Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“So what’s happening?”
Einar lifts me up and pats my ass, wrapping the cloak around me. “Go sit up front with Kirin. You’ll be able to see more from the passenger seat.”
“Put your seatbelt on,” Kirin says as I do as I’m told, climbing up and through the space where the center console is. He speaks in clipped, somewhat curt tones.
I think out of all of these guys, he likes me the least. He seems pissed off about the mate bond more than excited by it. He doesn’t look at me, but I can’t take that personally. He’s weaving through night traffic. There’s just a sea of lights ahead of us that somehow manage to be bright without actually illuminating anything.
Another shudder comes from the rear of the van.
“What is that?”
“Look out the wing mirror,” he says.
I look in the reflection and I see someone clinging to the rear side of the van with a vest and a sort of gun belt and a bandolier absolutely full of what I’m going to say are things that go boom.
They’re wearing face armor, so I can’t see much more than that. Their clothes are shiny and black, and I bet they’d blend into the city really easily if it wasn’t for the neon highlights that keep zipping over them. They’re keeping pace with the van by putting way too much faith in a pair of what I hope are over-engineered roller skates.
“Who is that?”
“Just a road pirate. Vans are targets for thieves. That’s why they have to be reinforced to withstand explosive charges. That asshole’s probably wondering why there’s not a hole in the side of this thing after two goes. Hold on. I’m going to scrape him off.”
The maneuver Kirin performs next is brutal in its efficiency; he swings the vehicle onto a footpath and drives so close to a building that the person clinging to the side doesn’t have a chance to stay on. It’s jump or be mashed. They choose jump, I think. There’s a brief flash of light that I suspect might be several of those charges going off at once.
I grit my teeth and let a sympathetic sound escape me. I think I just saw someone else die. That’s two in one day.
“Sorry, I’m not used to seeing things like that.”
“Trained by the academy and not used to seeing violence or death,” Kirin snorts. “No wonder the King’s Guard is so soft and useless.”
He’s such an asshole. I don’t know if it’s the fear, the death, or just him pissing me off, but all that arousal that was coursing through my body, making me compliant and willing is gone. It’s amazing how fast even the hottest guy can turn you the fuck off just by opening his mouth.
“Take that back!”
He glances over at me briefly. “No.”
“You’ve assaulted my honor. Take it back, or we will have that duel, and you’ve seen what I can do with a sword.”
“Hit someone once, then cry and run away?”
I let out an offended gasp. I can’t believe his nerve. “Fuck you,” I say. “We’ll be dueling. You won’t be laying a single finger on me, let alone any other part of your arrogant anatomy.”
There’s laughter from the back. I’m not sure if it is aimed at me, or if they think it is funny that Kirin managed to talk himself out of what I am sure was supposed to be easy and inevitable sex.
I might be feeling some kind of mate bond, but that doesn’t make me a brainless idiot, and it doesn’t mean I don’t need respect. I sit back in my seat and I fold my arms over my chest and I abstain from eye contact with Kirin in any way.
If these men think they can abduct me simply because I’m horny and a wolf, they’ve got another think coming. I’m smart. People forget about that because I’m young and female, and to some men, my being young and female is more relevant to their interests than anything else.
Kirin doesn’t say anything, so I do.
“You’re an asshole,” I add. “I don’t like you. Actually, I don’t think I like any of you. So as soon as I get out of this van, I’ll be going back to the academy, and I’ll be telling them exactly what’s happened here.”
“Oh, you’ll tell on us?” Kirin smirks. “How terrifying. You’ll tell your stuffy old tutors that some big mean men came and took you from your bed and fingered you in a van while you begged for their dicks?”
“I might leave the last part out,” I snark back.
The corner of his lip twists in what might be a smile, but is probably a smirk.
“Tell Instructor Furkas hi from me, in that case,” he says.
“You went to the academy?” I can’t keep the scandal out of my tone.