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)
While the little girl shook and swirled the rod, Emberlyn wrote a tag for Laine’s bedcovers and handed them to Paisley.
Hearing the doorbell, Emberlyn looked up. Her pulse jumped in delight as Ripper stalked inside. As usual, her feminine parts did a little jig.
To be fair, what else was a girl’s hormones to do in the face of all that masculine supremacy?
He held the door open for Laine, who thanked him with a pretty blush and left the hub.
‘Oh, hi, Ripper,’ Paisley greeted, chirpy.
He grunted . . . as was his way.
Emberlyn smiled as he approached the desk. ‘What brings you here?’
His gaze took a lazy dip down her body – or as much as he could see of it, since she stood behind the desk – and then darted back up to meet her eyes. ‘I had a thought.’
‘Did it hurt at all?’ she teased, earning herself one of his mildly exasperated looks.
He planted his feet. ‘I figure we should arrive at the town hall together for the meeting.’
Emberlyn blinked. ‘Together?’
‘It’d be good for us to present a united front that can’t be ignored by the coven.’
Paisley pointed a finger. ‘This. I like this.’ She looked at Emberlyn. ‘Those assholes currently targeting you need to get the message that it’s best for their health that they leave you alone.’
‘I’m not sure how much of an impact it will have’ – the aforementioned assholes had ignored that message so far – ‘but I have no objections.’
Ripper grunted in satisfaction. ‘I’ll pick you up from your place around six-thirty.’ He tilted his head. ‘Have you had a lot of people asking what happened yesterday?’
Feeling her lips thin, Emberlyn nodded. ‘Nosy-asses have been waltzing in and out since this morning.’ All they’d been told so far was that Lincoln was captured in her backyard. ‘I said that all would be revealed at the meeting.’ She paused. ‘It’s good to hear that he’s doing well up to now.’
‘It’ll take another few days for him to be in a fully functional state, but he’s getting there.’
Paisley planted a hand on her hip. ‘Is it true that Emberlyn didn’t call you about the attack?’
His mouth tightened in annoyance. ‘Yes, it’s true. One of my wolves gave me a heads-up.’
Emberlyn gave her a pointed look. ‘See?’
Huffing, Paisley folded her arms and cut her gaze back to him. ‘When it comes to big stuff that happens in Emberlyn’s world, I always find out from other people. She never calls with deets.’
‘So I shouldn’t take it personally, then?’ he asked.
‘No.’ Paisley poked her tongue into the inside of her cheek. ‘Technically, neither should I. But I do.’
Emberlyn’s snort died as she caught sight of the Reeds passing the large window. They peered inside, their eyes hardening on her, before quickly looking away.
‘Are they giving you issues?’ Ripper asked, apparently not having missed the byplay.
‘Nope. I don’t talk to them much.’
‘They don’t like that she broke her mating tie with Michael,’ Paisley explained to him. ‘They lost their shit over it at first, but then they acted all sweet and understanding while still making comments about how Michael would be here for her if he could. They basically try to make her feel guilty for moving on.’
Ripper swiped his tongue over his upper teeth. ‘I see.’
‘And they definitely don’t like that she’s been rolling around the sheets with you,’ Paisley added. ‘They’ve been giving her the cold shoulder lately.’
Emberlyn gave her a wide-eyed look. ‘Okay, Chatty Charlie, you can hush now.’
Ripper cast Emberlyn an annoyed look. ‘You should have told me.’
She lifted her shoulders. ‘There’s nothing to really tell.’ It wasn’t as if the Reeds had said or done anything noteworthy.
‘And if there was?’ he challenged, flicking up a brow.
‘I would . . . I would tell you.’
‘Ha,’ Paisley burst out. ‘A total lie.’
Emberlyn gently poked her shoulder. ‘Hush, you. You’ve said quite enough.’
‘And you don’t say enough,’ Paisley sassed.
‘You’re both such whiners.’
Ripper frowned. ‘We just want to be kept firmly in the loop about important things that happen in your life.’
‘Exactly,’ said Paisley, sliding her a haughty look. ‘Forgive us for giving a damn.’
‘You’re forgiven,’ Emberlyn deadpanned.
Paisley only rolled her eyes.
‘I have to meet with Crew about something, so I’m off,’ Ripper announced, backing up a step. ‘Six-thirty, Emberlyn.’
‘I’ll be ready.’
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Emberlyn unclipped her seatbelt and plucked her purse from between her feet. The passenger door was pulled open, and then Ripper held out a hand. He did that now. Opened doors for her. Helped steady her whenever she stepped in or out of his truck.
When it came to werewolves, that stuff wasn’t mere courteousness. It was a sign of respect. If someone had told her weeks ago that there’d come a time when the anti-witch Jax ‘Ripper’ Stone would respect her, she would have laughed.
Emberlyn took his hand and slid out of the vehicle. The evening breeze was cool, but her white long-sleeved shirt and taupe high-waist tailored pants provided a nice buffer.