Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
If it’s mercy Aurelia wants, she doesn’t ask for it.
Her spine is ramrod straight, legs crossed primly, mouth in a disappointed pout while Khalil’s bathrobe drapes her curvaceous frame, and her dainty foot dangles back and forth like a queen who has given an order and waits impatiently to be obeyed. I can almost imagine a pair of designer heels adorning those pretty feet. I can even imagine her using them to step on whoever got in her way back in her world.
But it seems I’m no better than Sheriff Kelly because I underestimated her, too. I never thought she’d have the stones to actually try to murder one of us.
The moment I’m done wrapping her hand, she pulls it away like she can’t stand my touch while still refusing to acknowledge me.
“What do you say, Aurelia?”
“Thanks,” she offers dryly.
My burning gaze narrows, but if Aurelia feels the heat of my stare, she doesn’t let on. I’m too exhausted to deal with her bullshit, so I let her have it. “You want to tell me why you tried to kill Khalil?” Her lips part, and I rush to say, “Besides the obvious.”
She shrugs as if none of what we’ve done to her no longer phases her. “I told you. I want to stay—at least for a little while.”
“Then why did you try to kill me?” Khalil shouts.
Finally, she turns her head from the window, and the look she gives him is so chilly that I swear the frost on the window behind her spreads. “I didn’t say I wanted to stay here with you.”
“Ouch.” Seth shudders in delight. “What about Thorin and me, Sunshine?”
“You were next.”
Seth’s eyes widen, and then, coming to his senses, he slowly backs away.
I scoff as I begin to pack up my med kit.
I should probably show her the headlines we’ve seen back at the camp. I could tell her how the entire world is grieving, not praying or hoping for her safe return. Because they’ve already written her off as dead. I could show Aurelia just how fucked she is so that she forgets her old life and starts finding a way to make one here with us, but I don’t because, more than anything, I like her fight.
Every time she challenges us, my obsession with her grows.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that if you want to take us out, my wolf.” I don’t realize what I’ve said until Aurelia looks away, a flush working up her neck. Khalil and Seth are both blinking at me like I’d grown a tail, but I ignore those assholes as I say to Aurelia, “Go to bed. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so, Aurelia.”
“Whatever.”
All right. She’s pushing it now. “Do you give your uncle this much trouble?”
I know the instant her gaze shutters that it was the wrong thing to say. She turns away from me to crawl up Khalil’s bed.
“You got me fucked up,” he says when she tries to take her usual spot in his bed. No one moves as he disappears inside the closet and returns, carrying his sleeping bag under his arm. “You can sleep on the floor. I don’t care where as long as it’s not in here.”
He tosses the sleeping bag at her, but Aurelia lets it fall. “Why don’t you sleep on the floor?”
“Because it’s my bed!”
Aurelia stares at Khalil, and when she sees that he’s serious, she rolls her eyes as she climbs out of his bed. She snatches the bedroll from the floor and pauses. “Can I at least shower first?”
Aurelia makes the mistake of wrinkling her nose like she finds sleeping with any part of him on or inside of her abhorrent, and Khalil notices.
“Nope.”
“Suit yourself. Good luck.” Aurelia manages to reach the threshold before Khalil calls after her and demands an explanation for her parting words. “Well, it’s simple,” she says while tightening the sash on his robe before it can come undone and fall off her shoulders. “I’m guessing kidnapping an innocent woman and forcing her to be your whore is a first for you three. I’m betting you’d rather I make it easy on you and just submit, but you literally catapult any chance of that happening every time. I’m even more sure you feel a smidge of guilt, and for that reason alone, you won’t get a peaceful night’s sleep. At least, not while I’m here.”
When Khalil just stares at her, she quietly leaves the room, and I follow after a heartbeat of indecision. Seth, who had already slipped out while Khalil and Aurelia bickered, is lying shirtless on the couch in the den with one arm tucked under his head when we walk in.
“What’s up?” he asks when Aurelia stops and bleakly looks around the room for somewhere to sleep. This must be what rock bottom feels like for our celebrity princess.