Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Shoving off the bed, I take to pacing beside it.
The longing to complete the bonding engulfs me, the smell of her blood and her pussy so distinct I’ll never forget it, and my need rages from the tip of my toes to the top of my head, a visceral reaction I can’t control.
But it’s too much for now—for her to handle and for the risk it creates of discovery by the guard outside her room, my uncle, or the Council itself.
Romy’s eyes are wide and her mouth flushed as she pushes herself up against the headboard again, no doubt frightened by my frenzy. I take a step away and steady my voice. “Push the armoire back in front of the window after I leave,” I instruct, and she nods.
I charge toward the window, desperate for the relief of Romy-scent-free air and labored by the repeated knocks inside my mind from both Kane and Rook. They’re fighting to break my grip, and I know I won’t be able to hold them off much longer.
But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them in while I’m still here—while I’m feeling like this.
Romy follows behind me on her toes, her tanned legs feeling forever long as they peek out from under her sleep shirt. Her pretty auburn hair is ruffled, and I want to sink my hands into the roots of it so badly it hurts.
“Tomorrow, if you can, try to build some mistrust in the women,” I tell her. “Nothing huge or obvious. Just little seeds of doubt.”
She snorts. “Oh, no problem there. I’m already on the case. I’ve been complaining about this farce of an honor since the moment they met me.”
“Romy?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for trusting me. I won’t betray it. I promise.”
This time, she’s the one to lean forward and take my mouth with hers. Indulging slightly, I sink a hand into her hair and savor the moment. Soft tendrils feel like silk, and her mouth feels like home. The pull to stay grows and stings so much it might scar.
My brothers’ kidnappings of their fated mates are suddenly making a hell of a lot more sense.
Breaking contact while I still can, I climb out the window and wait just below it until I’m sure Romy has it relocked. Once on the ground, I watch until the light from the room disappears, indicating that she’s managed to get the cabinet back in its place, and then stalk through the dark with both speed and finesse.
Crickets chirp as I make my way through the garden and past the fountain to the stretch of wooded gravel path that leads to each of the attending vampires’ châteaus. I take to the trees instead of staying out in the open, carefully listening for any of them to ensure they haven’t noticed me as I make the mile-long trek.
Kane and Rook still beat at my brain, but I don’t allow either of them in until I’m back inside my own villa for the night, with the door closed behind me.
“Hey, fucker. How’s it feel to be as stupid as the rest of us? Because I know you’re doing something you shouldn’t—”
“Kane, stop. He let me in again,” Rook interrupts.
I sigh. You rang?
“Wow, Cal,” Kane says with a groan. “A little space from us and you’re turning into a real smartass. These elite fucks aren’t bleeding into you, are they?”
Don’t even fucking joke.
“Easy, Kane,” Rook warns. “You remember how you felt in the early stages of the bond, don’t you?”
“Fuck talking about the bond,” I demand, touchy on the subject after being forced to leave Romy behind in her room, to say the least. I feel like I’m suffocating, and I don’t even need air to fucking breathe. It hurts too bad. I feel crazy inside my own skin.
I tug at my shirt collar, and when that’s not enough, I pull it off with a hand between my shoulders, tossing it to the sofa and pacing. I’m handling the bond. I wanna talk about how the fuck we’re going to dismantle this thing piece by piece until it’ll never be built again. I want to talk about how much fucking pain we’re going to make them feel. I want to talk about murder.
“Okay, yikes. Didn’t mean to push on a nerve,” Kane apologizes snarkily.
I growl.
“We were kind of hoping you’d have some direction, Cal,” Kane says, changing his tone to a much gentler vibe. “You’re the demolition man after all.”
“They’ve got us locked in this villa, bud, so we’re a little short on information,” Rook adds. “All we can do is fuck and, well, fight with each other. It’s not a bad deal, but—”
Forget it. I’ll figure it out myself, I say it to them and myself.
“Whoa, whoa, now calm down,” Kane hedges. “We’re not saying that. We’re just saying we need more information. We need tasks. We need to see you.”