Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Astrid had never danced. Another reason she convinced herself not to go to prom. What was the point of going to a dance if she couldn’t do the one thing that was the point of the whole event—dance? The truth was, no one asked her, and she didn’t want to go without a date.
Being in Lord’s arms had felt like way more than just a simple dance. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was a moment it felt intense.
She was clearly going out of her mind. Lord never even hinted at wanting more to do with her.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she finished the daily dusting and cleaning. There was nothing out of place, nor much in the way of dust. There was no need for her to prepare any food for the ranchers today, as they never worked on Sunday. Lord was the only one to man the field, no one else.
She went to her room, grabbed her current reading book, and made her way to the sitting room. It was still beautiful outside. Some of the leaves were a bright orange and seemed quite stubborn, refusing to part ways with the trees they were attached to. Every now and then, she would look up and watch the slight breeze as it rustled those very leaves. As she watched them, she suddenly realized that within a few days, there was going to be a full moon.
Back home, a full moon meant you stayed indoors. No matter the time of year, if there was a full moon, no human was allowed to venture outside, or they did so at their own risk.
This would be the first time she was not in town during a full moon. She couldn’t help but look up at the sky. She’d spent a lot of time listening, staring out a window, wondering if she would catch sight of a wolf. She heard them all the time. The howling never scared her.
There had been a couple of times she’d been curious and had been so tempted to step outside, just to see what might happen. She never did.
Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she closed her book, as she’d been on the same page for the last hour and she just couldn’t get into it. Her thoughts kept drifting to Lord. There were moments she was sure she still felt his hands on her, but each time she spun around, he was nowhere to be seen.
Finally, she had had enough, and the only way to distract herself was to start baking. She walked right into the kitchen, and even though there was no reason for it, she then spent the next two hours baking a whole load of double-chocolate cookies. The scent filled the hours, and after the first batch baked, she sat down with a cold glass of milk and ate one. It was then she decided she would bake lots of cookies to package for the ranchers tomorrow. She even decided to use the last of the candy bars. It was the best way to use them without eating them all herself.
It was during this bake-a-thon that Lord arrived. The moment she saw him, she didn’t know what to say. She had a bowl of butter and sugar in one hand, and a wooden spoon in another.
“Hi,” she said.
“What’s this?”
“I’m using up the last of the candy. I figured it would be good to give the ranchers a sweet treat tomorrow,” she said.
“Good. I don’t want candy lying around.”
He stood and she was pretty sure he kept looking at her. Astrid glanced up, just to check to see if he was, and his gaze was right on her. She didn’t want to break this moment where he’d walk off. There was nothing for her to say.
“Uh, so, the, uh, full moon is in a couple of days.”
“I’m aware.”
She pressed her lips together, trying to figure out what to say to him, and then she forced a smile. “Do you want me to go back to town, or will I be okay to stay inside the house?”
Lord’s bland, almost expressionless look changed. It was subtle, but it was all in the eyebrows. The way he suddenly seemed to be glaring at her. She had no idea what to do or say.
“Why?” he asked.
“Well, back at my parents’ house, during a full moon, we’re not allowed to go out.”
Lord smirked. “Don’t worry. My wolf has no interest in coming into the house. You’re going to be safe.”
“It’s not about being safe. It’s just about ... I don’t know what it’s about.” She tried to smile. This was awkward.
“I had fun this Halloween,” Lord said. “And I wasn’t expecting to.”
There went her heart racing again. Was it her, or did she detect a bit of a smile on his lips? She was sure he was smiling, but she didn’t want to spoil the moment, just in case he wasn’t. She nodded her head.