moment, and she shook her head ever so slightly. He made a small humming sound in his throat and turned his attention back to the book. What the hell?
She fidgeted in her chair and moved his arm off her shoulder as she stood. Her voice was calm and even, but her pretty blue eyes were filled with dread. “Can someone show me where the bathroom is?”
“Sure, this way.” Cades stood and took her to the half bath on the first floor. He watched her go, her movements stiff and anxious.
When the door shut, Teller said, “Anyone else think that the only person who can break the blood-debt is her truemate?”
Peter nodded. “It’s pretty clear here in the old texts. The blood-debt was used as a promise between packs in the old days. When packs made peace, they often arranged marriages between the alphas’ children, sealing the promise with blood. The only thing that could break the promise was if either of the children found their truemates before the mating occurred. The truemates would fight to break the blood-debt. If they were successful, then the debt was erased. If they lost, however, they were not allowed to claim their mates.”
Jason leaned back in his chair. “I looked up her pack. They’re not much bigger than us, settled in Columbus. The alpha is old-school, not as much as Karly’s family, but honorable.”
“It’s barbaric,” Cades groused, bringing her baby, Lyric, into the room. The five month-old baby girl hung onto her mother with her fists tightened in Cades’ hair. “She was a child. They never should have agreed to it.”
“I don’t think they had a choice, Cadence,” Peter said.
“Bullshit,” Cades growled. “There is always a choice. And you can be damn sure if someone tried to bind Riki to three males in the name of honor, they’d do it over my dead body.”
Bo was sure that would be the exact scenario. Bo felt that same protective need sweep over him with Reika. He might not be worthy of her, but she deserved more than males who would force her and make her submit, and hurt her the way they did.
Speaking of Reika …
He glanced towards the bathroom with a sinking feeling. Without even bothering to go to the bathroom, he walked from the kitchen, out the back door, and moved around the side of the house. He saw the bathroom window open, and the spot where she had landed when she slipped from inside.
Her footsteps were easy enough to follow in the snow, but she hadn’t gone far. She stood a few hundred yards into the woods, her back against a tree, a cell phone in her hand.
“Going somewhere, sweetheart?” He stopped in front of her and put his hands on his hips. He was both furious and turned on. She shouldn’t have tried to walk away, but she was damn sneaky, and help him, he liked that.
She chucked the phone at him and folded her arms over her chest. “You people sure are trusting.”
He caught it, glancing down and finding Cades’ bright pink cell phone, with a password preventing it from being used. He tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. While Reika glared at him, he laughed harder. It was damn funny.
When he had laughed his fill, he tucked the phone into his back pocket and stepped close to her. “You said you trusted me.”
She tried to look away, but he caught her chin and made her look at him. Her eyes said it all. She was feeling the mate-pull as much as him.
“I do. I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“I’ll break their tie to you, Reika. You’ll be free to mate with who you want.”
“No!” she shouted, her hands suddenly gripping his arms. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous. They’re crazy and relentless. They’ll never give up on having me.”
He let his beast free enough for his canines to elongate, and he scratched the inside of his palm, drawing blood. Pressing his hand to her neck, he said, “I swear on my life, Reika Snow, that I
She fidgeted in her chair and moved his arm off her shoulder as she stood. Her voice was calm and even, but her pretty blue eyes were filled with dread. “Can someone show me where the bathroom is?”
“Sure, this way.” Cades stood and took her to the half bath on the first floor. He watched her go, her movements stiff and anxious.
When the door shut, Teller said, “Anyone else think that the only person who can break the blood-debt is her truemate?”
Peter nodded. “It’s pretty clear here in the old texts. The blood-debt was used as a promise between packs in the old days. When packs made peace, they often arranged marriages between the alphas’ children, sealing the promise with blood. The only thing that could break the promise was if either of the children found their truemates before the mating occurred. The truemates would fight to break the blood-debt. If they were successful, then the debt was erased. If they lost, however, they were not allowed to claim their mates.”
Jason leaned back in his chair. “I looked up her pack. They’re not much bigger than us, settled in Columbus. The alpha is old-school, not as much as Karly’s family, but honorable.”
“It’s barbaric,” Cades groused, bringing her baby, Lyric, into the room. The five month-old baby girl hung onto her mother with her fists tightened in Cades’ hair. “She was a child. They never should have agreed to it.”
“I don’t think they had a choice, Cadence,” Peter said.
“Bullshit,” Cades growled. “There is always a choice. And you can be damn sure if someone tried to bind Riki to three males in the name of honor, they’d do it over my dead body.”
Bo was sure that would be the exact scenario. Bo felt that same protective need sweep over him with Reika. He might not be worthy of her, but she deserved more than males who would force her and make her submit, and hurt her the way they did.
Speaking of Reika …
He glanced towards the bathroom with a sinking feeling. Without even bothering to go to the bathroom, he walked from the kitchen, out the back door, and moved around the side of the house. He saw the bathroom window open, and the spot where she had landed when she slipped from inside.
Her footsteps were easy enough to follow in the snow, but she hadn’t gone far. She stood a few hundred yards into the woods, her back against a tree, a cell phone in her hand.
“Going somewhere, sweetheart?” He stopped in front of her and put his hands on his hips. He was both furious and turned on. She shouldn’t have tried to walk away, but she was damn sneaky, and help him, he liked that.
She chucked the phone at him and folded her arms over her chest. “You people sure are trusting.”
He caught it, glancing down and finding Cades’ bright pink cell phone, with a password preventing it from being used. He tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. While Reika glared at him, he laughed harder. It was damn funny.
When he had laughed his fill, he tucked the phone into his back pocket and stepped close to her. “You said you trusted me.”
She tried to look away, but he caught her chin and made her look at him. Her eyes said it all. She was feeling the mate-pull as much as him.
“I do. I just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“I’ll break their tie to you, Reika. You’ll be free to mate with who you want.”
“No!” she shouted, her hands suddenly gripping his arms. “You can’t. It’s too dangerous. They’re crazy and relentless. They’ll never give up on having me.”
He let his beast free enough for his canines to elongate, and he scratched the inside of his palm, drawing blood. Pressing his hand to her neck, he said, “I swear on my life, Reika Snow, that I
Similar Books
