Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
“I heard Alexander was busy this morning,” he said. “I heard he paid Razorfang a visit.”
I slowed in working the thistle. I’d figured that had been the case when I’d shown up this morning and he hadn’t been here. He didn’t miss days . . . unless he physically couldn’t get out of bed.
“How bad?” I asked softly.
“I don’t know the specifics, but Granny wasn’t there to supervise, so . . .”
Shit.
I straightened up, squinting into the sun. That wasn’t good news. It meant Alexander had been let off his leash. The rules then were simple: don’t kill or permanently maim. Everything else goes. Granny must’ve been pissed.
There was nothing for it, though. Raz got out of hand. He must’ve known this would happen when he chose the product over delivering Granny’s pack. He’d been down this road a time or two before—he was willingly playing with fire, and this time he’d gotten burned.
I braced my hands on my lower back and bent back, stretching it out. “Raz needs to lay off the product.”
“Yeah, I heard Alexander had to pull him out of your supply room this morning. Razorfang made a big mess of the place. Broke a bunch of stuff.”
What in the hell had he taken to render him that out of it? He’d never stayed there the whole night before. He must’ve mixed products, because even a double dose wouldn’t have made him that bad.
I poured the powder into a bowl before crossing to the water pump to wash my hands.
Xarion walked with me, stepping behind the pump to work the handle. “Granny isn’t going to be thrilled that you knew Razorfang was sampling and you didn’t mention it.”
I didn’t have to. She’d known.
“Let me handle Granny. You should stay out of it.”
“Or maybe you won’t get in trouble, since you’re the favorite around here.”
“If I’m the favorite, it’s because I work hard and do more than wander around with my thumb up my ass spreading rumors. Maybe you should try to be useful for a change. You might get a fancy cloak all your own.”
He snickered. “Nah, I’m good.” He stepped back from the pump. “I don’t think I’d like her watching my every move and controlling my every step.”
“I don’t know why not. That’s what your mate does.”
“Har, har,” he said, dogging my heels as I turned for the creek. “Just think, you could’ve been my mate.” He snapped. “Wait, no, that was the real Red. You, I wouldn’t touch again for all the gold in the world.”
“Is that why you tried to feel me up at the dance last winter? How’re your balls, by the way?”
He crinkled his nose at me in jest. He’d been drunk that time, lamenting about peer pressure and not mating me instead of his woman. Then he’d apparently thought he should try to rekindle old flames. I’d reacted without thinking.
I let myself out of the gate and closed it behind me, keeping him on the other side.
“Wait, you didn’t hear the really juicy stuff,” he said.
I sighed and stopped, my back still to him. If I didn’t listen and get it over with, he’d follow me to the creek, chattering. I needed to get a bunch of work done. Granny was leaving in a few days and I still had a lot of product to finish up.
“Go on,” I said.
“Well, apparently Granny is trading our product for prices higher than ever. She shows up at the markets like royalty. She hardly deals with the dangerous people anymore. Alexander was pissed that he has to keep it professional all the time now.”
I walked slowly away, cocking my head a little. That also had to be preposterous but . . . Alexander’s reaction to it rang true. Given he was the one telling the story, though . . .
“Anything else?” I asked, stopping.
He hesitated, his body tense and his expression unsure. “Do you ever wish you could live on the Outside? Get out of here? I know we have everything provided for us, and we shouldn’t complain, but . . . don’t you find it a little restricting?”
“No,” I said, walking again, and it was the truth. Despite my wobble yesterday, I definitely didn’t find this place restricting. I found it comforting. I knew who didn’t want me within ten feet and who would tolerate me in their space. I knew who would sneak into my cottage for a little sexual relief and who would bash my head in if I so much as hinted at wanting to get intimate. Most importantly, I knew Granny wouldn’t let anyone run me out or hurt me too badly. Here, I knew what tomorrow promised. My world was largely predictable. I took solace in that.
After a fast-paced workday, I’d gotten back to my cottage just after sundown. After chopping up meat and vegetables and throwing a stew together, I was just about to sit down and wait for it to be ready when a knock sounded at my door.