Total pages in book: 202
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
The day after we got back, after Soleil and Wyatt died, Grey and I had a full uninterrupted day together. It was incredible. And I’m still sore from it. He made good on his threats. He did make a decision between teasing me endlessly and making me come so many times I pleaded for mercy. He chose to do the first, then the latter. And… oh, my stars… it was unforgettable.
This morning he made slow, sweet love to me. And we talked for an hour in bed. I talked about processing everything with my brother. He talked about processing everything with his birth mother. We’ve been through a lot. But we’ve got one another.
I told him how with his first purr I started remembering wonderful things about my grandparents. It felt like a gift. Grey talked about how meeting me brought him a gift too – new powers. How he plans to spend time with his cousins to learn all he can. And he made sure to remind me that I’m the greatest gift he’s received, that I (and our future children) are the most important beings in the world to him.
I know we’ll be okay despite what we’ve been through. And I know I’ll be there for him even if it’s hard on him to heal after what he went through with Soleil. He told me he made her a promise to make sure he’s not holding anything negative from their exchange of magic. She took some and he took it back. He’s going to have his cousins do an assessment. I have no doubts; there’s not an ounce of darkness in him. Only fiercely protective light.
Right now, I’m meeting Amie, Ivy, Bailey, and Cicely for brunch in Roxy’s Bar. Later, Grey has to go to town to take care of some things at one of his rental properties so I’ll get him to drop me at the library to visit with Aphra, Halla, Addy, Misty, and the others. See how everyone’s doing. See if anyone needs anything.
I’m nearly to the booth when I’m greeted by a shifter beauty in a black apron. “Nice to meet you, Stacy. I’m Roxy.” She grabs my hand and shakes it, continuing to talk, “and I know you’re new, you’re honeymooning, and you’re expecting twins – congratulations – but just sayin’… if you do decide you want to put in a few hours every week cooking, serving, or both, you’re hired. I could really use some help around here.”
I’m taken aback. She’s smiling and friendly and she’s offering me a job!
“Oh! Wow. I’d love that. Can I talk to Grey and get back to you?”
“Absolutely. What can I get you to drink?”
“Um… a big glass of water?”
“Comin’ right up.”
“Thank you so much.”
I approach the table of women waiting for me and the feeling inside me when I see their smiling faces has me ready to burst into happy tears.
Friends. A job offer. A pack to fit into. Knowing my former pack has lots of positivity to look forward to. And most of all, starting a family with my fated mate – the absolutely wonderful Greyson Blackwood who calls me his blossom.
I do feel like a flower who grew in a filthy, miserable junkyard, but thanks to Fate I’m getting an opportunity to flourish, to… blossom.
Cicely Oakes
Later that Day…
It’s dusk and I’m stretching, getting ready to shift and go for a run. I’m feeling the need to stretch my legs. I’m also feeling the need to examine the woods for a certain silver camper we talked about at lunch today. Because I had no idea there was a shifter living on our land that’s not in our pack, who’s alpha, that Lincoln was kind of cagey about when asked.
The owner of said camper has apparently been living here for a while, which is shocking. This detail was revealed by Stacy Blackwood, who recapped the details of what happened in Silver Hills to us at Roxy’s.
Bailey and I were both a little shocked because with her having a brother on the council and being the town librarian and with me being the manager of the general store and the default postmaster for the town along with being someone who sometimes hooks up with one of our council members – we typically know what’s going on. But we didn’t know about this. We don’t know much about him – other than the fact he lives in a camper on our land. And… according to Grey’s new mate he’s an alpha with no scent. An alpha with no scent who lives alone, here on our land?
Bizarre.
Bailey knows this guy, just barely. Says he works with Linc sometimes and she saw him twice at Roxy’s for bonfires. I was visiting my sister at school out of town one time. She doesn’t recall where I was the other time. But I rarely miss bonfires. They’re extraordinarily entertaining. All those alphas with their shirts off, wrestling? I try hard not to miss the bonfires.