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)
“I don’t know how to fix it,” I admit, gut clenching, because she did adore me. And now she doesn’t. “Apologies aren’t helping.”
“Her hurt is deep, son. You gotta dig deep, too. Actions speak louder than words.”
“I’ve gotta go chase her down. Not knowing where she went feels like an itch I can’t reach.”
“Say bye to your mother. Gwen just left to go meet friends in town, so I’m callin’ Tay to tell her to bring the grandkids over for dinner to cheer her up. This stuff with Sherry had her down and that’s one of the reasons Gwen came to stay for a couple weeks while on break from her classes. News about you and Bailey perked her up. She’ll need more perking after seeing where Bailey’s at today.”
“All right.” I thrust my hands through my hair. “Keep me posted on Sher?”
My dad’s gaze darkens. “Will do. Me and your mother have got her. You worry about your mate right now. I’ll have the news we all want once we catch your scent on the breeze. But son… my advice?” He waits until I give him a nod to let him know I want that advice.
“Fight the rutting urge when you get the green light from the coven. Better if you ignore any green lights that don’t come from your mate. Suspect she’s inexperienced. Don’t know if that’s a hundred percent or…”
“Pretty sure it is,” I say.
“I got that gift from my mate, son. But I was too hasty and it took some work to fix that. It’s a gift you don’t wanna squander. If you can, I recommend you take it as slow as you can even if it’s difficult. Try and make it about her instead of yourself at the start. Do that the first time and it’ll be all about the both of you from then on out.”
He doesn’t wait for me to reply. He slaps my back again and reaches into his pocket, pulling his phone out to call Taylor.
Time to find my mate and settle my senses so I can breathe well enough to get enough oxygen to my brain to problem solve. I need to find a way to get her to let me off the hook before this meeting tomorrow.
I phone the surveillance room and ask, “Is Bailey in the village? Her car leave the four corners in the last ten minutes?”
***
Joel confirmed she hasn’t left the village, so I follow my nose to find her at her parents’ place.
I park behind her, not two inches from her bumper, and find myself in the yard, shooting the shit with Graydon and with Riley’s dad, who teases me good-naturedly while I help them take down a dead tree in the yard. But while this is going on, once again Bailey gives me the slip, on foot.
I drive, following her scent to the library and again need to use the spare keys to let myself in as she’s locked it and pretends not to hear me knocking.
“Do you mind? I’m busy here,” she snaps, not even looking up at me when I approach.
“You showered.” She changed her clothes again, obviously including the bra.
She singes me with a glare.
“Whatever it was you did… do not do it again.”
“No promises,” I say, meaning it to come out as a light quip, but I miss the mark.
I’ve got a foul taste in my mouth. A foul feeling in my veins, too. Not sure how much more of this I can take. She wants me to leave so she can work on finding a way to stop me from making her mine. I’m more than irritated that she no longer carries my scent and I’d really like to do something about it.
She looks at me like she can sense the danger brewing in my blood.
“Busy with your petition?” I ask.
“Yes, if you must know,” she practically hisses, not looking at me. “Please fuck off.”
This girl who followed me around for years, who Fate decided is perfect for me, she hates me this much? How has it gone from the former extreme to this?
Anger rises in me. Yes, anger that she’s fighting me this hard but more than that… I’m angry that things are this fucked up.
How do I un-fuck this?
“Give. It. Back,” I demand.
“Give what back?” She’s frowning at me. But at least her eyes are on me.
Fuck, I’m so fucking frustrated. I want what she used to give me.
Getting as close to me as she could, whenever she could. Looking at me like everything I had to say mattered.
“You know what,” I inform.
“I don’t know what,” she retorts snottily.
I want to throw her over my knee and spank some sense into her. Spank her, fuck her, hold her and have her look at me the way she used to do.