Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Alex lifted a brow. “I’ve seen her scrawny body before. There’s not a lot there to see. But she already knows she’s not much to look at.”
Mila took a step toward him. “Oh, you little fucker.”
He looked at Dominic. “Aren’t you put off by all those sharp bones digging into you? Honestly? Not even the protruding shoulder blades? You could play her ribs like a xylophone.”
Her cat hissing and flexing her claws, Mila pointed at the door. “Out, Alex.”
“So you can pretend that if I put a sesame seed on your head you wouldn’t look like a pushpin?”
She shifted so fast Dominic didn’t get the chance to grab her cat before the feline launched herself at Alex’s face.
Dominic sighed. So this would be his life. He could honestly say he was looking forward to it.
EPILOGUE
Eight years later
Plucking a fresh beer from the cooler, Dominic blew out a breath. It was approaching evening, but damn, it was hot. The sun beat down on him like a heavy weight, and he had to wonder if he was the only one who’d been thinking that Taryn’s idea to have a picnic near the lake wasn’t so great. If so, no one had chosen to retreat to the dwelling.
The breeze was light but cool, creaking the branches and bringing with it the scents of warm herbs, sweet flowers, lake water, and the food that was set on the buffet table. Everyone was spread around the clearing. Some stood around in groups, some sat on logs or lawn chairs, others gathered around the various picnic tables.
Mila had been sitting with Lydia, Cam, Rhett, and Grace while burping Lydia’s baby boy, who had one hell of a set of lungs on him. But Mila was now gone, and he couldn’t see her anywhere.
He was about to ask Tao if he’d seen her, but Dominic noticed that the Head Enforcer was glaring up at Savannah, who sat in one of the weathered trees that hemmed the clearing. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, and her thumbs were tapping furiously on the screen of her cell phone.
Tao’s lips thinned. “You’d better not be texting boys.”
Savannah frowned down at him. “Why would I text boys? Boys are dumb.”
“Yes, they are. Never forget that.”
“I won’t—you prove it every day.” She swiped out at the little boy who’d climbed up the tree just to pull on her hair. “Ugh, your spawn is being a pain in the butt again, Tao. And I think he’s been back in the dirty cave near the river—I can smell it on him.”
Sidling up to Tao, Riley planted her hands on her hips and glared at their son. “What have I told you about staying away from the cave? There are bats in there!”
Tao sighed at his mate. “Woman, there are no bats!”
Riley sniffed. “Now you’re just lying.”
The young cheetah at the base of the tree chuffed in what might have been amusement, sprawled on the grass in his animal form as Lilah idly stroked his back while reading a book.
“Any of you seen Mila?” Dominic asked, but they all shook their heads.
“She might be with Jaime,” suggested Riley. “You know how those two can natter on and on for hours.”
He spotted Jaime perched on a log, wiping the sticky fingers of her young daughter. Mila wasn’t with her, but the Beta female might know where she’d gone. Dominic headed her way, the long grass and wildflowers whispering against his shoes with each step. Sunlight shimmered off the grass stems, just as it did the rippling lake water.
Reaching Jaime and her group, it came as no surprise to see that Dante and Hendrix were arguing. Again.
“Stop calling me Popeye!” Dante rounded on his mate. “Jaime, this is your fault.”
She just lifted one shoulder. “Can we help it if it’s an appropriate nickname?”
Standing beside Hendrix, Jaime’s nephew laughed. When Gabe Jr. wasn’t hanging in the security shack with his father, he was trailing after Hendrix.
“I’m looking for Mila,” said Dominic. “Any of you seen her?” They hadn’t. And there was still no sign of her anywhere.
He almost dropped his beer when a little blonde girl nearly crashed into him, singing, “Cujo.” Sofia squealed and ran off as her father’s wolf playfully charged at her. She was as much a born alpha as her parents and older brother. Kye was currently talking with Gabe, Hope, and Taryn near the buffet table as they piled food on paper plates. Kye totally dwarfed his mother now that he was almost as tall as Trey, though not quite so broad. Yet. The kid kept having growth spurt after growth spurt.
Dominic took a swig of his beer and then resumed his hunt for his missing mate. Passing Roni, he felt his lips twitch. She was sighing down at her mate and three sons, who were all gathered around a table with chocolate crumbs and bits of sponge cake on their mouths and fingers.