Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 454(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“That’s understandable.” Ally leaned into her mate as he draped an arm over her shoulders. “It would probably be different if you were dating her when you realized she was your mate. Then again, Madisyn’s as self-contained as her kind are renowned for being, so I don’t think it would have been simple either way.” Her face split into a smile. “Damn, we’re going to have a pallas cat in our pack. How awesome is that?”
Shaya looked just as excited. “Harley will be glad to hear she’s no longer the only feline.”
Eyes dancing with humor, Eli scratched behind his ear. “I gotta warn you, Bracken, my mom does not like pallas cats. Like at all. She got her ass kicked by one when she was younger. Well, that’s what Gran said. Mom swears she came out on top.”
Nick nodded. “She’s even got a nasty scar from the fight. I don’t think she’ll be happy to hear that she’ll need to welcome a pallas cat into our pack.” And he looked nothing but amused by that.
Bracken shrugged. “Kathy will just have to deal with it.”
“She will,” agreed Shaya. “Are you going to make an announcement to the others?”
“Yes.” By the time Jesse and Zander told their mates, the only people left to tell would be Roni, Marcus, Kathy, Caleb, Kent, and the pups. It was best to get it done in one fell swoop. “I’ll do it in the morning. First, I need to have a long conversation with my mate.”
CHAPTER SIX
Half an hour later, Bracken strolled up Madisyn’s driveway, sparing her candy-apple-red Fiat a quick glance. The retro car suited her. It was an old model, though, and there was no denying that it was on its last legs. She needed a new one soon, which he’d see to. But not yet. He wanted to spoil her, but she’d only feel like he was trying to buy her. For now, he’d hold back.
He rang the doorbell and waited. Moments later, the door swung open . . . and there she was in a simple yet still-flattering getup—a slim-fitting shirt and skinny jeans that accentuated every curve and made him just want to lick her right up.
She always managed to look stylish, even when wearing casual clothing, and her makeup was always perfect. At first glance, no one would be able to imagine that she’d ever do anything that would risk snapping her nails or messing up her hair. That would be their mistake.
If Bracken hadn’t been expecting the move, he would have jerked when his wolf sharply lunged for her. Not that he blamed the beast for wanting her so badly. “Hey,” he said simply, softly, but there was a wealth of intimacy there.
She pursed those lips he badly wanted to bite. “You gave me longer than I thought you would.”
He’d known she’d expected him to do something clichéd like wait for her outside the shelter with flowers and then spirit her to a restaurant where he could wine and dine her. But that wasn’t how things were going to go. They weren’t dating; they were slowly meshing their lives. That meant he needed to be in her personal space and not be someone who took her places and then dropped her off at home.
Greedily drinking in the sight of her, he stepped forward. “Can I come in?”
After a small hesitation, she moved aside to let him pass. “How’s your head?”
“Fine, thanks to Ally.” Turning to face her as she closed the door, Bracken took a deep breath and inhaled her scent, filling his lungs with her. He itched to touch her. Take her mouth. Lick. Bite. Mark. Leave a permanent imprint of his teeth on her lower lip. He did none of those things because, again, he knew she expected it. He wanted her off-balance. Wanted her wondering when he’d finally make his move. “The scratches on your cheek have healed.”
“They were gone within a couple of hours.”
His eyes drifted down to her neck of their own accord, seeking the bite he’d left there. Bracken felt his face harden. She’d covered it up. His wolf unsheathed his claws, and a growl rumbled in Bracken’s chest.
Sensing his issue, Madisyn said, “I wasn’t ready for all the questions the mark would have raised. I didn’t mind Makenna and Dawn knowing about us, but I didn’t feel like sharing my business with the rest of the shelter and—” She threw up her arms, annoyed with herself. “Why am I explaining myself to you? I don’t explain myself to people.”
Bracken’s lips quirked, and he moved closer, invading her space but still not touching her. His wolf took an impatient swipe at him, wanting to be closer to their mate, but Bracken ignored him. And then his fingers suddenly became hot and wet as he felt her pussy, slick and tight, around them. Again, it was a sensory memory, but he could feel it as if they truly were buried inside her right then. His cock, thick and aching, throbbed to be in her. Fuck.