Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Emily pushed to her feet, her legs heavier than they should be. Her pulse fluttered oddly in her neck. “You’re taking in new members?”
“Sure.” Jackson shrugged as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “I’ve got three mines. We could use more workers, and new blood wouldn’t hurt.”
Emily’s stomach turned, her headache pulsing harder. Had she already found a mate for him? Part of this had started as a joke, but now that thought twisted in her chest. What had she been thinking?
Jackson stepped forward and took Abilene’s hand to shake. “So, arrange that meeting, and I’ll meet with your Alpha. Then maybe you and I can go on a date and see if we actually like each other. But you don’t have to mate me to protect your pack.”
Abilene’s smile softened, and Emily swore she saw the exact moment the female fell in love.
“I’d really like to go on a date with you,” Abilene said.
“Excellent.” Jackson glanced at Emily, dare and more than a hint of challenge in his too-blue eyes. “I’m sure Emily can set that up since she’s taken over as my matchmaker. I greatly look forward to it.”
Emily forced a smile, though her head throbbed harder. How in the hell was she supposed to sabotage this when she could barely stay upright?
Chapter 10
Emily thanked the five older male wolves who’d insisted upon walking the hotel stairs with her up to her floor.
“Sure.” Obel Johnson handed over her purse. He’d gallantly secured it at the bottom of the stairs before his friends could. All five of them wore pressed slacks with button down shirts–probably their best. Their hair was coiffed and they were neatly shaved. “We left you some presents in your hotel room as well as our phone numbers.”
Robert Montague, his white hair slicked back, hitched up his pants. “We’ll keep our hearing aids in just in case.”
“No, please don’t. Get some sleep.” She opened her door and backed into the room, offering a gentle smile. “Have a nice night.”
They all bowed.
She shut the door. Wow. Just wow. It was kind of nice to be wanted, though. She tossed her purse onto the hand-carved desk in the hotel suite, her head ringing from her illness and the day spent with Jackson. The penthouse was undeniably charming, with large windows overlooking the quaint granite town. Exposed stone walls framed the space, blending rustic character with modern luxury. The bedroom held a king-sized bed with a dark wooden frame that sat against the far wall, dressed in crisp white linens and a plush navy throw with the embroidered outline of a howling wolf.
Someone had started the fire for her in the stone fireplace across from the bed, the flicker of low flames casting amber shadows against the smooth wooden walls. The smell of pine and fresh linen drifted in the air.
A myriad of gift baskets, new ones, had been placed on the desk and dresser holding all sorts of candies, cookies, and bath goodies. There had been just as many the night before.
Still, the comfort did nothing to settle the storm in her body, which ached more than usual. She felt two thousand years old.
What was wrong with her body?
She had met with two more prospective mates for Jackson, and frankly, all three females wanted him. What had she been thinking? Of course, they wanted him. He was seriously hot and an Alpha who ran an entire pack. Part of her had set out on this whole matchmaking journey to mess with him, but she hadn’t quite considered how appealing the damn male would be to everyone else.
Of course, she couldn’t mate him and abandon her father and pack. So, it made sense to help him. Except now she wanted to claw out the eyes of all three females.
After Abilene, she’d met with Bianca and Freya, who were from packs scattered across the States, both looking for protection. It made sense they would seek Jackson out. He was known to be a fierce fighter, and his pack was strong.
Still, she had to admit she was impressed he worked the mine at night. The rumors of him partying every evening had clearly been exaggerated, or maybe he’d just grown out of that behavior after his teenage years. Either way, it was yet another intriguing fact about the badass fighter.
Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and answered without thinking. “Nightsom.”
“Hi. It’s Nadia.” The female sounded unsure.
Emily sat on the bed, her headache still lingering. “Hi. Is everything okay?”
“Everything is weird. I keep meeting people who say I look exactly like you, except without the impressive height. If one more person calls me short, I’m going to lose my mind.”
Emily chuckled. “Sorry about that. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“About that… I think I’m going to head back to my pack. Well, my new pack.”