Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
But it was too thick—it had more the consistency of honey than milk. Even as it trickled in sluggish rivulets down my body, I could feel my breasts making more and more and more of it.
What was I going to do?
I didn’t know, but I felt incredibly alone and worried. My body was changing in ways it shouldn’t, and I didn’t feel like I could tell anyone—not even Kor. Especially not Kor. Because usually, a Were female will turn to her bonded mate to help with the nectar. The problem was, that was also part of breeding, which was something we absolutely could not do.
But what if things got worse? Having my breasts fill with nectar was only part of a normal Heat Cycle. There were other symptoms that might come up as well—much more serious and debilitating ones. What if my body began going further into Heat? What could I do? If I went into Heat Fever, needing to be bred and there was no one who could breed me without breaking the Unbreakable Laws. I could die!
I closed my eyes as the water ran over my face, hiding the tears that were leaking from my eyes and the nectar that was leaking from my breasts.
I had no idea where to turn…I was trapped, and I didn’t see any way to get out of this situation.
THIRTY-FIVE
KOR
Something was wrong with Vivienne—I could tell.
She tried to hide it, but I knew her well enough by now to see the signs. She was quieter than usual when I came downstairs that morning and there were dark circles beneath her eyes as though she hadn't slept well. The biggest clue, though, was what she was wearing. The weather had turned warm again and the house was comfortable, but she had wrapped herself in a loose, baggy robe that hid almost every inch of her figure.
Not that I was staring. Well…maybe a little. She was so beautiful it was hard not to stare.
The problem was that I couldn't seem to stop looking at her. Ever since she'd come into my life, my attention followed her the way a sunflower follows the sun. Even when I was trying to give her space and respect the distance she'd asked for, I found myself watching her out of the corner of my eye.
And there was something else—her scent had changed.
I couldn't quite explain it, but the soft feminine fragrance that always seemed to cling to her was stronger than usual—sweeter too. Every time she walked past me, I caught another hint of it and found myself turning instinctively in her direction.
The reaction bothered me—not because there was anything wrong with being attracted to Vivienne. Goddess knew I'd given up pretending I wasn't. The problem was that she had made it very clear she wanted distance between us after what happened at the Council meeting.
The last thing I wanted was to make her uncomfortable, so I kept my distance and tried to ignore the strange pull I felt whenever she was nearby.
At breakfast she barely touched her food. She pushed a piece of toast around her plate and stared out the window while I drank coffee and tried to figure out what was going on inside her head.
Finally I couldn't take it anymore.
"Are you all right?" I asked, bluntly.
She blinked as though I'd startled her.
"What?"
"You're quiet—too quiet."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"You haven’t exactly been Mr. Talkative yourself this morning, you know."
"I'm serious, Vivienne,” I told her. “I’m worried about you.”
The smile faded immediately and for a moment I thought she wasn't going to answer.
Then she sighed.
"I'm fine."
I raised an eyebrow at her.
"You don't look fine. You look worried."
She looked down at her coffee cup, swirling the brown liquid as though she might find the answers to my questions in there.
"I'm just tired,” she said at last. “I had a hard time sleeping last night.
I didn't believe that for a second—tired wasn't what I was seeing. She looked worried…sad…scared. And that was just off the top of my head. Was she still fearing that Harris Murdoch would beat me at the Alpha Challenges?
I wondered if I ought to tell her about my secret weapon—about my Beast. There was no way a regular Were could best me. But no, I didn’t want to scare her. I just wanted to know what was wrong and how I could help her feel better.
Still, I wasn't about to push her if she wasn't ready to talk.
"Is there anything I can do?" I asked gently. “Anything at all?”
She hesitated.
"Actually…" She bit her lower lip. "I…I have to go back into town today."
The words seemed hard to say—she was obviously reluctant to go back to Blackridge. Not that I blamed her.
"To pick up the packages you were waiting for?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Some of them should be there by now. I hope," she added, looking worried again. She crossed her arms over her chest protectively and then winced, as though the gesture had hurt her.