Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 131137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 437(@300wpm)
The time alone had been just what they needed, in Nick’s opinion—and not just because he disliked company unless it was Shaya. It was kind of hard to spend time trying to win her complete trust and faith when people were hanging around, depriving them of privacy. He understood why the Phoenix wolves did it; they wanted to be nearby in case they were needed. And, naturally, they’d all missed Shaya since she left their pack, just as Kathy and Roni had missed him. Taryn in particular spent a lot of time with them, and he knew it was because she was deliberately trying to make things hard as hell for him. He could understand it, but it still made him pissed, because not having her best friend’s total support was hurting Shaya.
Whether Taryn realized it or not, Nick had never worked as hard for anything as he had for Shaya…because nothing had meant as much to him as she did. Sure his mom, Roni, and Eli were important to him, but he needed Shaya. Even with his family around him, he’d always felt alone somehow. Always felt slightly apart from them. Maybe he’d created that distance himself because he felt to blame for how damaged Roni was and for how they had all felt the need to leave their original pack after what had happened. On the other hand, the emotional distance could just be a result of his inability to truly bond—he didn’t know.
With Shaya, it was different because he didn’t want any distance. How could he? She understood and accepted him in a way that no one had done before, not even Derren with his ability to relate to Nick due to their past in juvie. She saw his faults, knew his mistakes, was aware of what he was capable of, yet she didn’t judge or fear him. She stood up to him, she kept him on his toes, and she was a living, breathing challenge—Nick had always loved a challenge. She gave him hope that it might be different this time, that for once in his life, he might truly be able to bond with another person. But that all depended on her, on whether she was willing to accept his claim on her, because a bond required both of them.
Having finished their meal, they both left the restaurant hand in hand. They had only taken a few steps into the parking lot when it happened—a knowing hit him, a feeling of foreboding, an itch at the back of his neck. Slowing his steps, he stretched out his senses and discovered that there were people lurking…but not just in front of him; they were also lurking behind and on either side of him. “Shit.” He dug his cell out of his pocket and pressed the speed dial for Derren’s phone. Quietly, he said, “We have some visitors. Be careful.”
“What’s going on?” asked Shaya in a low voice.
He kissed her temple. “Humans. Don’t worry, we’ll—” That was when four humans began to gather a short distance ahead of them. Another two were then on either side of Nick and Shaya while three more came up behind them. The humans were keeping a fair distance away, but they were also trapping Nick and Shaya. He recognized a few of them as extremists, and though Logan wasn’t present, Nick would bet he was behind the whole thing. He and Shaya were standing back-to-back and being circled by eleven humans.
Any other time, Nick would’ve felt nothing but bored. He’d handled humans before, and he could handle them again. He didn’t relish the idea of harming anybody, but he’d defend himself and his mate in an attack. But this wasn’t just an attack. It was a trap—an attempt at provoking Nick into violence. What male, human or shifter, wouldn’t turn aggressive at the thought of his female being attacked? But humans wary of shifters wouldn’t look at it that way, because it wouldn’t suit them to do so.
He knew how Logan’s mind worked: The bastard would no doubt produce photographs of his fellow extremists—clawed and bitten and wounded badly—to reporters or the court and spin a nice story to accompany those photographs. As such, when Nick fought these extremists off, something he fully intended to do in order to protect Shaya, he would be playing right into Logan’s hands. But there was no other choice, because the very idea of Shaya being hurt wasn’t at all acceptable to him or his wolf. The animal was currently growling and flexing his claws, honing his senses on the humans.
Nick was aware that Derren wasn’t far away, and he would imagine that the humans would be aware of that too, as they knew Derren accompanied Nick everywhere. He would bet they wouldn’t be fazed by that at all—the more shifters involved in the attack, the better for them.