Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
It wasn't scandalous—at least, I didn't think it was—but it wasn’t black and stuffy, either.
The dress had a modest neckline and came to my knees. It was fitted enough to flatter my figure without being tight and I could wear a regular bra underneath it. I paired it with a light cream-colored cardigan and a pair of open-toed sandals that showed the new pedicure I had just given myself a few days ago—pale pink polish that was pretty without being too in-your-face.
When I finished dressing, I stood in front of the mirror and stared. I have to admit, for a moment I hardly recognized myself.
The woman looking back at me didn't resemble the Pack Leader's widow. And she didn’t look like an elderly librarian or a retired nun.
She looked happy.
Her long, dark hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders and her cheeks were flushed with color. Even her gold-ringed eyes seemed brighter somehow. The white dress made my skin look sun-kissed and the fitted waist emphasized curves I had spent years trying to hide.
I looked…younger. Not twenty years younger, but maybe ten. I looked like I might be around Kor’s age—maybe just a year or two older instead of ten.
I turned slowly from side to side and felt something flutter in my chest.
For the first time in ages, I felt beautiful.
The realization was so shocking it almost made me laugh. How long had it been since I'd felt that way? Years—maybe more like decades. I hadn’t felt pretty since before Carter took ownership of me.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Are you ready?" Kor called. “Let’s go, baby—I’m tired of wearing the same clothes over and over. We need to get to town to pick up my new threads.”
I laughed at his tone—he sounded so lighthearted and easy-going two things Carter had never been. I needed that energy in my life—that kindness and happiness. It felt like sunshine to my soul when I’d been locked in a dark closet for the past twenty years.
"Almost ready,” I called.
I took one last look at my reflection and for once, I liked what I saw. I was like a new woman—a much happier and younger looking one.
I had no idea that before the day was over, half of Blackridge would have something to say about my personal appearance.
TWENTY-NINE
VIVIENNE
A little while later, Kor and I were standing in the garage trying to decide which vehicle to take into town. Carter had collected cars the same way some people collected stamps, so there were half a dozen vehicles to choose from—all lined up in immaculate condition, each one polished and maintained whether it was driven regularly or not.
"What about this one?" Kor asked.
I followed the direction he was pointing and smiled.
The car was a cherry-red 1965 Ford Mustang convertible. The chrome gleamed in the morning sunlight and the white leather interior looked as though it had just come from the factory.
"Carter never drove that one," I said. "He was too afraid of it getting scuffed or ruined somehow. I always thought it was a shame—it’s a beautiful car.”
Kor raised an eyebrow.
"Is that a yes?"
I found myself smiling.
"That's definitely a yes."
A few minutes later we were winding through the twisting roads with the top down and the wind in our hair. The day was warm and bright, and the sky overhead was an endless blue. Kor turned on the radio and after a little searching found a classic rock station.
The next thing I knew, we were both singing along to Fleetwood Mac. Neither of us could carry a tune particularly well but that didn't stop us—we just kept singing. By the time we reached the outskirts of Blackridge, I was laughing so hard my sides hurt.
"You missed half the words," I informed him. “It’s ‘Just like the white-winged dove.’ Not, ‘Just like the one-winged dove.’ How could a one-winged dove even fly?”
He shrugged, grinning at me.
"Not very well, I guess.”
I shook my head and laughed again. I couldn’t remember ever feeling so free. For a little while, I forgot about the Pack and the Council of Elders and the Alpha Challenge, that was fast approaching. I even forgot about the Unbreakable Laws that decreed that Kor and I would never be together.
For a little while, I was simply a woman enjoying a beautiful day with a man who made me happy…but it couldn’t last.
When we parked outside the post office, I pulled down the visor mirror and groaned at what I saw.
"Oh my God—my hair."
Kor leaned over to inspect the damage.
"It looks fine to me,” he said mildly.
"It looks insane."
The wind had turned my carefully arranged waves into a wild tangle around my head.
Kor shrugged.
"I kind of like it," he said. “Makes you look wild and free and even more beautiful—if that’s possible.”
I felt my cheeks warm with a blush.