Total pages in book: 193
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 184001 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 920(@200wpm)___ 736(@250wpm)___ 613(@300wpm)
Aurelia grumbles but doesn’t bother arguing. She knows herself and owns up to it, one of the many qualities I admire about her. Instead, her gaze travels over to Zeke, who is standing as far away from us as he can get. “Why do you think he came?” Her tone suggests she’s not bothered by it. She’s curious.
“To keep an eye on us probably.”
“But why is he so far away if he wants to babysit us?”
“Don’t know. Could be that he’s worried your incessant complaining will scare the trout away.”
“Is that your way of telling me to shut up?”
“Is that the way you heard it, wolf?”
Aurelia responds by letting out a roar. She runs forward with her arms up, stomping through the shallow water. She makes a few circles around me for good measure before ending her petty rampage with a beaming smile.
“There you go. I got them riled up for you. Gooooo trout!” She pumps her arm in the air like a cheerleader before sauntering past me.
My hand is moving before I can even think about it, and I put everything I have into the strike, ensuring she feels it even through the Gore-Tex of her waders.
“Ow!” Aurelia yelps before rubbing the sting from her ass.
“Brat.”
“Creep,” she volleys back.
I watch her go to make sure she makes it to the riverbank safely despite it only being ten feet away, and then I wade over to Zeke since my spot is blown.
“What was that about?” he asks the moment I’m within earshot.
“She wants to be fucked,” I answer plainly. “And soon.”
“Odd way to go about it.”
I feel my smile when I answer, “Not the way we do it.”
Zeke doesn’t respond, and I recast my line. Within minutes, I have a bite and use my net to secure it before releasing the fat trout from the line. Feeling smug, I look back toward the riverbank to show Aurelia and find it empty.
“What the fuck? Where the fuck did she go?”
“Who?” Zeke asks absently as he secures his own catch.
“The tooth fairy, Zeke. Who else?” I wade back to the bank and toss my trout into the cooler full of ice with the others before peering through the trees. “Aurelia!”
“She left these behind.” I didn’t even realize Zeke had followed me out of the river. I follow his voice and see him holding up Aurelia’s waders. “Maybe nature called.”
“Her pack and bow are gone.”
Zeke tries to act like he’s not interested in where she could have gone or why, but in the end, his curiosity and distrust of Aurelia win him over. “Well, you’re a hunter, aren’t you? So hunt. We can come back for this shit later.” He drops the waders, sheds his own, and then grabs his pack.
I do the same, and then we’re off, but we don’t make it more than a few feet before I stop and swear viciously.
“Problem?”
“Aurelia’s hidden her tracks.”
Zeke’s brows shoot up. “She can do that?”
“I’ve been teaching her,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Yeah, seems like a good idea.”
“Can you not be a dick about this for two seconds?”
“Maybe you should ask yourself why you don’t like being reminded that she could be playing you.”
I grab Zeke’s shirt and shove him against the nearest tree, keeping him pinned there with my forearm against his throat. “Because I don’t fucking appreciate another man trying to tell me about my girl. Make this the last time I warn you, Ezekiel.”
“But she’s not just yours, is she? She’s Khalil’s too, and judging by the way she pines for me day and night, I’m guessing I could have her if I wanted. She’s mine too, Thorin. I bet that’s what’s really eating you. I don’t even have to want her and she’ll crawl for me.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I roar in his face.
Zeke shoves me off him, and it’s equal parts reflex and rage that makes me swing. My fist connects with his jaw, snapping his head to the side and sending spit and blood flying. Zeke recovers quickly and throws one of his own that barely grazes my chin before he tackles me to the ground. He punches my temple at the same time I throw a vicious jab into his ribs. We roll and then he’s on the bottom but the fucker bites me and then we’re rolling again, striking wherever we can as we roll and roll and roll.
I’m on top when I hear a throat clearing.
The sound stops me mid-punch, and I look up to see Aurelia standing ten feet away with her hands on her hips. “The game was for you both to find me, not fight over me. You’re playing it wrong.”
Zeke and I shove away from each other and stand. The genuinely ruffled look on Zeke’s face at being caught coming undone is a thousand times more satisfying than any punch I could throw.