Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
I stood in the gaping entrance, drinking in new sights. A mix of ancient and modern. Antique furnishings complimented the elaborately carved wood paneling on the walls while high-tech electronics kept the chamber from being a time capsule. Dark blue bedding matched the drapes dancing at the sides of an open balcony.
The primary bedroom. Callen’s private, personal space, exactly as I’d suspected. His incredible scent saturated every inch.
Quaking legs carried me deeper inside. I closed in on the stuffed wolf’s head hanging over an elaborate carved marble mantle. Bile burned my throat. This mount differed from the ones in his office. The creature appeared to be half-human, half-beast. He possessed both tanned flesh and black fur, yet his slightly exaggerated bone structure reminded me of Callen. So did the ice-blue eyes glaring down at a desk centered between two bookcases.
Was this a wolf-shifter? He…it…couldn’t be real.
Could it?
I looked closer, hoping this was similar to a jackalope. An amalgamation made by stitching together various bits of different animals. The bile burned hotter when I found no signs of a clever forgery.
“Behold.” Mackenzie sidled up to me, her attention snared by the beast-man, too. “Prince Roderick.”
This wasn’t just any wolf-shifter; it was Isobel’s beloved Roderick?
My hand flew up to clasp the necklace I no longer wore. “Why is he here?” I rasped.
“A reminder, I’m sure.”
“Of what?”
From the doorway, Buzz spoke up. “In a single day, your selfishness killed a prince and shattered a king.” No emotion underlay his tone, yet I felt his disdain. “You might be able to forget the past, but no one else can.”
Chapter
Seven
Wild At Heart: When a New Discovery Leaves You Howling With Regret
From A Beginner’s Guide to Berserker Bliss
Author Unknown
Dazed, I raced to my bedroom. My chest constricted with every breath, and I fought the newest tide of panic threatening to overtake me.
Wolf-shifters were real. Berserkers, too. And I lived with one.
The warrior who viewed me as his wife kept his brother’s head hanging over his hearth to remind himself of my treachery.
The walls of Isobel’s room closed in on me. The designer apparel. The opulent bedding. Even Thora’s dog bed now made me twitch. I must get out of here.
Gearing up, I donned the warmest clothes found in the closet and shoved my feet into the closest pair of shoes. Slingback two-inch heels. For once, I didn’t mess with the height. I didn’t care.
As I pocketed my phone and dozens of silk ribbons, I realized I didn’t intend to visit the stable but the maze. Maybe, just maybe, if I conquered this evil maze of vines and leaves, I could tackle the immortal whose last name I currently shared.
I locked my door before I shut it and strode into the hall. An action I performed without thinking, as though muscle memory had taken over. I ground my teeth. Had it? Did I carry some of Isobel’s quirks with me?
Thankfully, my bodyguards declined to shadow me outside again today.
When I passed the maze’s entrance, foreboding prickled my nape just as intensely as before. But slow my steps? No. I taught my students to learn from their mistakes and never let fear stop them. It was time to follow my own advice.
I paused to tie a ribbon to a branch near the entry point, creating a clear return path. Bright yellow fabric fluttering in the breeze, I pressed forward. My mind raced.
A real life immortal, with a temper unlike any other. Supposedly only I had the power to calm him. Me. The non-wife wife. A girl who bailed on her only (semi) long-term boyfriend when they began arguing about salad forks and what to do on weekends.
Another ribbon. This time the color of heather.
But. A berserker. How was I supposed to treat him, knowing this? I navigated the twists and turns of the maze, tying ribbons of green, blue and pink to branches certain to catch my eye upon my return. The air, sun, and exercise helped, each step lessening my anxiety. Time alone outside Castle Berserk had been the right play.
If only my next move were just as easy.
Callen’s hatred would never fade; he didn’t want it to. The truth struck me, and out went my calm. Panic returned in full force. One day, I would push him too far, and he’d erupt.
Behind me, a twig snapped. Gasping, I glanced over my shoulder. No one was there. I picked up the pace in case Callen had resurfaced and now searched for me.
As I turned a corner, my toes wedged beneath a stone. I stumbled to the side, my leg stuck. From knee to little toe, the limb twisted unnaturally, and one after the other, the bones in my foot cracked; I heard them, agony like I’d never known exploding through me. With a yelp, I crashed into the dirt.