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)
I didn’t hear anything unusual, but I stilled when Tane tensed up and cocked his head to the side to look out the window. His dark orbs filled with the ferality of his tiger, and his voice was rough as he commanded, “Get on the floor and slide under the bed, baby.”
Without hesitating, I dropped down to my hands and knees and crawled over to the bed. It was a tight fit, but I managed to squeeze underneath the frame. I couldn’t see much from my position, but I watched Tane’s feet as he crossed the room to flip the switch on the wall. With the lights off and only the moon shining through the window, I could see even less. “Is someone out there?”
“Shh, baby. I don’t want them to realize you’re under there if they make it up here,” he whispered.
That answered my question—yes, someone was out there. And it wasn’t a member of the Timber Ridge pack if Tane was worried about them coming into the house. With Tane’s heightened hearing, I knew he’d still be able to hear me when nobody else would as I barely mouthed, “Please be careful.”
“As long as you stay hidden, I’ll be fine,” he reassured me. “There are only three of them, and they’ll be surrounded soon. Kace is coming in from the east and Zeke from the west.”
I’d adjusted to the shifter world without many issues—taking in stride that Tane could change into a tiger that was about three times bigger than his human form without much thought—but I still hadn’t gotten used to the idea of Kace having telepathic capabilities. But I was going to be super accepting of them after this because being able to communicate with his alpha gave my mate an advantage against the bad guys. I was a big fan of anything that kept him safe, especially since I brought this trouble to his door.
I heard a sound at the window, and my head jerked in that direction as Tane circled the bed to stand flat against the wall out of sight through the glass. I scooted over a little so I could see up to his knees, and slapped my hand over my mouth when I saw a leg descend from the window, a dark boot silently pressing against the floor. The guy didn’t even get all the way into the room before Tane raced forward and slammed him to the ground. Startled eyes widened further when he spotted me under the bed, but then Tane’s hands fisted the front of his coat, and he lifted the guy up as though he weighed almost nothing. “You fucked up big time, coming after my woman.”
“Shit, man. Relax. I haven’t even laid eyes on the girl yet. I haven’t so much as touched a hair on her head. We can work something out here,” an unfamiliar male voice muttered.
“Oh, we’ll work something out alright,” Tane agreed on a low growl. The man’s relieved sigh was quickly followed up by several thuds and a grunt. His feet were dangling in the air directly in front of Tane’s shins. “The only thing that’ll make me happy is knowing any possible threat to Calliope has been eliminated. You’re not going to like my solution to the problem, but that’s okay. The second you entered Timber Ridge, the outcome was already decided. We’re going to work this out to my satisfaction, not yours. But that won’t be a problem since you won’t be around to complain after we’re done.”
“You don’t know who you’re messing with,” the guy warned.
“I think you’re operating under a mistaken belief, Stan Michaels. I know exactly who you are. I have a full report on you from the Silver Saints MC. I just don’t give a damn because to me you’re the guy who thought he could fuck with my woman.” Tane stomped closer to the window.
I heard a sliding sound that made me think he opened it farther, followed by a loud but distant thump. My eyes widened when I realized what those noises meant; Tane just threw that dude out the second-floor window. “Is it safe for me to come out now?”
“Yeah, baby.” He came close and bent low to reach a hand under the bed and help me. “He isn’t going to try to hurt anyone ever again, and Kace and Zeke took care of the other two guys.”
I gripped his hand and slid across the floor with ease as he tugged. “Thanks, I was worried you might have to pick up the entire bed in order to get me out of there.”
Sliding his hands under my armpits, he lifted me and set me on the mattress. “Are you okay?”
“Me? I’m fine.” I got on my knees and looked out the window, but I couldn’t see anything at this angle. “I was perfectly safe under the bed while you did all the heavy lifting.”