Page 30 of Forced Mate Bride
Donovan gave another nod to the group, then strolled back out of the office.
“Fuck,” Franco muttered once the door had closed.
“That’s putting it mildly,” Cillian said.
“We don’t have time to dwell on that,” Camden said. “Right now, we need to find out more about what Donovan told us. We need to figure out if he’s telling the truth, and who might have joined Lucas.”
The others nodded, and they went to work, figuring out how to handle the new revelation. As they began sketching out a plan, Jasper’s thoughts strayed to Nikki. If there were spies in the pack, then how the hell was he supposed to protect Nikki? She wouldn’t stand for him stopping her from talking to people, and he didn’t want to go to that extreme, anyway.
Do I tell her?he wondered. If she knew, she could keep an eye out. She could be aware of the situation.
Despite that knowledge, something held him back, some hesitation. He thought back to the other night, before the kiss, how frustrated she had been at not being able to defend herself in front of those pack members. How safe or comfortable would she feel if she knew Lucas had men in the pack?
His mind wandered from Lucas and his theoretical goons to Nikki. They hadn’t spoken about the kiss, either, though his mind kept straying back to it, replaying it in his head. It had come from left field. After weeks of animosity and keeping her distance, some barrier had finally shattered. He couldn’tunderstand it, but he didn’t need to. He felt the want and need driving that kiss. He recognized it because it was identical to the way he felt about her.
Then, as quickly and bafflingly as when the kiss had started, she’d stopped, looking confused, as if she’d surprised herself. He had wanted more. He still wanted more. It had taken all of his willpower to step away when she had broken the kiss, to let her walk away.
He could still feel her lips, the taste of her lingering there.
He blinked, dragging himself back to the present. He had other things to deal with right now, like figuring out what Lucas was planning. If he didn’t know who Lucas’s men were, he’d just be worrying Nikki over nothing. Best to keep it to himself until he had something substantial to tell her, not vague rumors and speculations.
I’ll tell her eventually, he thought.Once I know more. Until then, I’m not going to worry her.
Chapter 12 - Nikki
“You go through books faster than I do,” Nikki remarked as Vincent deposited a fresh stack of books onto the circulation desk.
Vincent shrugged, eyes shining. “What can I say? I love reading. I do it whenever I’ve got spare time.”
“You’ve got more dedication than I do, then. I have to at least take a few breaks to rot my brain online. But how did you like the books?” She gestured at the stack he had placed on the table. “You must have torn through them if you’re already back.”
“They were great! Have you read any of them?” he asked. When she shook her head, he continued, “You’ve got to when you get the chance.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She pulled the old stack to her and began to scan them back into the system, followed by the new books he wanted to check out.
“Honestly, I don’t know how you manage to get any work done here,” he said. “If I were in your shoes, I would be sitting in a corner, reading all day, every day.”
She laughed. “I probably would, if I thought that I could get away with it. But I’m not about to do that with my boss breathing down my neck.”
“Ah, that’s bad luck,” Vincent drawled when she handed back the books. “Hey, so, when do you get off work?”
She glanced at the clock. “About an hour, I think.”
“How about that hike?” Vincent asked, raising his eyebrows. “It’s going to start getting cold soon. I thought you might have some time today.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” Going out didn’t seem like the best option, considering everything. But that didn’t stop her from wanting to get out, to stretch her legs and get lost in nature for an hour or two.
Vincent must have read it in her expression, because he grinned and leaned over the counter. “C’mon,” he said, eyes sparkling. “Otherwise, you’re gonna have to wait until spring to do anything remotely outdoors. It’ll be fun!”
She hesitated for a moment, debating. But it was so beautiful outside, and it wouldn’t be long before it was too cold to really get out and hike. She bit her lip, eyes straying to the large window, at the inviting blue sky.
Jasper was working late today at a meeting. Her shift ended mid-afternoon, long before it got dark. Jasper had no problem with her walking home on her own, as long as she told him when she got back. And after their last fight, Jasper had eased up on hovering over her shoulder, as long as she was with someone, and let him know her whereabouts.
That urge to get out and stretch her legs sang to her like a siren song. She used to go hiking all the time, sometimes with Vincent, other times with Amber, sometimes with a large group. It was one of her favorite things about the Silverrose pack, the fact that it was surrounded by trees on all sides. The rolling mountains meant there was no end to exploration.
Still, a small tremor of doubt settled in her chest as her mind brought up Lucas sneaking up on them from behind, killing Vincent, and taking her. She swallowed.
“I shouldn’t,” she said.
