Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45605 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45605 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
“Trust me, Little doll.” He kisses me on the lips. This is my second kiss, and I wish it weren’t at such a dire moment. I’d rather he keep kissing me. It feels so nice.
“Okay.”
He gives me a silly smirk. “Okay, Daddy.”
I draw in a deep breath. What a strange custom. But oddly, it feels right. “Okay, Daddy.” I like the sound of that endearment coming from my lips. It makes me feel special, like I matter to him. He’s right. It’s fitting, based on how he has treated me so far.
By all appearances and his words, he intends to take care of me, and I’m so damn tired that I’d like to let him. The word Daddy makes me want to climb onto his lap and take a nap, and I think he’d like that.
He guides me to the bedroom, kisses me again, and holds my face. “Do not come out until I say so, understood?”
I nod, biting my lip. He’s bossy. That should make me panic. But it’s nothing like the bossy asshole I’ve been living with. Orion isn’t shouting orders at me. He never raises his voice at all.
He’s telling me to stay in his room in order to keep me safe and prevent me from having to face my stepfather. He hasn’t demanded that I clean his floors or cook him a meal. Those are very different types of bossy.
He also hasn’t slapped me or yanked on my arm.
I cross my arms and rub my biceps as I pace Orion’s bedroom. Daddy’s bedroom. It’s very masculine. Rustic. Now that I have a chance to really look at it, I believe it’s custom made. The headboard, nightstands, and dresser are all solid wood.
The bed is kind of high off the floor, which isn’t surprising considering how tall Orion…Daddy is. He’s one of the tallest men I’ve ever seen. Navin is, too. I suspect all of the lion shifters are tall and broad.
I can’t believe how much better my arm feels. It’s not perfect, but it’s not throbbing like it was earlier.
I shudder. He bit me. The man sank his sharp incisors into my arm and injected me with his essence or something.
Holy shit. Does this mean I’m going to become a lion shifter now? How the hell did I not think to ask that?
I wander around, not touching anything. I don’t want to be nosy. I’m a guest here.
Wait. I’m not a guest at all. I live here now. I can’t wrap my head around that. It’s surreal. How will I be of any use to Orion or anyone else? I didn’t even finish high school. Vincent forced me to drop out and take over the household chores before my mother’s body was cold. He said I was lucky he was going to let me stay in my house. He told me he could send me to foster care where I would be treated far worse than if I stayed and earned my keep with Vincent.
I’m not at all sure I made the right decision. I probably would be better off if I’d called his bluff. Even if I had gone to a group home or a crowded foster family, at least I would have finished high school.
Vincent wasn’t as mean in the beginning. He’s gotten crueler over time. I’ve been mostly isolated from society for so long that I wouldn’t even know what to do if I ran away. Where would I go? I have no skills. No education. I’d be living on the streets. He’s orchestrated that.
Again, that might have been better. I’ve been growing bolder lately. I suspect that’s why he brought me with him today. He feared I would run away while he was gone. I hadn’t had any plans to that effect, but I’ve certainly thought about it a few times.
At the sound of a roar coming from outside, my heart starts racing. The noise is so loud and scary. I run toward what I assume is a closet door and open it. It’s not large. Not a walk-in closet. It’s just a small room with a bar across to hold clothes.
When another roar fills the silence, I drop down and crawl into the small space, pulling the door closed behind me. My wrist protests, but I ignore it as I turn around, sit on my butt, and press myself against the wall.
It’s dark. I’m scared. What if Vincent hurts someone? What if he hurts Orion?
Drawing my knees up to my chest, I wrap my arms around my shins and hold myself in a little ball. It takes me a minute to realize every inhale draws more of Daddy into me. It’s his closet. His clothes. His shoes. Everything smells like him. Masculine. Woodsy. Dominant.
Is that a scent? The man sure is bossy, but that’s not something a person can smell. Is it?