Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“I’ll miss you,” he murmured against the kiss, his hand cupped gently against my cheek. “Stay safe, Little Wolf. Call for me if you need anything.”
“Okay,” I whispered, falling into those slate-gray eyes as I straightened. The warmth from the moment felt thick and heavy within me.
Somewhat dazed, I exited the room and then the apartment. Was that the primal bond creating those feelings, or just Weston? It hadn’t felt like a dramatic tug like the sex often did; it felt sweet and serene, an extension of the night before.
Pushing it from my mind, I wrangled my focus. I needed to concentrate on my work, on stopping Granny. That had to be my top priority. People were dying; others were succumbing to the hook. I had to help. The true mate situation could wait.
The castle had less activity on this floor; very few people roamed the hallways. The stairways and foyer had more movement, but the doors lining the hall leading to the library were all closed. The library itself was a ghost town. Good news.
I looked for the book I’d thrown yesterday, finding a hole instead. Dang. The king hadn’t returned it. That, or I’d busted it by throwing it at him. Either way, it wasn’t the best start to my library privileges.
Hurrying, I started systematically taking down the other books in the area, one at a time, checking the glossaries. Any that listed Moonfire Lily, which were few and far between, I put in a pile on the shelf below. Once done, I picked up five books and straightened, intending to descend the stairs and hurry out of the library to look at them somewhere else.
Hurrying along, I saw the banister just ahead. I reached it and turned, lifting my eyes to trace my path.
My whole body jolted to a stop when I saw who waited at the bottom.
I gasped, backing up.
The king stood just off the last step. His expression didn’t change; he was devoid of emotion. He held up the book I’d chucked at him yesterday.
“You forgot something,” he said in a deep, raspy voice.
I swallowed and contemplated whether to take the first step. Weston had assured me there was no reason to be terrified of the man. Dante had said it yesterday, too. The royals planned to give me time. That meant he didn’t plan to hurt me.
My wolf adamantly shook her head. “Plans change. Don’t take the chance.”
She had a point.
I stood there and stared awkwardly, frozen to the spot.
He noticed the other books in my arms. “Do you need help?”
“Uhh . . .” I cleared my throat. “No, thank you.” It was a miracle my voice didn’t waver. “I was just about to go. I’ve got them all, I think.” I paused. “Except that one, obviously. Um, thanks. For bringing it.”
He held it up for a moment before slowly placing it on one of the lower steps. “I’m leaving. You can look at these in here and put back the ones that aren’t helpful.”
I eyed him warily, nodding. I was definitely making this into a bigger deal than it should’ve been.
“No, you’re not,” my wolf insisted. “With him, distance is key.”
Who was I to argue?
He took a step back, that golden gaze once again unwavering, before turning and retreating through the nearest door.
I got to work but didn’t find as much as I was hoping. Only one of the other books had anything of note, and it was information I’d already suspected: the flower liked shadier areas, growing best when protected by nestling in among other, sturdy plants. I could relate.
After the books were put away and I gave a quick perusal to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, I left the library, headed to the work shed. Vemar waited for me near the back door, leaning against the wall in another colorful jacket, though this one lacked dicks.
“Hello, Captive Lady.” He pushed away from the wall. “How are you today? Nice and relaxed, it seems.”
“Hi, Vemar. Not so relaxed, actually. I saw the king, who totally freaks me out. I’m just heading to the garden now.”
“Fantastic. I’ll be heading out with you. I’m your babysitter.”
“Have you been waiting long for me?”
“An hour or so. There aren’t a lot of jobs where you can get paid for standing around, but I managed to land one. Lucky break.”
Vemar held the door open for me to exit first and caught up to me quickly with his long stride. “I’m not big on standing around. I always feel like I should be doing something. Hazard of my last job, maybe.”
“You need to learn to relax.”
I smirked at him. “Probably.”
There were only a few people in the garden and buzzing around the work sheds. It seemed the residents of this castle didn’t often get an early start. Maybe they tended to work later? I didn’t know.