Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
They were the first words she had spoken, and Alejandro’s eyes held hers immediately, not willing to let Calys drown herself in her grief once more. “And what about your pack?”
Her body jerked at the mention of her family, the first sign of life she had shown. It gave Alejandro hope, making him press on, “If you continue to stay like this, what do you think will happen to your pack? They will be under your cousin’s rule.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to hear this—-”
“Tough, because you will hear it, whether you want to or not.”
She clapped her hands over her ears. “I just want to...” Her voice choked. “I just want to grieve. It’s my fault Father’s dead. My fault. My fault. My fault.” She started beating her chest.
“Stop it!”
“My fault, my fault—-”
His temper ignited the same time his fear over her hurting herself rose, and he snarled, “Stop it, dammit!” When she kept crying and beating herself, he roared, “Stop with the self-pity! If Venetto raised you as a warrior, then fucking act like it!”
Calys froze.
The pain etched on her face was so raw it made him ache to take her in his arms, but he knew that it wasn’t comfort she needed from him. That would come later. Right now, she needed him to make her strong and if he had to lash out at her to do it, then that was what he was going to damn well do.
“Tonight is my last chance to be with you, Calys. I’ve made sure that none of Raoul’s men are near enough to hear us – they all think we’re doing...” Alejandro grimaced.
Calys asked faintly, “Doing what?”
Sex, Alejandro thought. It had been the only rational explanation for his desire for privacy, and it was better than have everyone realize that instead they were plotting to extract vengeance. “Never mind what they think. You only need to know that this is the only time I can talk to you.” He paused, disliking what he had to say next. “The Panthera has asked me and my brother to leave. He’s asked the same of your new family.” Everything inside him roared in protest against the very idea, but he knew that it was necessary, not just because disobeying could bring war but also because doing so was tantamount to their plan.
Forcing himself to continue, Alejandro said, “Benito says that your race desires to mourn Venetto’s passing in private, but I fear doing so makes him fall right into Raoul’s hands.”
When Calys’ eyes widened, Alejandro knew she had understood perfectly what he meant. Drawing her breath unevenly, she whispered, “You can’t be serious. He can’t...why...how could he even think he’d get away with killing the entire Panthera?”
His eyes bored through hers. “The same way he or whoever it is he asked to kill your father managed to get away with it. He would make it appear that you were the one behind it.”
Calys looked down at her hands. In a low whisper, she said, “I barely managed to control myself back then. If I see him again, I know I’m going to kill him.”
“If our plan works, you will have the right to. But Princess...” He waited for her to look at him, and when her blue eyes met his, he said emphatically, “None of this will work if you don’t get a grip on yourself.” His voice hardened. “Do you understand, Calys? If you truly want to avenge your father, you need to promise me – you need to promise to yourself that you will be strong.”
Several seconds of silence passed before she whispered, “On my word as a warrior. I promise.”
Chapter Six
CALYS
Everything in my body knew the moment Alejandro Moretti and the rest of his pack left. It was an absence that slowed down the beat of my heart, made my skin prickle in uneasy awareness, and my muscles freeze. Raoul came down to the dungeon as soon as they left, and my dark half snarled and demanded to be let out the moment I saw him.
Patience. Patience. We can’t kill him now, I whispered to my darker side.
He strutted towards the cage, looking and acting more peacock than panther. I smelled his fear underneath his arrogant stance and knew he still remembered the terrified state he was in when I had the sword in my hands over his body.
When he reached my cage, he spat at me. His saliva dripped down my face, and I wiped it away silently with my shackled wrists.
“You know you’ll rot here until you’re sentenced to be beheaded, don’t you, little cousin?”
I only looked at him silently, not trusting myself to speak. I focused on his face, my gaze unblinking as I started counting the ways I could torture him.
One, castration.
“Not going to say anything?” he sneered.