Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Nope. Anger is still in there. My constant fucking companion. “Hey, don’t you talk about her like that. She’s my wife.”
“Then why is she crying alone? I checked in on her, and she was crying.”
My gut clenches at the thought. She’s crying, and I’m the bastard who caused her pain. “I won’t ever hurt her like that again. I can’t take it back. I can only promise to treat her with respect from this point on.”
Dante rolls his eyes. “You’re such an idiot. You honestly think that she’s upset because you fucked her? She’s heartbroken because you fucked her, bonded with her, and then dumped her ass. Seriously, you need to take lessons in how to woo a woman because they don’t like it when you use them and walk away. Even I know that.”
I go under one last time to wash the soap away and then march out of the river, shaking the water off my skin. Dante has brought along a towel, and he tosses it toward me. I wrap it around my waist. “I didn’t dump her. I lost my fucking head. I treated her like a piece of meat. Can you blame her for not wanting to be near me?”
“Oh, cos, that wasn’t the problem,” the vampire says, bringing the attitude down a notch. “I was watching. Hell, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I think she’s more perfect for you than you could have hoped. She enjoyed it.”
I twist my hair, trying to get the water out. “That was the bond. I flooded her with it. I pushed myself at her.”
“That is your nature,” Dante says quietly. “But I think you are underestimating her nature. She was happy afterward. She wasn’t ashamed. You made her feel that.”
I point an accusatory finger at my cousin. “You don’t understand. Maybe vampires treat consorts with such blatant disrespect, but we do not dishonor our bondmates in such a fashion.”
“We vampires make damn sure that our lovers are satisfied, and after they’re satisfied, we thank them and cuddle them. We find out what they need and give it to them. If what my lover needs runs counter to what society or my father taught me was acceptable, then fuck society.” Dante has to talk around his fangs, letting me know how irritated he is.
“Don’t you talk about my father.” My father is always a touchy subject.
“Of course, it all comes back to your father. He was a good man, but he wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t a perfect king, and he damn sure wasn’t a perfect father. He pushed you too hard, and he completely ignored Cian. Cian was supposed to be king, too. He didn’t value Cian’s input, so he focused all his time on you. No one could live up to his standards. Gods, Beck, when are you going to be who you are and not who he thought you should be?”
“Get out.” I won’t listen to anyone talk about my father this way. I wasn’t able to save my father, but I can damn sure preserve his memory. “Get the fuck out of here. Go back to your cushy little plane and make all the scandalous news you possibly can. Don’t come back. You won’t be welcome.”
Dante drops his hands in defeat. “Fine. I’ll go, but I’m only going as far as your village. I’ll head out and make sure Cian doesn’t fade before you can get to him, but you would do well to listen to me. You’ll make yourself and that woman you married miserable if you deny who you are.”
Dante stalks off, his lanky body disappearing in the tall, thin trees that quake in the wind.
I sink to the ground. It’s a long time before I rise, and the whole time I sit wondering if the vampire isn’t right.
Chapter Eight
Meg
I try not to feel anything. Cara’s small hands smooth the fabric over my shoulders. The gnome has to stand on a chair to reach me. I should be helping, but I feel so empty that I allow the gnome to dress me as she would a doll. I merely answer the female’s softly spoken commands. Lift your right leg. Lift your left leg. Bow your head so I can get the shirt on. Cara sings quietly while she works. Everything the gnome does is soothing, but I still feel dead inside.
I’m supposed to go with him. How can I do that?
In the mirror, I see I’m wearing suede pants, though god only knows what kind of animal has actually given up its skin for them. The shirt is a bit tight in the chest, so I immediately button the collar up to my throat. It isn’t flattering. It looks much better unbuttoned. Unbuttoned, it shows off a creamy expanse of skin and a faint hint of round breast. It looks rather sexy. But Beck hasn’t found the sight of my naked body sexy at all. Cara wraps a leather belt around my waist then helps me into a pair of knee-length boots. My hair has been braided and marigolds are woven into it.