Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
I stare up at him, sensing no lies. “Other pack members have drowned when they have fallen into the water.”
His hand caresses my cheek. “I promise, I won’t let you drown. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’ll get in the tub and wash the filth away. Reeve is already preparing water for a fresh tub. We’ll haul away the grimy water, and I’ll soak with you for a while. Would you like that?”
I do not see that I have much of a choice in the matter. He is the only thing I have to cling to in this odd world. If he betrays me, at least it will all be over. But if he is not lying, perhaps I have found something good.
When he gets up, I follow.
Chapter Six
Dante
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Dante?”
I force myself to turn around. I don’t want to. I’m enjoying the picture that Kaja makes as Meg soaps her hair. It took Kaja a while, but she’s finally settling in to the business of getting clean. I had to stroke her and hold her for the longest time. It’s the only way to calm her. Her bright, blue eyes plead with me to keep her safe, and I can’t deny her. I felt my heart tugged by the sweet whimpers she made as she tried to adjust to the water. I let her know how pleased I was with her for being so brave. I wasn’t joking or sarcastic. It really took a lot for her to get into the tub.
Now her eyes close as she allows Meg to rub her scalp. There’s a dreamy look on her face. She seems to enjoy the contact. What a sensual little thing. If she likes having her hair washed, how much would she like a massage? I would like to rub my hands across her soft flesh and feel her respond.
“Dante.” Beck’s voice pulls me out of that fantasy. Spoilsport. “I asked you a question. What are you thinking buying that woman? Have you lost your mind?”
Anger flares but I tamp it down. Yelling at my cousin will only scare Kaja. “I bought a consort, cos. Vampires do it every day. Do I need to remind you that you bought Meg in this very tent?”
“I fought for Meg,” Beck corrects. “As you should be forced to fight in a tourney for Kaja. The reason you aren’t fighting is that no one else is willing to take her. That should tell you something.”
It’s traditional for the gnomes to collect an entry fee for the tournaments they hold. The prize is a consort. A large tournament can attract twenty to thirty combatants. Personally I consider it a plus that I don’t have to get my clothes dirty. I don’t mention this to my warrior cousin.
“I agreed to pay a measure of gold equal to ten tourney fees,” I assure him. “Reeve will be able to give the demon a proper cut. This solves the problem for everyone. Stop worrying.”
The lines around Beck’s mouth tighten. “I wasn’t worried about Reeve. I’m worried about you. You can’t seriously believe she will make you a fit consort. She didn’t even know what a bath was.”
“Meg wasn’t from this plane, either,” I point out. I’m rapidly getting irritated with him. It’s irrational. I should be thrilled. This is exactly the reaction I’m hoping for. She’s spectacularly unsuitable. I couldn’t have dreamed up a less suitable candidate if I tried. Yet Beck’s assessment of her rankles.
“Meg is highly intelligent,” Beck says in a wholly lofty voice, the arrogance of it setting me on edge. “She might have come from a different plane, but she had a working knowledge of the creatures around her.”
“Yes, that’s why she nearly let a kelpie eat her,” I shoot back. It took Meg a while to get used to her new home.
Beck shrugs, his eyes straying to his wife. “I didn’t say she always used it intelligently. She adapted quite nicely. She’s making an excellent queen. Kaja is never going to adapt. She’s practically feral. How is she going to live on the Vampire plane? Do you honestly think she’ll be happy in your penthouse, going to teas with other consorts, and attending charity balls?”
Again, this is a part of the plan I formulated to get around my father’s edicts. I struggle to envision her sitting in the penthouse’s large, elegant parlor having drinks with my parents, sister, and her consort before the consorts are called in to dinner. I would sit with my father and sister and discuss business while she’s led to the sumptuous dining room and does whatever consorts do while they eat. More than likely they talk about fashion and the latest DLs. She doesn’t know what a DL is. I’m not sure she knows what clothes are.