Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 166(@250wpm)___ 138(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 208(@200wpm)___ 166(@250wpm)___ 138(@300wpm)
By scent alone, Argenis knows that the mother seeking assistance to bring her daughter home is related to his future mate. He will battle any foe to keep her safe and make her his.
Change has come to Wyvern. A centuries-old pact between the founders and their powerful allies could save the inhabitants of the city once again, but only a dragon Daddy can truly guard his mate from harm.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
“I’m going to open the door to get some fresh air,” Ciel said hesitantly. The man in the driver’s seat was becoming angrier by the moment when he couldn’t figure out what was going on with his car.
“Just get out of the car,” her Uber driver ordered. “Call for another ride.”
They’d already sat in the vehicle for fifteen minutes and it had become quite toasty inside.
“My phone isn’t working. Is yours?” she asked.
“If it was, do you think I’d just be sitting here?” he asked, completely pissed off and annoyed.
Ciel pulled the door handle, but it wouldn’t open. He must have the child locks engaged so no one could stiff him for a job. She waited for him to connect the dots and realize she couldn’t get out. Pressing a button with barely concealed anger, the driver glared at her in the rearview mirror. She tried again. Nothing.
When he finally got out of the car and opened the back door, Ciel quickly slid out of the seat. She turned around and pulled the release on the seatback to fold it down and dragged her suitcase out of the trunk before he could get mad about it not opening either. Thank goodness a friend had the same model.
Dragging her suitcase up on the sidewalk, Ciel started walking. She had no idea where she was. Totally dependent on her phone’s GPS, she’d never learned street names other than the main drags of the town where she went to college. When she passed a grocery store, she made herself stop and walk in so she could get directions.
The employees were all seated on the counters at the checkouts, enjoying popsicles. One met her gaze and invited, “All the frozen food is melting. The manager is giving away anything you want to take with you.”
“Really?” Ciel double checked.
“Yeah. No charge. He’s going to have to throw it out anyway,” the cashier told her.
“I really came in for directions. Could someone tell me how to get to Washington Boulevard?” Ciel asked.
“Sure. I live near there. It’s seventeen blocks that way and then turn left and go three more blocks.” He turned to his coworkers to say, “I don’t know how I’m getting home. That’s too far to walk.”
Looking enviously at the icy treat in their hands, Ciel asked, “Can I get a popsicle? I have money.”
“It’s on us. The cash registers aren’t working. Go grab a couple of things,” another cashier urged.
From the grins on their faces, they were enjoying giving items away. Ciel shrugged and walked into the store. She grabbed a lime popsicle from an open box and debated. What could serve as a meal if she didn’t get home for dinner? Peanut butter and jelly snack sandwiches looked at her. Those would work. She grabbed some chocolate muffins for dessert. If they were going to be thrown out, why not?
The employees just waved as she walked back to the front with her items. She hesitated in the doorway. “Could I get a bottle of water?”
“You’d have to pay for that.”
Ciel found two dollars in her phone wallet and handed it over. Grabbing the biggest bottle of water from the rapidly warming display case, she wheeled her suitcase outside. There was an empty bench about a half a block down. Ciel stopped and ate her popsicle, leaning forward so the quickly melting mixture dripped onto the concrete.
What was going on? Her phone still wasn’t working. How had the manager of the store known that the power wouldn’t come back on? She’d had some strange lapses in connectivity with her phone and laptop over the last few days. Maybe this area had been hit harder?
Ciel shrugged. It didn’t really matter.
Glancing up and down the street, she noticed more and more people gathering in the street among the non-operational cars. No one even tried to move them out of the road now. A young man rode by on his bike and Ciel couldn’t help being envious. Those wheels were working at least.
After finishing her frozen treat, Ciel felt better. She wiped her fingers on her pants and licked at a sticky spot, finally splashing some water on her hands when she couldn’t free herself from the limey mixture. She took a quick drink and tried to figure out what to do.
Obviously, there was nothing else to do but start walking. Catching sight of her strappy sandals, Ciel knew she couldn’t walk four blocks in those without wearing blisters on her toes and heels. She opened her suitcase and pulled out her sneakers and a pair of socks. The heat made her wish she could change into shorts, but there was no place to do that now. Hopefully, she’d find a bathroom.
After swapping footwear, she tucked her sandals away and squeezed in the food she now had. She zipped the suitcase again and slid her bottle into the front pocket before standing. This couldn’t last forever. If she got to Washington Boulevard, she could catch a taxi or rideshare to the train station.