Total pages in book: 220
Estimated words: 205637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 823(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 205637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1028(@200wpm)___ 823(@250wpm)___ 685(@300wpm)
“Please don’t.” Hadriel groaned. “I get picked on enough.”
Vemar looked over, power pulsing around him, suddenly incredibly intense. My small hairs rose.
“Who is picking on you?” he growled.
Hadriel shivered before waving it away. “Don’t you worry about it. I don’t need you swinging your dick around, making me look like a fool. I’m fine.”
We reached the back door, and suddenly both guys stopped dead.
“Where are we going, lamb?” Hadriel asked as I pushed open the door.
Vemar quickly ran around me, hands out, blocking my way. “I’m sorry, Strange Lady, but you aren’t supposed to be outside. Prince’s orders. Turn back, now.”
“I’m just walking. There is absolutely no exertion involved.” I hit him with my will, knocking him out of the way.
“You have a lot to learn,” Hadriel muttered to him. “My love, listen to me. The prince wants you resting and relaxing. Not for you as much as for him, do you understand? You scared the life out of the poor guy. Give him a break. Just stay in today, let him coddle you, and then tomorrow, when he forgets to command you to stay indoors, you can do whatever you please. Then it won’t be my fault.”
“He won’t even know,” I replied. “Just a quick stop and back in I’ll go. I have to do a quick thing with the everlass or it’ll be ruined. Seriously, it’ll take no time at all.”
“Strange Lady, please.” Vemar caught up to me, now on my other side. “This is my first day. I don’t want to disappoint the prince on my first day. I’m going to live here now. I need a job.”
“Oh, that’s great!” I said as we walked across the grass.
“Yes. I see a great future here. We’re going to try to convince more dragons to join us. But in order for me to succeed, I need to be on the prince’s good side.”
“You will, Vemar, I promise. He won’t even know.”
I neared the everlass shed and gazed out at the plants, seeing Delaney within the rows, roaming and stroking her hands against the leaves. She was likely pruning.
Inside, Arleth sat at the back corner of the worktable, clearly making sure not to disturb my setup. Except there was one new collection of leaves drying with the rest.
“What is this?” I asked, stopping next to it.
She looked up at me with hard eyes before her gaze zipped to the corner, where my brother sat with a notebook. Hannon set it down and came over to me.
“Leisure dresses are meant to stay in the castle,” Arleth said, going back to her work.
I pointed at the leaves as Hannon frowned at my dress.
“Leisure dresses aren’t great for checking wounds,” he said, reaching down to grab the hem.
“Oh—whoa. Wait!” I grimaced at him. “I didn’t realize you’d be here. I…didn’t exactly wear underwear.”
He dropped the fabric like he’d been burned.
“You saw her without clothes yesterday,” Arleth said. “Every time she shifts and gets in a tiff in the castle, she wanders around without clothes. What’s the difference?”
There was the woman I’d known as Ami, free of any royal pretenses. I was happy for her return.
“Seeing her after shifting is less jolting,” Hannon said. “Lifting up her dress to find out she’s not wearing any underwear would be a mindfuck.”
Arleth popped out a hip and stared at him for a moment. “My goodness, Hannon. Blushing at your age?” She motioned at Hadriel and Vemar, who’d stalled at the door. “One of you help Hannon. She should be examined”—I got a severe look—“before she goes back into the castle.”
“All due respect, but I’m not about to lift the dress of the alpha’s mate, for whatever reason. I value my life. I think I’ll be the lookout.” Vemar backed away, pushing past Hadriel to get out the door.
Hadriel straightened himself up. “Well. If I must get yelled at, then these are good pants to do it in. They’ll hide the stains…”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Arleth dropped the herb she was trimming and came around the corner of the table. “Hadriel, get out,” she barked. “Make some use of yourself and that dragon and fill the pots near the waterspout. Bring them inside to boil when you’re done, and then ask Dee if she needs help. If you are going to be hanging around, you will make some use of yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Hadriel said with wide eyes, and quickly scooted away. Now there were probably two people who would make him soil himself.
Arleth reached me and unceremoniously grabbed the straps on my shoulders.
“Get ready to cover your nipples,” she murmured, dragging the fabric down to my waist.
I did as instructed, feeling incredibly awkward. Thankfully, that seemed to be enough for Hannon. When he saw the bandages, he immediately relaxed and pushed my elbow out of the way.
“How’s the throat?” he asked, peeling away the side of the bandage.