Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
But I wasn’t stupid, and I did want to be safe. And that was here with Adryan. So after I’d taken the phone and promptly asked him to leave, then added a little cold shoulder his way so I could try to grasp all of this, he left me alone.
The only other people who had come by were those who clearly worked for Adryan, their white and black designated staff attire giving them away.
And then there was Bear, my silent companion, who would sit at the end of the bed and huff out exasperated breaths every once in a while as he tracked me with his knowing, dark eyes.
I didn’t realize how much I’d come to enjoy the massive dog’s presence, but I found myself reaching out and scratching behind his ear, or stroking my hand over his boxy head every time I passed him.
And they hadn’t taken “no” for an answer, clearly didn’t give two shits about my personal space. A young woman had come by to clean up the room, make the bed, and drop off clothing and personal items.
As in my clothing and personal items. Someone had gone to my home and raided my closet and dresser, brought my shampoo and condition over, hell, even my toothbrush and razor.
And then an older woman had come by three times with a tray of food. So although I wanted to be alone and stayed in the room to mope and stew and just, hell, think—which I felt like, given my situation, a little temper tantrum was understandable—there always seemed to be someone stopping by with something.
I wanted to hate Adryan, but it was becoming really hard when he was making sure I was taken care of, when he was bringing me my personal items to clearly make me feel more at home.
So I’d used that cell and called the only person who would give a shit where I was if I came up missing. Sasha. After fabricating a story about needing to get away, assuring her that I was fine, just bogged down with “life stuff,” and feeling like she didn’t believe me but also didn’t press, I was now leaving the confines of the bedroom and exploring.
Because the truth was staying in that bedroom all day trying to come to terms with everything had helped, but then again, it also hadn’t. Because when your only company is your own thoughts, you tend to keep going around and around in circles.
But I guess I had come to terms, because what were my other options?
For the last twenty minutes, I’d stayed on the upper level, being nosy as hell but disappointed that a lot of the doors were locked. Other than bedrooms, bathrooms, and an office that looked like it hadn’t ever been used, the upper level didn’t offer much of a reprieve from my thoughts.
I found myself walking down the circling staircase, my hand sliding seamlessly on the polished banister. The warm, glittering lights from the chandelier hanging in the center of the foyer cast the prettiest glow across the grand area. If I could push away all the crazy shit, I could really appreciate the architecture of this place.
I was a quarter of the way down the stairs when I heard the muted sound of heavy footsteps coming closer. I slowed before coming to a stop when a large man came out from the side hallway, the area where I knew Adryan’s study was.
He headed straight for the doors, his big body moving as if he had purpose. He was large but not as massive or broad as Adryan. I had a feeling my vampire was a breed all his own.
My vampire?
His head was down, and even from his side profile, I could see he was wearing a scowl. It was clear he was lost in thought, not noticing anything around him but whatever was currently on his mind.
He lifted his hand and ran it over a jagged-looking scar that dissected his throat. God, it looked like somebody had tried to cut his head off.
And as if I said those words out loud, shouted them at him from this grand staircase, his steps faltered before he stopped completely. He snapped his head in my direction, his gaze clashing with mine.
He wore a scowl, but for just a second surprise filtered across his face. It quickly vanished when a deeper scowl took up residence.
He was brazen enough to look me up and down, and I wanted to cover myself despite being fully clothed.
For long seconds he said nothing, just watched me, and it was the most unnerving thing—and heck, wasn’t that saying something, given who I was mated to?
I had to assume this man was a vampire. He just had that supernatural air to him, the kind I felt from Adryan, yet it wasn’t as overpowering, wasn’t as dominating as my mate’s.