Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91534 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
My head lolled to the left, toward the entrance to my cell. I didn’t even have enough strength to stand, but with Kyle off of me, I could feel the power in my blood doing its damndest to piece me back together. A cool, tingling sensation rapidly pooled over the wounds in my arm, above my eyebrow, but still…the weakness in my limbs kept me still.
“Father,” Kyle said, arms crossed behind his back as he dipped his head in submission.
A shiver ran through me at the sight of the man—brown suit, fit for an older man, and the same pale green eyes as Kyle and Valor.
Fucking hell, Val.
Had our friendship been a lie?
No, that didn’t make any sense. She had no idea what happened to me. I’d only seen her twice since my world changed. What we had was real.
Would it still be? When she found out? If she found out? Or did her family play the old boy’s club card and not allow women in? That would be a tragic yet totally appreciated mercy. I wouldn’t want any of this sticky hate and malice touching Valor. Valor, who was so kind and fiery and fierce of her protection over me.
“Leave, Kyle,” he said, not needing to raise his voice. “Before you embarrass the family.”
Red stained Kyle’s cheeks, but he didn’t argue. He tucked his tail and practically ran out of my cell.
“So, the creep listens to his daddy,” I sighed, my voice barely above a whisper. Kyle halted at the door, but a warning look from his father kept him moving. I would’ve laughed at how pathetic it was, if I wasn’t fighting for my strength to return while I laid absolutely still on the floor.
Something hot and angry and terrifying shot through my blood, and it had nothing to do with the way Kyle’s father was staring me down through the bars of my cell. No, it had everything to do with that bond flickering deep inside my soul. The one that was currently pumping strength into my body, refueling me with each second Alek grew closer. I don’t know how he found me, and I didn’t care. I silently thanked the vampire gods for whatever mercy was leading him closer.
“Kyle’s approach has always been a bit archaic,” he said, slowly pacing the length before my cell. “I take blame in it. I raised him to be aware of all things and his hate grew from a young age.” He paused to face me.
“As opposed to what?” I hissed. “You’re obviously at the head of this. You tried to kill Avi. You killed those wolves.”
“Necessary. I’m protecting the world.”
He didn’t even try to deny it. The hate in these people—God, it was endless. And they’d attacked innocent people, whether supernatural or not.
“Please,” he continued. “I don’t want any more blood to be spilled. Tell us where the stronghold is and we’ll let you go.”
My lips spread into a wide grin, a laugh ripping past them. “I’ve seen this movie before,” I said through my laughter. I rolled through my blood on the floor, pushing myself up to a sitting position as I held his gaze. “Bad cop, good cop?” I tilted my head, my vision flickering from normal and fuzzy to red and throbbing. I could see the vein in his neck pulsing, ripe for plucking, and God, did I need a drink. I wrapped my fingers around the bars, curling one for him to come closer. “I’ll tell you,” I whispered, so soft he leaned down closer to hear.
My heart hammered in my chest, that bond writhing with Alek’s fury. God, I could taste it on my tongue, his anger. My mate. He was close.
“Closer,” I whispered, and he leaned down—
I snatched through the bars.
He jolted just out of reach, stumbling back as his eyes flared wide.
I laughed, pure madness and bloodlust.
“Sir,” another male voice sounded as two guards ran through the exterior door. He grabbed Kyle’s dad’s shoulders, hauling him to his feet. He fought off the guard, smoothing his suit where it had wrinkled from his sudden retreat.
I grinned up at him, the bond practically a glowing beacon blazing in my soul now. I had no sympathy for him, for his wretched son. They’d tried to kill me, kill Ransom. They wanted to wipe us from existence.
“Bad form, fanger,” he said with cool hatred.
I bared my fangs. “You’re screwed,” I hissed, internally grabbing hold of that bond and tugging. “My mate’s here.”
His eyes narrowed, but I scented the bitter fear as it crashed through the room.
“That’s not possible—”
An alarm blared throughout the building, incessant and beautiful at the same damn time.
And I laughed.
Laughed as I retreated to the back of my cell, waiting.
19
Alek
“You’re sure this is the place?” Lachlan asked from the back seat as we pulled up to a hilltop overlooking a fenced-off concrete bunker. The inconvenient thing about wending was that you could only materialize somewhere you’d already been or seen, and seeing that we were deep within Witch territory, I hadn’t spent much time exploring the area.