Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Then I hear the effing rats again, and I’m about to lose it.
The tap of Lady’s paws leads my gaze to the walls where all the noise is coming from, and I rub my face when she scratches at it, whining.
I let out an exasperated sigh and come closer, with tears pushing at my eyes, because I don’t know how to handle all this.
I don’t know what I want.
I don’t even know what’s best for me anymore.
“Just leave me alone,” I demand and slam my hands against the painting of a pretty seascape so hard it falls off the wooden surface. I meant to move it, but I’m agitated, and it just happened.
I stiffen, petrified to my core when I spot an eye-sized hole in the wall. I blink when something beyond it moves, then grab the painting only to discover that a small piece of it can be moved to create an opening in the canvas.
I scream out and drop it because… what the hell?
“Who are you? Whose orders are you here on?” I yell and punch the wall.
I get no answer, so in absolute frenzy, I run over to the tools still left behind a curtain because of the constant renovations, and I grab the axe.
Lady’s barking, wagging her tail, and I slam the axe into the wall time and time again, sweating, terrified, yet unwilling to back down.
I will not be captured and victimized again! I will not!
“Speak to me, you bastard!”
I don’t even know when I started sobbing, but I manage to rip a whole plank of wood out to reveal a space no more than three feet wide with what looks like bedding on the floor. There’s snacks, a lantern, a book, and…. and…
I think I’m going mad, because this can’t really be here, can it?
Has the Lord of the Nocturne Court sent someone to spy on me? Does he know of all my plans and is about to put me in the dungeon for even conceiving them?
I can’t breathe, I can’t.
As I’m gasping for air, a thick arm shoots out from the gaping hole in the wall and grabs mine.
“Breathe, Nate. It’s me. Stop.”
Tristan.
Tristan?!
Chapter 24
Tristan
When I grab his arm, it’s like being struck by lightning. I’ve missed him so much, and he looks so well from up close. The medics have done wonders. But now that I’ve been discovered… I may be in a position much worse than when he simply didn’t want to see me.
“I can explain,” I add as his breathing eases despite his black eyes staring at me as if I’m a leviathan about to swallow him whole.
He stumbles back, black curls falling in his face as he pants, tracing the damaged wall with his gaze. “What the… you’re in my wall! You’ve been… spying on me?”
I clear my throat, but I won’t be talking through a hole, and I’m not wasting another second. So I slam my shoulder into the weakened wood and break through into his living room while Lady’s barking rings in my ears. I only then realize I’m wearing the precious hoodie purchased in Nate’s home town, the one with the crab, but it’s too late to worry about stains or tears.
Nate steps back so fast he almost falls over when his calves meet the dog’s flank. Is he… afraid of me?
“No! I mean, yes. And I’m sorry. But it’s all for honest reasons, I swear!” I say and drop to my knees to seem smaller, less intimidating.
His lips tremble, and he grabs a large blanket, which I picked for him because its color palette matches the reds of my family crest. I love seeing him wrapped in it. It feels like confirmation that we do belong together. Right now, it’s another layer protecting his recovering body, and he steps behind the desk, watching me with wariness. “What good reasons could there be for invading my privacy like this? You watched me undress, and… in vulnerable moments I didn’t want anyone to witness!”
My shoulders sag and I don’t move any closer. Lady must be sensing my feelings, because she whines and licks my hand. “It’s not about that. I’m not a creep!”
Maybe it’s the blue light, but Nate’s eyes appear to sink deeper in shadow as he shakes his head, clutching at the front of his chest. “What you did is the definition of being a creep! I told you to stay away, and you lied!”
I spread my arms in frustration, because how am I supposed to explain the depth of my worries? “I’m sorry, I just… I tried to stay away, but the last time I left you on your own, such terrible things happened, Nate. I can’t stand the thought of someone hurting you again. How am I supposed to sleep in my own bed, endless corridors away, not knowing what is happening with you?”