Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Oh,” he says with a slow raise of his brows. “You’re married? Sorry, I didn’t see any rings.”
“He gave me a crown instead,” I answer before I have a sip of my beer. I wave him off. “Now, run along to your friends.”
The guy jerks his chin back, and his flirty gaze turns into a scowl before he heads over to his drunken, laughing cronies, who have been watching the entire scene unfold.
“What the fuck just happened?” Tuoni asks. “A pick-up line? I would never let him pick you up.”
“He didn’t mean it literally. He was hitting on me.” I pause, unsure if he’s also going to take that phrase literally or not. “He was trying to sleep with me.”
Suddenly, Tuoni’s fist curls around his mug so tight, the glass shatters in his hand.
I gasp, watching as the beer spills across the table. Luckily, he’s wearing his gloves, so he wouldn’t be cut anyway, not that it would probably matter with him.
Everyone else turns to look, and our waitress hurries over with a towel and a tray for the glass.
I apologize profusely on Tuoni’s behalf, even though he’s just sitting there, eyes sparking with rage, his jaw tense as he wiggles it back and forth.
“I should kill him,” he seethes under his breath after the waitress leaves.
“It’s fine,” I tell him. “I’m used to it.”
“You’re used to it?”
“I mean, not to toot my own horn…” He blinks at me, and I clarify, “Not to sound conceited, but yeah, I get hit on from time to time, especially in a bar where men are drunk. It happens to all women.”
“Is that why they all keep staring at you? Do they all want to sleep with you?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe. Or you. You seem to be attracting the most attention in this place. Or wherever we go. Perhaps they wanted to see if they could best a god, steal his woman out from under his nose.”
I was joking about that last part, but from the fire in his eyes and the way his nostrils fare, I realize I need to tread more carefully with Mr. Literal here.
“They’re just being guys,” I say quickly. “I know how to handle them.”
“A knife to the throat, I hope,” he says, nodding his thanks as the waitress brings over another glass of beer, one she tells us is on the house. Obviously, she thinks the glass was faulty, because what man could break a thick mug with his bare hand?
“If it comes to that,” I tell him. “The sad thing about learning self-defense is that you can actually use it when the time comes, and that time usually does come.”
“I know. I’ve seen you put it to good use already. I just didn’t think you would need it in this world.”
I sigh. “Yeah, well, you might have a skeleton army uprising going on back at home and usurpers and vengeful exes, but in this world, mortals aren’t much better. Don’t you ever wonder how so many people end up in Inmost? This is where they learn to be bad people.”
He grumbles at that, palming his beer as he thinks it over. “I’ve never seen anyone hit on you before. Threaten you, yes, and I made sure they were never able to do it again. But try and sleep with you? No. That doesn’t happen in Tuonela, not under my watch.”
I laugh softly. “That’s because everyone is under your watch. Who is going to try and sleep with me in Shadow’s End? Your son?”
The light in his eyes darkens. “Why would my son?”
“I’m using him as an example. Your son wouldn’t, but he’s also the only slightly human being there. Sarvi’s not trying to get their horn in my pants, that’s for sure.”
His lip curls up slightly, and I can tell he’s trying to picture it.
“Well, you have no reason to be jealous,” I go on, though, truth be told, I’m tickled pink that he is for once.
“Jealous,” he says slowly. “What a strange emotion. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt it before.”
“Maybe you’ve never had anything you…” I trail off before I say love before.
I can’t finish the sentence, because the truth is, he doesn’t love me. I know that much. The fact that when I told him I loved him, he didn’t say it back hasn’t left the back of my mind, nor my heart, having wormed its way deep inside like a cavity. It’s a constant reminder that though our feelings for each other may be genuine, they aren’t equal.
“Everything has always been mine,” he finishes. “Including you. Here, it’s like that doesn’t matter. In this world, it’s like any man can come and try to take you away from me.”
Butterflies take flight in my chest. “No one is taking me away from you. You have nothing to worry about.”