Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“I’m sure that goes both ways,” he said to Tate, the call on speakerphone. “Raya and Lori?”
“They’re fine, albeit pissed that they were kidnapped. They’re now on their way home.”
Quinley melted into his side as a mound of air seemed to gust out of her in relief.
Isaiah curled his arm tighter around her and dropped a kiss on her head. “Since you don’t sound murderous, I’m assuming no lives were lost on our side.”
“None,” Tate confirmed. “Many of us came away with injuries, but no one was on death’s door. The pack put up one hell of a fight, but they all met their end.”
Tension trickled out of Isaiah’s system. “So it’s over.”
“It’s over. But I’m pretty damn pissed at myself right now.” Tate exhaled a rough breath. “I should have been prepared for Sebastian to pull something. I should have left guards with Quinley just to be on the safe side.”
Isaiah stifled a smile at how his mate stilled in annoyance, her nails pricking his chest. “I’d pass on an apology from you to her, but then she’d growl at me again.”
“Growl at you?”
“I’ve already received a stern lecture for feeling bad that I hadn’t guessed what Sebastian had planned.”
“Well, we should have guessed.”
She groaned, rolling her eyes. “Oh, my God. Dominant males and their god complexes. I can’t take it.”
Isaiah chuckled, rubbing her hip. His cat sniffed, not understanding her issue, feeling that both his and Tate’s feelings were only to be expected.
“Thank you, Tate, for helping to save Raya and Lori,” she said.
“No thanks necessary,” Tate told her. “Just so you know, I recommended that they inform their Alphas of the kidnapping—I wouldn’t expect them to keep such a secret—so I imagine I’ll hear from the Alpha pair at some point tonight to complain.”
Quinley’s nose wrinkled. “Sorry in advance if they’re assholes.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize on their behalf. And don’t go worrying that they’ll start trouble—they know better. And they don’t really have the grounds to do so anyway, since we saved their pride mates’ lives.” He paused. “I hear your cat gave Sebastian, Davide, and their pack mate a hard time.”
Quinley sniffed. “It was insulting that they thought I’d be an easy mark. But I’m glad they weren’t prepared for the struggle my cat put up.”
“They weren’t prepared to be discovered in the mines either. There was no strategy in how they fought back; no escape plan. They flapped when they realized we were there.”
“Arrogance,” she drawled.
“Yes. And because of that arrogance, the Vercetti Pack is now officially a thing of the past.”
That they were, and Quinley couldn’t be more glad of it. There was no longer a target on her mate’s back. Things could go back to normal. And they could start the new year on a much better note, all the Vercetti bullshit firmly in the past.
The same relief she felt had rooted itself firmly in Isaiah—she could feel it. Like a pleasant hum in her bones. That they were now fully bonded delighted both her and her cat.
It had been a shock when the connection abruptly snapped into place earlier. Despite that there had been a gun to her cat’s head and that two weapons were aimed at him, sheer joy had coursed through her.
Content to just snuggle into her mate as he smoothed his hand up and down her side, she mostly stayed quiet as he and Tate passed on details of what they’d each missed earlier.
Once the conversation was over, Isaiah placed his phone on the nightstand and then looked at Quinley. “Feel better now, baby?”
“I’m so relieved that Raya and Lori are okay. I told myself they would be, but …” A shaky breath left her. “I’ll call Raya in a little while just to check in.”
Rolling into her, Isaiah pressed a kiss to her forehead. “She won’t be mad at you.”
Quinley felt her brow furrow. “What?”
“You’re worried she’ll be upset with you because she and Lori got dragged into our mess,” he correctly sensed. “Don’t. Neither of them will be angry with you, only with the Vercetti Pack. Though they might be annoyed with themselves for getting caught.”
“That’s possible.” Raya hated when anyone managed to take her off-guard, and Lori got all pissy whenever she wasn’t able to save Raya from any kind of upset.
“Then stop worrying.”
“I have stopped.”
“No, you haven’t.”
Totally true. Quinley’s lips thinned. “I’m not going to get away with much now that you can sense my emotions so strongly, am I?”
“Nope.” Isaiah looped her hair around her ear. “I didn’t realize I was blocking the bond,” he said, a note of apology in his tone.
She frowned. “Of course you hadn’t realized. You would have done something about it if you had. So don’t dare say you’re sorry as if you did it on purpose.”