Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
“Come back over here, Aurelia,” Dante said, motioning me over. “Try to act normal. Don’t raise suspicion. Is he close? Is he in hearing distance?”
“No. I don’t think so.” I licked my lips. “This feeling—it’s not based on proximity. Well, not totally, maybe? I always felt this . . . awareness before he’d show up to punish me. It’s a warning, but not just of the pain to come. He gets a sexual kind of high out of punishing people—at least he does when punishing me. It makes my skin crawl. It’s easily worse than the actual punishment. It’s like I could feel his anticipation. He’d be on the opposite side of the village from my cottage—quite a distance away—but I could always feel it, even when I didn’t know for sure a punishment was coming.”
“Why wouldn’t you know one was coming?” Dante asked, giving me more space now, probably so he could shift quickly if needed.
I lifted a shoulder, my emotions turbulent. “It didn’t happen often, but sometimes Granny would get word of my conduct in the village and punish me for it. Giving away food or supplies, taking a break when I should’ve been working, leaving work to watch the hunting pack gather and take off or come back . . .”
“Why would she care about you watching the hunting pack?”
“I always assumed it was because she thought I should’ve been working.”
“Or maybe she worried one of them might be strong enough to pull out your wolf,” Hadriel said lightly.
I studied him for a moment but wouldn’t allow myself to dwell on it. That was in the past. There was nothing I could do about it now but to bury the feelings until I had reached some semblance of safety. After that, I could rehash all the things that I knew would tear me apart.
“It’ll be fine,” I said softly, steeling my resolve, trying not to let the fear rule me. “Besides, when he came before, I wasn’t allowed to fight back. Now I am.”
“I’ll find you an axe,” Dante said, a grin spreading across his face. “See? Friendship.”
Chapter 33
Aurelia
The air had chilled by the time we stopped, but the goosebumps across my limbs weren’t from cold. The anticipation was building, I could feel it. He was out there somewhere, all his focus on to me. He intended to take me. To use me, not just to make product, but for his own sick urges.
I caught sight of Weston’s wolf working through the trees, his easy lope so effortless and graceful, so beautiful. He slowed when he neared his pack members, his authority obvious. Their communication was silent but no less informative. When he moved on, they hurried to do whatever he’d commanded.
“What’s for dinner, love? I’m starving.” Hadriel walked up without a stitch on him. He’d clearly just spent some time in wolf form. Thankfully I was getting used to all the nudity. “We’ve been granted a fire since we’re in clear view. We’ve got people hunting, but I doubt they’ll find much this close to the city. This place is probably over-hunted. We’ve got to rely on what we’ve got.”
It was unusual for Hadriel to break down the cooking situation. It meant he was trying to distract me, keep my mind occupied.
“You won’t be able to hide me.” I looked at the elevated land to the west and south, something Dante had pointed out to Weston when we’d stopped. It’s the only reason I knew the directions. “Even if you try, he’ll still find me.”
“Don’t worry about that, my darling.” Hadriel rubbed my arm. “Weston is an incredible alpha. Remember I told you not to kill him? This is why. He excels at handling danger like this. He rises to the challenge every time. If anyone is going to protect you, it is him.”
“I should be able to protect myself.”
It was out before I’d meant to say it and wasn’t something I would’ve ever thought in the past. Hell, I’d asked Weston to be his damsel in distress, something that still strangely turned me on. But now, here, with an animal in my person and danger aiming for me specifically . . . I was tired of being dead weight, of being vulnerable or the victim. I had an animal. I should be able to stick up for myself. Even if I couldn’t, I wanted to do more than hide in a bush and hope for the best while the brave people around me put their lives on the line to protect me.
“You will, love.” Hadriel shadowed me to the supply cart where we kept the food supplies. “Just as soon as you can get training, you will, I promise. You’ll be incredible. We just have to get through this . . . and the port situation. Then we’ll have time to get you up to speed.”