chapter 18
With late afternoon snow falling, Emily waited patiently in Jackson’s truck, keeping the chill outside. She was tired but hadn’t slept much earlier. Sometimes she wondered how much time she had left on this planet. Even now, her hands and feet tingled with numbness. Hopefully Dr. Gwen would have a treatment plan soon.
Outside, Jackson circled the helicopter, inspecting it with the focus of a male who knew every inch of his machine. Snow fell lightly around him, drifting lazily from the overcast sky. Emily watched as he ran a hand along a rotor blade, his movements precise and sure. His broad shoulders filled out a black jacket, the worn leather molding to his frame. The wind caught strands of his hair, tousling it against his forehead. His jeans, faded and snug in all the right places, clung to powerful legs that moved with the easy grace of a predator.
Heat curled low in her belly, unbidden and distracting.
Her phone buzzed, jerking her back to reality. She lifted it to her ear. “Nightsom.”
“Hi, Emily. It’s Dr. Gwen. Do you have a moment?”
“I do.” Emily’s pulse quickened. She watched Jackson test the fuel cap, completely unaware of the effect he had on her. “Do you have an answer?”
“I have a couple of ideas, but I need more blood samples.”
Emily winced. “I don’t really have time to head into your clinic right now. We’re flying into my territory to meet with some of my family.”
“No, I don’t need any of your blood. You’re going into Slate Pack territory? That’s fantastic, actually. I need your father’s blood and that of any other relatives you can find. If there’s any way you can get those, it would help. A lot.”
Not an easy ask by any means. “I might be able to get my father’s and my sister’s. Well, half-sister’s,” Emily amended.