Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Her father’s shoulders straightened as he lifted his head to look me in the eyes as he said, “Thank you so much, alpha.” His gaze slid to where Larissa stood at my side, and he added, “And for your mercy. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for my daughter.”
My beautiful mate’s cheeks blushed pink. “I didn’t really do anything.”
“You did more than you realize.” He jerked his chin at me. “No matter how much I love my daughter, I know how hard his wolf must’ve been riding him to avenge his mate.”
Larissa’s forehead wrinkled. “But she didn’t actually do anything except cause a little trouble by talking trash.”
“It doesn’t matter how small the infraction was, you don’t mess with an alpha’s mate without risking death,” he explained before dragging his daughter away with his mate following behind, Luke’s arm wrapped around her waist.
The rest of the pack came up to offer their congratulations before leaving. After everyone filed out of the building, Zeke clapped me on the back. “At least you won’t be so damn grouchy anymore.”
“I wasn’t grouchy,” I disagreed with a scowl. “I was fucking pissed, and rightfully so.”
“Not about that, man.” He wrapped his arm around Allegra and grinned. “The girls moved into the dorm in August, so it had to have been the faintest trace of Larissa that was making your wolf edgy these past couple of months.”
“Damn, I wish I’d realized what was going on with him sooner,” I muttered.
“Instead of waiting for her to show up across the street at my house after I found my mate all on my own?” Zeke teased.
“Only because I sent you to Stewart,” I reminded him.
“Okay, boys. That’s enough.” Larissa tugged on my arm. “We should get back to your place. Now that I’ve gained acceptance from your pack, it’s time for you to try to do the same with my dad.”
9
Larissa
My big, bad alpha wolf looked uncharacteristically nervous about meeting my dad. “You do realize my dad’s bite is way less scary than yours since he can’t shift into anything, right? All human teeth, nothing for you to worry about,” I teased, cuddling into his side as he opened the laptop on the coffee table in front of us. I pointed at the screen and added, “It’s not as though he can reach through the computer to get to you, anyway.”
“Let’s get this over with so I can get you back where you belong...in our bed,” Kace grumbled.
Getting turned on before talking to my dad sounded like a really bad idea, so I did my best to ignore the sexy beast sitting next to me and leaned over to start the video chat with my dad. He accepted on the first ring. “Hey, sweetie. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon after dropping you off at school. Everything okay?”
“Yup.” I grinned and blew him a kiss. “My classes were super easy this morning.”
“You need me to put extra money on your account for books?” he asked.
Thinking about the wad of cash he’d handed to me before he headed back home on Sunday, I laughed and shook my head. “Nope, I’m all set on that front. I was calling because I wanted to introduce you to someone.”
“To who?” His eyes narrowed. “Has one of the girls at the dorm worked her way into your good graces and turned your threesome into a foursome?”
“Dad, seriously. You can’t call Allegra, Calliope, and me that.” I wrinkled my nose as though I smelled something bad. “It’s gross.”
“You damn well know I’d never say something crude about my baby girl and her friends.” He shook his head and sighed. “Now quit trying to stall and introduce me to whatever little friend you have waiting in the wings. Mac needs me over at the clubhouse soon, so I don’t have all day.”
Recognizing the serious tone in my dad’s voice and not wanting to irritate him, I leaned back so he could see who was sitting next to me. “I wouldn’t call Kace little since he’s taller than you.”
“And who exactly is Kace?” my dad grunted with a scowl.
“He’s my…” I struggled for the right word. It wasn’t as though I could call him my mate. Dad would freak out and drive up here to drag me back home.
“I’m her man,” Kace answered for me.
A muscle in my dad’s jaw clenched. “What the fuck, Larissa? You’ve been dating someone and didn’t tell me about it at Thanksgiving?”
“Watch how you talk to her,” Kace growled, flinging his arm over my shoulder to pull me close.
My dad tilted his head to the side, a speculative gleam in his eyes as he looked at Kace. “My girl knows I don’t mean anything by swearing. She grew up around that shit.”
“Maybe,” Kace conceded. “But my woman doesn’t need to hear shit like that directed at her.”