Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
The threat only softened her demeanor. She rubbed against him, purring, “Admit it. You don’t want to be without me.”
He gritted his teeth, tolerating the carnal contact, pretending he remained unaffected. When he could stand it no longer, he moved her hands behind her back, shackling them with a hard grip before putting a little distance between their bodies.
She chuckled. “A little slow to stop me, eh, beast tamer?”
Fuming, he bent down without compromising his hold and ripped strips of material from the hem of her wedding dress. As he straightened, she twisted as fast as lightning and tried to bite his ear.
He forced a chuckle of his own and bound her wrists with the cloth. “A little inept, eh, beast maker?”
She hissed at him. “I’m going to beat you for this!”
“Shall I gag you, too? Be quiet.”
Her struggles intensified, the newly shortened skirt inching up her legs. “I’ll stake you to Graves and allow his brothers and sisters to cut you open and feast on your organs.”
“Most of his siblings are dead now, yes? Do as you’re told and be quiet.”
She flinched, but did, finally, obey him. Ignore the spark of guilt. Ignore the feel of her. He needed a moment to think. If possible. Glimpses of her smooth, flawless calves were making his fingers itch to linger. To savor the heat and softness while he had the chance. To draw goose bumps to the surface of her skin before traveling higher... To make her beg for what he would never give her.
A fever heated him. With sizzling desire, yes, but also more self-directed fury. This was what he was reduced to now? Hungering for another peek of a traitor’s leg?
He would flitter Vee back to camp, as planned. He would lock her up and...what? Visit her in her new chains? Never see her again? Never speak to her? Constantly return to her cell, unable to stay away? All to wait for Graves and the sandcats to come for her, putting his people in harm’s way?
The questions stopped him cold.
No, he wouldn’t flitter her to camp. Not yet. He shouldn’t. Instead, he would journey with her on foot, using the time to regain control of his body and center his mind. Added bonus: he could use his prisoner as bait, luring Graves and the sandcats within reach. He could end the trio without ever endangering his people.
Once he had Vee locked away, he could return to the Winterlands and deal with the ice beast.
Yes. He liked this plan. Very much. So his chest was tightening. So what? There would be no touching Vee along the way. No looking at her. No scenting her and craving what he should not desire. Only developing his resistance to her appeal.
Micah gave her a little push in the direction he wished to go. “Walk.”
“I hate you,” she snapped, but again, she obeyed him, tripping forward.
“I’m devastated.” More tightening. Another small push. “Go faster.”
“Die faster!” she retorted. But she did lapse into silence. Well, her version of silence. She huffed and puffed and mumbled under her breath.
He led her through the forest, continuing to covertly flitter her farther and farther away from the campground, assuring they had more ground to cover to reach home. The more fatigued she was when they arrived at their destination, the better.
“Did you command your iceman to kill my guardian?” he asked. “Or has the beast racked up so many victims, you can’t keep track?”
Some of the steam oozed from her. “I didn’t command it. Not outright. I hate you, but I am sorry for your loss. Trust me, I’m keenly aware of how awful a loved one’s death feels. Okay?”
He almost believed she meant it. Almost. But there was no better pretender than Vee. “Not okay. His name was Erwen. We hunted the creature for weeks. A violent snowstorm waylaid us, ruining everything of value we owned. Our maps, compass and weapons. Your child appeared out of nowhere and ripped into Erwen. I fought back, barely emerging with my life.” He would have hunted the culprit once he’d healed, but he’d somehow stumbled through an invisible doorway, appearing in Grimm Forest...soon to discover a sleeping beauty.
“Well, I null and void my apology. Of course Snowy attacked you! You planned to kill him. What did you expect? For him to let you do it and not protect himself?”
Snowy? A sweet name for a killer. “Not another word,” he snapped, “unless you want that gag.”
The journey persisted in terse silence. For hours. She acquired new layers of dirt with each mile, but he gained no satisfaction from it.
“Well?” she demanded, opting to risk the gag. “What happened to your parents? Why were you under the care of a guardian? Why didn’t you know your parents? Did they die?”
Admit the truth? That he was unwanted by all, even those who were supposed to love him most. Hardly. “That isn’t your business.”