Total pages in book: 203
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 998(@200wpm)___ 799(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
“Is that what he’s doing?” My voice comes out very high. “Waiting things out so he can come claim me when magic won’t be in the way? Does he really think I’ll just suddenly be okay if he does that?” Panic is a rapidly increasing tidal wave, rising higher and higher inside me.
None of the other council members are responding. Because they’re covering for Jase or because they’re not dignifying Dani’s theory with replies?
Jase sure seemed like he was done when he left me in the woods. I don’t think that was an act.
But what if he does plan to just cart me off and have his way with me? My eyes pan across each council member, each witch in the sunroom. I’m utterly panicked and I know for a fact that each one of them is reading it from me.
“Come on,” Dani tugs my hand, ushering me to the door. “You’re having a sleepover with us in town tonight. Let’s go pack your pajamas. Bring enough for tomorrow night too. Just in case.”
32
JASE
All six of them show up at Tyson’s cabin where I’ve spent the last two nights. They’re here to find out where my head’s at.
I’m on a rocker on the front porch, drinking my fifth beer of the day.
Tyson sits on the porch steps. Riley stands beside him. Joel leans against his front bumper, flanked by Mase and Linc.
“You’ve got until tomorrow noon to attend that meeting,” Grey tells me, sitting on the rocking chair beside me. “Dani’s lost her patience and rescheduled it just once more with threats about what might happen if you’re just waiting this out hoping the spell’ll expire and you can just swoop in and take her.”
“What’s her threat?” I ask.
Making me more miserable? I doubt that’s possible.
The dreams I’ve been having without sleeping next to Bailey feel like ghosts haunting me. The ghosts of how things should’ve gone, the ghosts of things I should’ve known. Why the fuck couldn’t I have known she’s mine before I went on a campaign to push her away?
I keep dreaming of her face as she looked at me with that devoted look she always had. How her eyes lit up. How I always looked away and never got to bask in it.
And I’ve dreamt about the times I was intentionally dismissive and how her expression would fall. And that look of heartbreak on her face at Erica Savage’s birthday party when I was more direct than I’ve ever been about the fact that she was wasting her time wanting me. Telling her I didn’t want to spell it out was doing exactly that in a cruel, public way. I added insult to injury by refusing to discuss it with her afterwards. I dismissed her and hurt her feelings one too many times.
“Threats are general, non-specific, but I get the feeling she means to make your life hell if you think you’re gonna pull a fast one. She took Bailey home to watch over her.”
“Wait, what? Not to Marblehead?”
“The apartment in The Hollow,” Grey advises.
I down the rest of my bottle of beer and slam it down on the porch. “Fuck sakes.”
“Do not go over there, Jase,” Grey warns. “Come to my parents’ place at noon. Settle it there.”
“Bailey’s lookin’ about as miserable as you are,” Riley points out.
Our gazes connect. Yeah. Miserable is a pretty accurate word.
He continues, “But we all put in a word for you with her and I think she might be on the ledge. It’s possible you could sway her back to Team Jase if you work hard enough.”
I blow out a breath. Of course these guys put a good word in for me. These guys are the fuckin’ best guys there are.
“Where’s your head at? Why are you still here?” Grey asks.
“Still trying to figure it out.”
Tyson agreed I can stay here without hesitation when I called him after Bailey and I had words the other day. I needed more distance than the few blocks between my house and hers.
I’m not about to whine that I can’t think straight around her, that it hurts too fucking much to be unable to touch her. That it kills even more that she doesn’t want me to touch her. I’m miserable here away from her, especially being where both Tyson and Rye claimed their mates for the first time.
At least she’s got space from me.
“And what have you figured out?” Tyson asks.
I have no fucking idea how to articulate my range of emotions the last couple days.
“You gonna turn up tomorrow?” he pushes.
What, to find out she’s getting her wish? Or to find out I get mine, but she still wants nothing to do with me?
I’m about to answer when Linc steps up aggressively and says, “Would you stop acting like a teenage girl and pull up?”