Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
How had I forgotten about Errol?
“The spy has been picked up,” he continued. “The RIC will deal with him.”
“Okay,” I said.
“And Errol had a number of questions about why he couldn’t transform last night, questions that we’ve answered, including showing him the vid of his interrogation before his memory scrub. He didn’t take it well.”
Oh dang.
“As such, I’ve made the decision that Rol will be quietly admitted as an inpatient at Empathy Sanctuary on Lucius Island,” he announced.
Empathy Sanctuary was the go-to rehab for the rich and famous.
“We just sent him off,” he finished. “And we did it against his will. He was restrained.”
“Oh honey,” I murmured. “That couldn’t have been easy. But this is a good idea. He can get help there.”
He took his hands from my head and put them to my hips. “Laura, there’s a section of Empathy many people don’t know about.”
Oh boy.
“What’s that?”
“It’s very nice, and he’ll get help, but it’s a lockdown facility. He can’t leave unless his doctors feel it would be detrimental for him to stay, but with the accommodation he’ll be afforded, this is highly unlikely, considering this is an exclusive, platinum star facility on a tropical island. The other option is that I release him.”
“So essentially, he’s going to a resort-type mental health and rehab hospital on a beautiful island, he’ll get top-notch counseling there, and he can’t return unless he’s convinced you he’s got himself together.”
“Not essentially. That’s exactly what it is.”
“And you feel bad about it.”
He shook his head.
“He conspired to murder your beast. He nearly got you killed, my beast possibly killed. And his actions, decisions and the beings he allowed himself to spend time with opened our family to peril and took the lives of eleven people. Three of those dedicated their careers to keeping this family safe, and one of them a female I greatly respected. No. I don’t feel bad about sending my brother to a facility where he’ll be living in a luxury suite, waited on hand and foot, and spending his time in isolation aquariums and yoga classes. I feel bad that my mother and father are wondering where they went wrong. My sister is heartbroken that one of her brothers is such a fuckwit. And my other brother feels betrayed, and also feels guilt he shouldn’t feel.”
“So you’re disappointed you couldn’t kick his behind.”
He gave me a small smile. “Yes. That.”
I fit myself to him. “It still was the right choice.”
“Mm.”
I tucked my hands under his suit jacket to explore the muscles of his back over his shirt and asked, “What can I do to make you feel better?”
His eyes darkened. “What are my choices?”
“Do you still have that dragon mask?”
His lips hitched. “I’m sorry, love. I lost track of it when I found myself battling creatures from another age.”
“Bummer,” I muttered.
He turned us and started walking me backward to the bedroom. “But we can get creative.”
“That sounds interesting.”
“I can promise you, it will be.”
I smiled at him.
He kissed me.
We both got creative.
And it was a lot more than interesting.
Epilogue
PORTRAIT
Aleksei
Laura clutched him with everything at her disposal, internally and externally, signaling her climax, telling Aleksei he could finally let go.
Centered on her, breathing for her, existing only because she was his, he buried himself inside his mate and exploded, as always, feeling nothing but her and seeing nothing but stars.
As he came down, he felt her hands moving on the slick skin of his back, her mouth running along the line of his neck, and in his ear she declared, “Vintage is always the way to roll. No way we could do this in a bathing pod.”
He burst out laughing and took his face out of her neck to look down at her.
Humor.
Beauty.
Love.
The warm water of the shower was beating on his back, and he had her pressed to the marble, his hands to her generous ass, her arms and legs wrapped around him, and he wanted to be nowhere else.
Ever.
But that wasn’t the life they led.
He kissed her and then, unfortunately, since they both had busy days, he had to pull her off his cock.
She made that disappointed mew she always made when she lost him, something that never failed to both tease and torture him, but he had no choice but to set her on her feet.
She didn’t know it yet but soon.
They would have time for just the two of them, very soon.
He held her until he was sure she was steady, then he reached for the soap.
He’d taken care of that part of the shower for her before things got out of hand and he had no choice but to fuck her against the marble. Now he had to see to himself.
Laura tried to take the soap from him, but he pulled it out of her reach.
She pouted up at him, adorably blinking those extraordinary eyes in the spray.