Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)
Emberlyn gave a slow but accepting nod.
‘We both ignored this thing between us for years. We’ve been dancing around it since we became allies. I don’t think there’s a way we wouldn’t have acted on it. It was just a matter of when.’
Her wariness having steadily drained away, she hummed. ‘You may be right about the latter. I just didn’t think you’d get past your reservations about witches. But then you did, and it happened on the same evening you were furious with a woman you deeply care for. So I had to know for sure if that had spurred it.’
‘I get it. And I want you to feel sure. Do you?’
‘Yes. You wouldn’t lie about it.’
Mollified by the certainty in her words, he let out a long breath. ‘The fact that I scent-marked you should have put that worry to rest.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘You sure don’t seem sorry you did it.’
His shoulders lifted and fell in an unapologetic shrug. ‘Why would I be? I don’t want anyone else touching you. It makes perfect sense that I’d want to make that clear.’
She looked away, sighing. ‘Werewolf logic.’
He leaned forward slightly, subtly sniffing her. ‘I wasn’t the only one who left a mark. I can still smell your magick on me.’ He liked that indication that the possessiveness wasn’t one-sided.
‘You haven’t asked when it will fade. Are you interested in knowing?’
‘Not really.’ Ripper didn’t think she’d permanently mark him, or that she’d refuse to remove the scent if he asked, so he wasn’t concerned. He backed up a step. ‘Don’t forget to pass on what I said to Paisley. You can let me know her response later.’
‘Later?’
‘Yeah, later when I turn up at your place to have you again. You had to know that was coming.’ Before she had a chance to say anything, he turned and walked away.
The moment Emberlyn entered the hub’s empty reception area, she was greeted with an almighty scowl from Paisley, who was being condescendingly patted on the head by her twin.
Behind the desk, she slammed her hands on her hips. ‘Ripper put his scent on you and you didn’t tell me? Seriously?’ She threw up her arms. ‘I find out everything second hand with you.’
‘Not everything,’ Emberlyn contradicted, approaching the desk. ‘And I fully intended to tell you this morning. It just seems that someone else beat me to it. Who?’
‘One of Carver’s clan. He came in with some laundry five minutes ago; said he heard from his Alpha that you smelled of Ripper. I’m assuming this means you two have been sexing each other up – something else you haven’t told me.’
Joining her friends behind the desk, Emberlyn rolled her eyes. ‘Enough with the whining. We’ve only had sex once. It happened last night. What did you want me to do, call you straight after?’
‘Obviously.’
Kage snorted and then leaned into Emberlyn. ‘Oh, yeah. I smell him on you.’
Paisley mimicked his move. ‘I can only pick up a faint whiff of a masculine scent. I wouldn’t be able to tell whose it was. Considering he marked you, I’m guessing he doesn’t intend for last night to be a one-time thing.’
‘I got that impression,’ said Emberlyn.
Paisley tossed her a playful snarl. ‘Lucky bitch. He’s yowzah.’
‘That’s one way to put it.’
Kage folded his arms. ‘Tell us about the meeting. All I’ve heard is that it went in the favor of both you and Ripper. Carver’s apparently furious about that.’
‘He looked it when he left.’ Emberlyn gave them a quick rundown of the meeting.
Kage scowled. ‘I can’t believe that little shit Ames struck out at you.’
‘I did contaminate his water.’
‘But you didn’t hurt him, you were just illustrating how easy it would be for you to contaminate anything.’
‘And I think I got my message across, but I suspect they’ll still blame me for the curse jar activity.’
‘Another thing you kept to yourself,’ Paisley snarked.
‘The land is no longer mine, so it wasn’t my business to share,’ Emberlyn pointed out. ‘Ripper wanted to keep it quiet.’
She only sniffed. ‘Well, I’m glad that the will wasn’t overturned.’
‘I doubted it would happen,’ said Kage, ‘but I was worried all the same. Mostly because I know you’d burn down Bellcrest before you cowed to any demands for you to give up the manor.’
‘Am I that predictable?’ asked Emberlyn.
He snickered. ‘No, I just know how much you love that house. And since the moment you began fighting back as a kid, you’ve never let the coven push you around. You wouldn’t ever go back to a time when they got to bully you.’
No, Emberlyn wouldn’t. If the majority of the coven wished to hate her, they were welcome to do so – it was no skin off her nose. She didn’t care about being liked, she cared about being left to live her life in peace.