Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Granted, it was the first castle I’d ever seen, but it was still extraordinary, grand and noble.
Nervousness dried up the words in my mouth, the looming structure intimidating, the circling dragons even more so. Suddenly, I wasn’t at all sure this was the right place for me, especially as a prisoner.
Weston directed his people every which way; some to take in the supplies, some to take the horses, some to follow him into the castle. He let me down first, and his horse bent his head around to glare at me. It was probably happy to be done with me.
Weston hopped off next and stood beside me, watching everyone follow his commands. He reached to hook a hand on my hip like he had near the Everlass but paused halfway, his body tensing, his emotions in turmoil.
“It’s okay. I’m a captive, remember?” I said softly, taking a step away. My wolf grumbled at the distance. “Starting now, we’re not traveling anymore. You need to settle back into your life, and I need to find a new normal. Time to get to work.”
He stepped with me, facing me, bending down into my space to look me in the eye. “You are a captive at present. Your new normal will be settling into my life just as soon as I can arrange it. You are mine—don’t forget that.”
Despite the shivers of desire, I couldn’t help thinking that his wolf was riding him a little too hard. The humans were clearly supposed to be the logical ones in the pair, and he was failing. Still, I didn’t comment. It wouldn’t have done any good, not with the way his wolf was pacing in growly frustration.
“You are to be on your best behavior,” he went on. “Do not give the dragons any cause to punish you, do you understand? Mind your business and answer only direct questions. They are a prickly sort of shifter, prone to challenging. Don’t engage.”
“Okay.”
He held my gaze for a long moment, the raw intensity prickling my skin.
“Okay,” I repeated. This was overkill. Did he forget the village I’d come from? We were all very good at keeping our head down to avoid punishment. There, I hadn’t deserved it. Here, I did. I knew the difference. Not to mention, it was so much easier going with the flow.
“If you need help, you contact me. You tell someone to get me, is that clear? If you are challenged by anyone, you submit quickly and find someone to get me. Do not engage.”
“I said okay,” I replied as my wolf said, “Fat fucking chance.”
“We don’t know how to fight,” I told her.
“You know that I have access to all your memories, right? What you know, I know. What you’ve clearly forgotten, I haven’t. You took a knife to Alexander’s wolf when you hadn’t yet been trained in knife work. Now you’ll be faster, stronger, and better. If someone challenges, we’ll stab them with whatever is handy and we’ll make it permanent. We do not submit. That ends now.”
Weston’s brow knitted, and I could feel his wolf buzzing with pride.
“I’m really gonna try,” I said with an apologetic shrug.
Weston’s sigh was barely perceptible. “I need to speak to the royals, and I’m sure they will want to question you. The questioning will almost certainly happen tomorrow. After that, and before . . . whatever comes next, I will walk you through shifting. Please, for your own safety, wait until then.”
I lifted my eyebrows, waiting for the voice inside my head to respond.
“Promise me,” Weston growled, and I knew it wasn’t me he was speaking to.
“Fine,” my wolf murmured. I nodded.
He reciprocated my nod and then stepped away. “Hadriel, put her . . .” He stalled.
“How about the lovely little oasis known as the tower?” Hadriel was at my side in a moment, and I could feel a strange sort of warmth emanating from him. “We can lock her in, to prove she is a captive, but it’ll at least be comfortable. After we get all this straightened out, we can find something less . . . serious.”
Weston’s nod was stiff. He about-faced and walked into the castle as everyone else departed along a sort of lane, probably toward the stables.
“What about my flower?” I asked, not yet having taken a step.
“I’ll . . . ” Hadriel looked around. “I’ll check in and make sure it goes out to the gardens. I’ll tell them to wait for you before they plant it, how’s that? We can get you some lovely books and other boring shit, and you can learn all about what environment is best for them.”
I nodded. It was probably my best bet.
“Okay, then.” Hadriel winked at me before hooking his arm through mine and guiding me toward the entrance. “This is great. The last time I had to look after someone in that tower, I worried she’d stab me or hurt me in some way. You’re much more civilized.”