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)
He frowns. “For what?”
“Inconveniencing you.”
His head jerks back as his deep brown eyes widen. “Inconveniencing me? Little doll, you will never ever inconvenience me. From this moment forward, my job is going to be to protect you and keep you healthy. Don’t you ever apologize for something that’s not in your control.”
I stare at him. He’s serious.
I’m lying on my left side. I’m sure that’s on purpose. He’s so thoughtful that he carefully protected my right arm when he lowered me to the bed. Now, he lifts it, pushes up my sleeve, and gently turns it from side to side. “Your wrist is slightly swollen. Can you make a fist, Little doll?”
I shake my head and again regret the movement. “Don’t wanna,” I whine, sounding petulant. My response shocks me, and I wince as I jerk my injured arm from him and cover my face with it. It’s instinctive. I don’t want him to slap me. I would never ever speak to Vincent in that tone. He would backhand me for being so rude.
This entire situation I’m in is surreal. I don’t know why this man thinks I’m his—whatever that means. It must be a shifter thing. A part of me has secretly hoped it could be true even though it’s impossible to wrap my head around.
All hope for a better life drains from my body. Any life would be an improvement over my current situation, but I’ve messed that up with my stupid vertigo, my odd behavior, and my whining. Not to mention, I’m obviously not worth anyone’s consideration. There’s a reason I’m covered in bruises, and Vincent twisted my wrist. I have a tendency to fuck things up.
Tears escape yet again. Sadness makes me draw my knees up higher. I don’t dare lift my arm from my face.
Chapter Three
Orion
What. The. Fuck?
My Little girl is so skittish that she believes I would hit her?
I want to kill her stepfather with my bare hands, and I may still do so. He has obviously abused her for so long that she’s scared of being struck for something as simple as a naughty response.
Her reluctance to fist her hand only tells me how much it hurts. The whine in her voice nearly made me chuckle. It was so cute. I’ve known her less than an hour, and I’m already wrapped so tightly around her pinky that I would do anything for her.
My chest is tight because she’s so scared. It infuriates me. I need to be careful with her. I also need to put my foot down about a few things. Namely, the fact that I’m about to claim her. My bite will not only cement her to me, but it will also help her heal. It might even improve her apparently chronic vertigo.
Keeping my movements slow, I gently stroke her forearm over her face. “Cora, I know it will take you a while to fully trust me, to undo the abuse you’ve been living with, but I need you to know that I will never hurt you. I will never strike you out of anger. I will never shout at you. There is absolutely nothing you can do to upset me.”
I’m careful about my wording. It’s true I would not hit Cora out of anger. The only time I would strike her would be to spank her, and that will only happen if it’s something she enjoys. If it scares her because of her past, it won’t be a kink we practice.
I lift her arm from her face and bring her hand to my lips. She stares at me with wide green eyes and an open mouth while I kiss her fingertips.
“I’m going to bite you, Little doll. There’s no reason to put it off. I won’t risk Vincent showing up here before I’ve fully claimed you. It will only sting for a moment. After my serum enters your body, you will begin to heal.”
I hate the idea of dropping my incisors into her tender skin without warning, but at the same time, it’s not up for discussion, so I don’t give her a chance to react. I kiss my way down her palm and past her injured wrist. When I reach the fleshy part of her forearm, I grip her elbow firmly, let my incisors drop, and pierce her skin with all four sharp teeth.
Cora yelps. Not surprising. It’s over in seconds, and my heart calms. She’s mine. It’s done. It can’t be undone. I lick the four small points, but they close over quickly, leaving no evidence of my bite.
“What…?” Cora jerks her arm out of my grip and looks at it. “Ouch,” she says belatedly.
This time, I chuckle. “Vincent will not touch you again.”
She shifts her gaze to me. “You…”
“I claimed you, Little doll. You’re mine now.”
She shoves to sitting, scooting back toward my headboard. I’m not surprised by her reaction, but I’m concerned about her vertigo. “Be careful, Little doll. I don’t want you to get dizzy and fall off the bed.”