Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
The guy wasn’t going to make it.
Caidrik ran over and ducked his shoulder, tossing Luca over it before sprinting down the steps. Luca’s blood soaked through Caidrik’s shirt, and silver burned his nose with every breath. “Open the garage,” he yelled as he ran. Nadia disappeared back inside the house.
Moments later, the garage door rolled up with a mechanical groan. Caidrik hustled inside, boots slipping slightly on the concrete, and dropped Luca into the back seat before straightening. He turned and let out a high-pitched whistle. Two patrolling wolves answered immediately, crashing out of the forest where they’d been running, snow spraying beneath their paws.
“I need you to drive him to the doctor,” he said, wondering if it’d matter. “I’m not sure he’ll survive, based on the amount of silver I can smell.” Who had left him on the porch?
Bulwark was the only person he could think of. Was this some kind of twisted gift to Nadia, or was it a challenge meant for him?
Probably both.
The enforcers shifted back into human form immediately, breath steaming in the cold. Mortimore, the eldest of the two, yanked open the vehicle and looked around. “There isn’t anything to wear,” he muttered.
“We’ll get some at Doc’s,” Charlie, the younger enforcer, said, already jumping into the driver’s seat.
Mortimore shut the back door and ran around to get into the passenger side. The doors slammed, engine roaring to life. Caidrik watched them back out and tear down the drive, tires crunching over frozen gravel until the sound disappeared into the trees.
The quiet that followed felt heavy.
Nadia emerged onto the porch again, her posture alert, eyes sharp. “I smelled silver.”
“So did I,” Helena said. She studied her son thoughtfully, head tilted. “You sure came out of nowhere.”
He kept his face stoic, forcing his body to keep masking, every instinct screaming to claim and protect. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
His mother lost the suspicious look and smiled. “I thought I’d come see Nadia. I was wondering how the trials were going.”
He prodded with a look. “Go on.”
She gave a delicate shrug. “I heard around town that Nadia was planning to create farmland between here and a couple of the packs. With my strategic abilities, I want to make myself useful.”
He narrowed his gaze further. “Honestly. No grift.”
She lifted her hands. “I’m looking for a place to belong, Caidrik. I have to admit I’m getting tired of running from the authorities, both human and lupine.” She chuckled and then winked at Nadia. “I am quite the grifter though, dear. If the pack ever needs money, I can help.”
Nadia smiled, real delight in her eyes. “I appreciate that.”
“No. You don’t listen to any of that, Nadia,” he said, holding up a hand. “Mom, I think this new effort to go legit is wonderful, but Bulwark and I have some things to settle. I think it would be better if you were not in the territory when we do.”
The last thing he wanted was to kill Bulwark in front of their mother, but there didn’t seem to be a choice. If Bulwark had left Luca like this, and he had definitely tried to kill Nadia, then he couldn’t live.
Sometimes life really was that simple.
A black Nissan Frontier barreled up the drive and stopped hard, gravel spraying outward before settling into silence. Caidrik moved instantly, stepping in front of the porch and putting all of the females behind him. The cold pressed in from every side, the air sharp enough to sting his lungs, and every instinct in him stayed alert.
The driver’s door flew open. Jack Lawrence, the football coach, leaped out, his face tight, jaw set. He wore a blue baseball cap over his silver hair that matched his sweatshirt. Jeans and black boots finished his outfit. He yanked open the back door and dragged two teenage boys out by the collars, one in each hand. He hauled them forward and shoved them hard. They hit the ground in front of Caidrik, landing on their knees before scrambling upright.
Caidrik looked at the three. “Coach? What’s going on here?”
Kyle Kelby and Georgie Newington stood there brushing snow and dirt off their jeans, both in sweatshirts that showed the team logo. They straightened, shoulders back, trying to look tough. They were both brunettes, their blue eyes different shades, flicking from face to face, clearly realizing too late that this had gone farther than they probably wanted.
“What’s going on?” Georgie muttered.
The coach stepped forward. “These two idiots broke into the high school last night after the play and started a bonfire inside the building.” His voice echoed across the drive, carrying to every corner of the porch. “They were also making out with cheerleaders.”
“It was just a party, man,” Georgie said, lifting his chin.
Caidrik looked at the coach, then back at the boys. “Why are they here in front of me?”