Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Shepherd had to make use of this opportunity; he had to reason with her. "I did not witness her touching you sexually and only learned of it later. It will never happen again."
Incredulous, Claire's eyes went wide at his nerve. "And that makes it okay?"
The man tried again. "I am aware you harbor great anger towards me, hatred even, for what was done."
"I do hate you. I hate her. But most of all I hate myself."
Rocking his hips, pressing the knot deeper, he insisted, "Tell me the reason you hate yourself."
She held his eyes, hers violently raging. "We both know why."
But it needed to be said aloud. "Claire, your self-hatred stems from the fact that you recognized you had affection for me before circumstances caused you pain."
"Circumstances?" Claire laughed meanly, not at all impressed. "She has a name. It's Svana. What you did to me has a name. It's called betrayal."
Odd remorse burning in his consternation, Shepherd pressed his forehead to hers. "You have my fidelity now. I gave you my word. We could be content in one another if you would forget, and try again."
Claire saturated her reply with every ounce of disgust she could muster. "You are a very smart man with the skill to inspire others to follow you into evil, Shepherd, but your understanding of people is so primordial. You claim to love me, so answer this: had I fucked Corday while you were watching me in the warehouse, would it be something you would ever forget?"
The man's entire body went rigid. "No."
"So you see, it is impossible."
His eyes were full of a hundred things. "You will forgive me."
Her black brow arched. "Forgive what you can only call the circumstances that caused me pain?"
He knew what she wanted. Growling like a beast, Shepherd gave it. "I mated with Svana and dishonored you."
"You did."
"I did it to save your life."
Claire arched beneath him, wanting to get away. "You are lying."
His hands squeezed her fingers so hard it hurt. "I did it because I could not harm her; she is my only family… Because I was concerned she would take you from me. I gave her the attention she came for to distract her, so you would not be considered a threat." Almost frantically he admitted, "The whole time, I was thinking of you."
"That is disgusting."
Shepherd did not know how to answer such a thing, so he chose silence. While the knot persisted, he held her unwilling hands, he purred and nuzzled, but Claire had lost all traces of softness… In fact, she only looked sad.
When at last his knot diminished enough for him to pull out, he did. "Get dressed." Shepherd stood with grace a man of his size did not deserve. "I will take you to see your sky now."
Claire had lost interest in going outside; she wanted nothing but sleep. "You don't need to waste the effort. I no longer want to see it."
Shepherd gripped her arm and pulled her to stand when she began to roll over. "You will put on a dress at once."
After cleaning up the expected river of semen that came from her womb, Claire grabbed her dress from the floor and pulled it over her head. The giant clothed himself and returned to her, holding out a blanket, waiting for her so that he could wrap her shoulders with it in place of a coat. There were still no shoes.
"Give me your hand," he grunted.
Claire complied and his massive paw closed over her small wrist, leaving cold metal and a grating sound of cuffs being fitted. The opposite end he fixed to his own wrist, Shepherd warning, "You will behave."
"I don't take forty-three lives lightly."
He lifted her into his arms. "Your recent effort has not gone unnoticed."
Once she was settled against his chest, they left the room.
Shepherd took her down an alternate path that ended at a service elevator stinking of his men. The door closed, the contraption jerked, and the long ride began.
He was taking her to the upper levels, a region she had only ever visited once a year as a girl. Or at least that's what she thought. When the door opened, a decadently decorated hall appeared. The walls were well-appointed, clean, and filled with soft crystal lights. There were no windows, and when Shepherd began to approach a sinister looking door, Claire began to think the male had tricked her.
He was going to punish her again.
He tapped a code into the door's console, the hiss of decompression letting them know it had unlocked. Shouldering it open, Shepherd took her inside. The vault closed, bolted, its click exceedingly final.
He set her down. Claire's feet were touching plush carpet that looked like it was out of an old-world picture book. There was golden wallpaper, paneling made from actual wood.