Shifters of Silver Peak: Mate For A Month Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Georgette St. Clair
She suddenly felt herself itching to strip down, shift and go for a run. Not in front of Marcus, of course; she still had some decorum left.
She sat in her car for a minute, as Marcus climbed out of his car.
Roman had explained the deal to her after Verity had left. He’d named the price the pack would accept for granting permission to build the road. In exchange, she had to agree to stay there and pretend to be mated to Marcus for up to one month, although if Verity left town before that, she might be able to leave sooner.
It was very, very rare for life-mates to split up, but given the enormous lifestyle difference between Eileen’s pack and Marcus’ pack, they would be able to justify it when the time came. During that time, Marcus would also go to work five days a week and spend time with the pack at least five evenings a week, and document it. By the time she left, Roman would be able to offer proof that Marcus was sufficiently socialized, and then the council would have no cause to take him.
During that month, to keep up appearances, she would live in Marcus’ cabin and participate in pack activities. Unfortunately, for the next thirty days, according to shifter law, Verity had the legal right to drop by the pack property at any time, unannounced – so the two of them had to put on a good show.
What would her mother have thought of Marcus? Eileen wondered. Her parents’ marriage had been arranged, and from what Eileen had seen, their relationship had been formal, polite and passionless. Eileen was an only child.
Once, when Eileen had wondered out loud who her father was going to pick out as her husband, her mother had flashed a brief smile that seemed to have a secret sorrow behind it. “Times are changing,” she’d said. “A lot of girls pick out their own husbands these days. They marry for love. Even people in our circles.”
That had stuck with Eileen to this day. Except she hadn’t picked Marcus – he’d been picked for her by Roman.
Or had he?
She could easily have said no.
Marcus was standing next to his car, waiting for Eileen to get out.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she muttered. She flung open her door and climbed out, and the needle-like heels of her boots sank into the dirt.
Note to self: buy new shoes immediately.
There were two structures in the clearing – the cabin and his workshop. In between them were a woodshed and a stone fire pit with a grill.
There was a wooden table near the woodshed, with a wooden chair next to it. One chair.
Who had a table with one chair?
Apparently Marcus did.
As soon as they walked into the cabin, she could see that was a theme. The interior was all one big, rectangular room. The living room area had a wooden Adirondack-style chair in it, facing the flagstone fireplace. One single chair.
The kitchen area had a big stainless steel fridge, oak cabinets with hand-wrought iron pulls shaped like little branches, and by the window was a rectangular table with…one chair. The cabinets were all decorated with beautifully detailed wooden carvings of nature scenes along the top panels, and had hand-carved vines twirling and climbing up the sides.
In the far corner of the room was a king-sized bed with a red-and-black flannel blanket and matching pillows. She suspected that the only reason his bed was that big was to accommodate his size, not because he had frequent female company.
There was a pile of splintered furniture off to the side of the room, she realized.
Marcus saw her glance at it. “Firewood,” he said. “I’ll put it outside later.”
The back wall of the cabin was a surprise and a marvel. There was an enormous picture window looking out on the mountain ranges behind them. The gray mountains were frosted with white, and the vast blue of the sky seemed to stretch out forever. It was a view so pretty it belonged on the cover of National Geographic .
But where would she sleep? Where would she hang her clothing?
“You don’t have a
She sat in her car for a minute, as Marcus climbed out of his car.
Roman had explained the deal to her after Verity had left. He’d named the price the pack would accept for granting permission to build the road. In exchange, she had to agree to stay there and pretend to be mated to Marcus for up to one month, although if Verity left town before that, she might be able to leave sooner.
It was very, very rare for life-mates to split up, but given the enormous lifestyle difference between Eileen’s pack and Marcus’ pack, they would be able to justify it when the time came. During that time, Marcus would also go to work five days a week and spend time with the pack at least five evenings a week, and document it. By the time she left, Roman would be able to offer proof that Marcus was sufficiently socialized, and then the council would have no cause to take him.
During that month, to keep up appearances, she would live in Marcus’ cabin and participate in pack activities. Unfortunately, for the next thirty days, according to shifter law, Verity had the legal right to drop by the pack property at any time, unannounced – so the two of them had to put on a good show.
What would her mother have thought of Marcus? Eileen wondered. Her parents’ marriage had been arranged, and from what Eileen had seen, their relationship had been formal, polite and passionless. Eileen was an only child.
Once, when Eileen had wondered out loud who her father was going to pick out as her husband, her mother had flashed a brief smile that seemed to have a secret sorrow behind it. “Times are changing,” she’d said. “A lot of girls pick out their own husbands these days. They marry for love. Even people in our circles.”
That had stuck with Eileen to this day. Except she hadn’t picked Marcus – he’d been picked for her by Roman.
Or had he?
She could easily have said no.
Marcus was standing next to his car, waiting for Eileen to get out.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she muttered. She flung open her door and climbed out, and the needle-like heels of her boots sank into the dirt.
Note to self: buy new shoes immediately.
There were two structures in the clearing – the cabin and his workshop. In between them were a woodshed and a stone fire pit with a grill.
There was a wooden table near the woodshed, with a wooden chair next to it. One chair.
Who had a table with one chair?
Apparently Marcus did.
As soon as they walked into the cabin, she could see that was a theme. The interior was all one big, rectangular room. The living room area had a wooden Adirondack-style chair in it, facing the flagstone fireplace. One single chair.
The kitchen area had a big stainless steel fridge, oak cabinets with hand-wrought iron pulls shaped like little branches, and by the window was a rectangular table with…one chair. The cabinets were all decorated with beautifully detailed wooden carvings of nature scenes along the top panels, and had hand-carved vines twirling and climbing up the sides.
In the far corner of the room was a king-sized bed with a red-and-black flannel blanket and matching pillows. She suspected that the only reason his bed was that big was to accommodate his size, not because he had frequent female company.
There was a pile of splintered furniture off to the side of the room, she realized.
Marcus saw her glance at it. “Firewood,” he said. “I’ll put it outside later.”
The back wall of the cabin was a surprise and a marvel. There was an enormous picture window looking out on the mountain ranges behind them. The gray mountains were frosted with white, and the vast blue of the sky seemed to stretch out forever. It was a view so pretty it belonged on the cover of National Geographic .
But where would she sleep? Where would she hang her clothing?
“You don’t have a