Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 165649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 663(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 663(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
She laughed. He loved when she genuinely laughed. He knew that was so rare for her, and when he could actually give that to her, those moments of joy, he found those were the times he valued the most.
“I would like that, kont o sívanak, but somehow I do not think they will allow us the freedom to do so. No doubt one of the brethren will be calling you soon, wondering where we are. We have this battle plan, and you and I are an integral part of it.”
“The more I think about it, the less I like this idea,” Ferro said with a sigh, rubbing his face on the curves of her breast, leaving red marks from the short stubble he knew she liked when he was extremely attentive between her legs. “Why is it that no matter what I do, you always seem to be in some kind of danger?”
“Tariq put the call out for more Carpathians and I thought many came. Am I wrong?”
Elisabeta was always that voice of calm—of sweet reason when there was none—when it came to putting her in danger.
He growled at her to show his disapproval. She laughed again, not in the least impressed with his very lethal imitation of a wolf. He bent his head to her bare breast and nipped. She jumped and settled when he lapped soothingly at the little mark with the healing saliva of his tongue. Her fingers fisted in his hair.
“Josef will be in more danger than I will. I do not like that he will put himself in the open like that in order to draw the Malinov cousins in. I honestly do not think it will work. Sergey I can call in. He will not be able to refuse my call, but they will send servants to collect Josef. They will be counting on the diversion to search the place they believe the object they seek is.”
“Have you remembered where that is?” He stroked his hand down her body, a bit possessively, from her throat to her waist.
Ferro knew they were running out of time. He detested giving up their brief moments together. It was never enough. No matter if they spent a day, a week, a year alone, for him it wouldn’t be enough. He wanted more time to just take her in. Revel in her. Please her. Find ways to make her laugh and enjoy life. Show her the wonders of the world. Learn things together. Have firsts. Just be.
“I have no way of knowing where Tariq put his piece of the object. But I am trying to find the Malinov piece. I think I am getting closer. It is a lot of centuries and conversations to go through in order to find that one thing we are looking for. Ruslan was the one who referred to it once. I think he was the brother who thought he knew where his father had hidden it. He did not want to tell anyone else, so they would consider him too important to conspire against. In the beginning, when they first turned, they all had major issues with vanity and the need to be the one in charge. All of them were quite cruel and violent. They had to overcome those traits to get back to working smoothly with one another.”
Elisabeta gave a delicate little shudder and Ferro immediately wrapped his arms around her and sat up, pulling her with him so she was sitting in his lap. He wanted to assure her that she was safe, but it seemed each time he said that, she was attacked in some way. He drew in a deep breath.
“We are powerful together, you know that, right, Elisabeta?” He rubbed his chin over the top of her head, back and forth, allowing her hair to catch in the stubble along his jaw. “I have always been a force against the vampire. They fear my name. We are twice that force when we are together. You may be gentle and kind but you have learned to bend with the wind, not break. We are forged together in a way few will ever understand, certainly not our enemies.”
“I no longer fear Sergey,” she whispered, tilting her head back to rest it against his chest. “I have learned so much from you. I realized that all this time I gave him power over me. He kept me starved and afraid. He kept me from knowing even the smallest thing so that I would feel completely dependent on him. You opened my cage and set me free.”
Ferro tightened his arms around her. “You were so terrified of being out of that cage at times I felt as if I was torturing you.”
“This journey has been frightening,” she acknowledged. “But in a good way, Ferro. I found myself learning faster and faster, taking in everything you showed me. Lorraine and Julija showed me many things. Even Emeline shared with me. So many people were around me, willing to give me knowledge. I was afraid of them, and if I’m honest, still am, but I can feel myself getting stronger, growing in courage with each rising, thanks to you. You give me courage, Ferro. You make me believe in myself.”