Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 715(@200wpm)___ 572(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
“You stated plainly that you saw I didn’t want you. I’m going to be brutally honest with you. I didn’t believe in the lifemate bond. I have seen abominations over the centuries and despite the oath carved into my back, I was unsure if my woman was worth the centuries of living. I have always maintained a code of honor, but it was my code.”
Her eyes never left his. He didn’t blink. Her lips trembled. Each time they did, his gut tightened. He noted the strange physical reaction as if distanced from it. As if he were an observer instead of the Carpathian hunter feeling for the first time. She didn’t respond, holding herself very still.
He remained merged with her, needing to know her reaction. The woman in her warred with the slayer. That soft, compassionate side of her sympathized with him. The slayer recognized those scars and what they meant, and she was alert, looking for danger. He should have hidden that darker side from her, but when he was asking so much of her, he didn’t believe it was fair. She needed to see all of him and judge for herself if a relationship with him was worth fighting for.
“You wondered why I didn’t announce myself when we first arrived. I gave you the truth, but it wasn’t the entire truth. I needed to see who you were as a person. The heart and soul of you. It had nothing to do with whether you were worthy of me, but more could you be trusted. Would you stand with me.”
Her nod was barely perceptible. “I can see why you would be concerned. I thought in terms of myself, which was rather selfish of me, but we’re both in the same boat, aren’t we? You need your soul to survive intact. You say you have choices, but in reality, your choices suck. I would have wanted to scope you out before we met if I could have.”
She was giving him an out, but he wasn’t going to take it. “I knew when I saw you that you were the right one,” he reiterated.
“When you can bind me to you with a few words, why would you bother to go to the trouble of negotiating?”
“I want you to be aware that you count. What you want or need counts. You didn’t make impossible demands. You were thoughtful and gave me concessions.”
A little shiver went through her, although she looked pleased. “As a rule, I’m not an anxious person, but I’ll confess the idea of becoming Carpathian is rather terrifying, especially since I can’t go back. If we don’t work out, where do I go? What do I do?”
He didn’t utter a single protest against her questions. They were legitimate worries. He couldn’t very well alleviate them because he intended to convert her. It was the only way he knew to ensure everyone around him would remain safe. He had waited too long. In doing so, he knew he teetered right on the edge of joining Justice behind those gates in the underworld. Silke was correct when she said he didn’t really have choices.
“Lifemates stay together, Silke. A bond is formed. Along with that strong bond between us, I hope we establish a partnership we both respect and enjoy.”
“You feel like a man who is going to lead and expect me to follow. I’m very independent. I’ve had to be.”
He took advantage of that slipup. “Now you won’t have to be.”
He expected her to look annoyed, but she surprised him by laughing. “That’s the kind of answer that tells me nothing.” Her soft laughter was an invitation to join her in the humor of the situation. “And borders on showing your true bossy character.”
He raised his eyebrow at her, a little surprised how easy it was to be in her company. He had never been completely at ease around anyone, not even his brethren. When he’d awakened with that first thought of her, he’d found he wanted to be with her.
“I never thought of myself as bossy. Or arrogant, which I know some of the women in places I’ve been have considered me. I’m confident because I’ve had centuries of experience and rarely run into a situation I haven’t seen before. The little demon injected into us along with the parasites was new and a rather interesting puzzle.”
That earned him a real smile. As smiles went, it seemed to light him up inside. He found that strange. He’d seen a million smiles in his lifetime. He had never been affected. Not one single time. A part of him was still inside himself watching the interaction unfold between them. He had been too long in the wild, keeping himself from others. He’d come at the call from his monastery brethren and entered the world of humans several times, but he hadn’t connected.