Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
“Doing what?”
He waved his hand in the air wildly. “This.”
“I don't know what you mean, but no. I don’t need you to give in.”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
“So you agree not to go to Green Field?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“But you—”
“Mate.” Keith swung his legs down and stood. “I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate your care.” He slowly walked toward Brian. “My parents died before I knew them. I don’t have other family. This, here with you, means more to me than you can understand.” He curled his hand around the side of Brian’s neck and gazed into his eyes. “I love you, Brian Berger,” he whispered. “I don’t want to upset you. I respect you. I’ll give you a little more time to come to terms with it. But whether you agree or not, I’m going to go to Green Field to take care of my pack.”
Chapter 9
Snout raised to the sky, Brian inhaled deeply and took in the scents of his pack. Several feet in front of him, his mate lay on his back, rolling from one side to the next, tongue lolling out of his mouth. He looked simultaneously ridiculous and adorable.
Brian shifted into his human skin and walked over to him. “What are you doing?”
Twinkling eyes landed on him and Keith’s thick tail swung from side-to-side against the ground.
In wolf form, his eyes were slightly lighter than their human counterpart, the same amber shade as Brian’s. His coat, on the other hand, was the polar opposite—a very light gray, almost white, as compared to Brian’s charcoal coat. And he was much, much taller and longer, but still distressingly lean. Unfortunately, food wasn’t a priority for Keith, but thankfully, he didn’t push back when Brian told him it was time to eat and sat with him for a meal. The same was true for rest. Keith seemingly had no off button, so he’d go at full speed all day and into the night, but when Brian got into bed, he willingly lay down.
Managing his own pack while also trying to figure out what to do about Green Field required more hours than he had in a day, but taking care of Keith took priority over everything, so Brian made sure to stop for food and rest, if only so Keith would do the same. He was confident that, over time, he would help his mate regain his strength.
“Are you scratching your back with the brush?” he asked, amused at the sight of a grown Alpha wolf behaving like a domestic puppy. Leading a pack for the first time in his life was difficult. The situation in Green Field was stressful. He had never faced so many challenges and in many ways, this was the most difficult time of his life. Or it would have been, if it wasn’t for his mate. His confounding, hyperactive, obstinate, beautiful, charming, funny mate. “You’re going to be filthy.”
In what felt like a single blink, he found himself looking at his mate’s human form.
“Feels good.” Keith grinned up at him. “You should try it.”
“How’d you do that so quickly?”
“Do what?”
He must have been distracted and looked away while Keith had shifted. “Never mind.” He shook his head. “Should we head back home? You’re probably thirsty from all the running around.”
They had gone for a run through Purple Sky together, but Keith had taken twice the number of steps as he had because he constantly bounded off and back, sniffing trees, bushes, and anything else he could find. The man overflowed with energy. He teased Keith about not making sense, and it was true, but as the days and weeks passed, he realized that some of his own confusion was due to all that energy. Keith buzzed with it and it kept him in constant motion, body and mind. Everything about him moved so quickly that it was hard to keep up. Keith had turned his orderly, predictable, calm life upside down, and Brian loved it. He was drawn to that whirlwind energy, drawn to Keith, like a moth to a flame.
“I’m good with whatever.” Keith shrugged. “If you’re thirsty, I can get you water.”
Brian furrowed his brow. “Where?”
Keith rose to his feet and took a deep breath. “This way.” Back in his wolf form, he darted to the left and ran.
Brian shifted and followed him, eventually catching up to find Keith under a willow tree, kneeling in a pile of tall weeds, one hand pressed to the ground.
“This was once a creek bed,” he said. “It’s been dry for a while but deep underground, the river still feeds it. I’ll dig a few feet and there’ll be enough to drink.”
Before Brian could process what he had said, let alone formulate a question, Keith was in his wolf form, front legs moving at lightning speed, kicking up a mound of soil. “What are you doing?” Brian asked. Avoiding the flying dirt, he walked around to Keith’s face. “Keith?” He glanced at the pile of soil and then back to Keith to find him in human form again kneeling on the ground.