Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 119694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 598(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
“And now I must go. You should get dressed—we have a meeting later with the Don of the Ossuary Circle and I want you by my side as my Curvy Queen.”
Then he’s gone.
The door closes softly behind him and I stand there alone in the crimson-lit room, the fire crackling quietly, my heart still pounding as the image of black hands and screaming shadows replays behind my eyes.
How did my life come to this?
And more importantly—
What the hell am I going to do about it?
34
Lucian
I stand outside the door to her room for a moment, pondering. I do not understand why she is upset.
The image I showed her was simple—justice rendered swiftly and decisively. The male who touched her without permission has been removed from the world. He will never harm another woman again. In my mind, the matter is closed.
And yet Julia recoiled from it.
She did not look relieved. She did not look grateful. She looked frightened. Worse—she looked at me as though I had become something unfamiliar.
That troubles me more than I care to admit.
I pace the length of my private study, hands clasped behind my back, replaying the moment in my mind. The way her breath caught…the way she pushed herself away from me. The crack in her voice when she said it felt like a threat.
Why?
In the Shadow Realm, protection is proven through action—through blood if necessary. I did what any Don would do to protect and avenge a woman who is dear to him.
Who is his.
I stop abruptly. That is where the fracture lies, I think—Julia does not yet see herself as mine. She still sees herself as a woman stolen from her life, not elevated into a new one.
I exhale slowly, forcing my temper down. She is human which makes her fragile in ways my people are not. Her reactions are governed by biology as much as reason.
And then I catch it…wafting under the door—a faint scent in the air, barely there, delicate but unmistakable to my senses.
Blood.
Not spilled from an injury…blooming from inside.
My eyes narrow in comprehension. Ah, of course—her monthly cycle must be coming on.
I’m well aware that human females experience emotional volatility during their cycle. Heightened sensitivity…attachment to familiar comforts….increased tearfulness. My tutors covered it centuries ago, though I have rarely had cause to consider it personally.
Until now.
If Jules is nearing her cycle—or already within it—then last night’s strain, fear, and displacement would strike her twice as hard. No wonder she clings to thoughts of her former life…no wonder the vision of her abusive coworker being punished unsettled her.
I feel a twist of something low and protective coil in my chest.
I must be gentler.
I must baby her, as humans say. Indulge her. Soothe her. I must treat her not as a political asset or a queen-in-training, but as a woman whose body is at war with itself. And I must offer her comfort.
There is one obvious solution—her pet. The small mammal she spoke of with such aching distress, Mr. Mittens. The name alone is absurd—but the emotional tether it represents is not. To Julia, the creature is safety…routine…home.
If I wish her to consider the Crimson Spires her true abode, I must bring her cat to her, which should lessen her distress immeasurably.
Decision made, I cross to my desk and activate the communication sigil.
“Summon Whistler the Realm Hopper,” I command. “Immediately.”
The sigil flares, acknowledging.
“He will be here shortly, my Don.”
“Very good.” I work for a while, hoping that Whistler isn’t too far away. I want this task carried out expeditiously.
When Whistler finally appears, I do not waste time.
“You will go to the Human Realm,” I tell him. “You will retrieve a domestic feline—black and white, long-haired, answers to the name ‘Mr. Mittens.’ You will also bring all associated items—feeding devices…litter box…bedding…toys…food. Any and everything that is with the cat must come with it to the Shadow Realm.”
Whistler blinks.
“Everything, my lord?”
“Everything,” I repeat flatly. “As soon as possible.”
“I’ll do my best, your Fanginess.” He bows flippantly and then exits with a flourish of his ridiculously long coat.
I allow myself a small, satisfied nod. Having her cat will help—I’m sure of it.
Julia may not yet understand the Shadow Realm. She may fear its justice and recoil from its violence. But she will learn, in time, that no one is safer than the woman protected by a Don of the Realm.
And I will make certain she never feels alone again.
Not even during her human storms.
35
Jules
I stand in the middle of Lucian’s bedroom for a long moment after he leaves, staring at the door like it might explain itself if I glare hard enough.
Curvy Queen.
The words echo in my head, heavy and unreal.
“Well,” I mutter to myself, tugging the crimson robe tighter around my waist, “that’s one way to start a Tuesday.”
Though honestly, I’m not exactly sure what day it is now. Time feels different in the Shadow Realm…it’s more fluid somehow. Have I been here for a few days…or for a few weeks? What if time is passing slower or faster here than it is in the Human Realm? What if Mr. Mittens is already out of food?