Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
“It is very disturbing to me that her family has done this to her when promises were made. You are right, there is no point in speculating, but she is the one to pay the price, and it is a steep one.”
Petru swept his palm down the back of her head, feeling soft dark hair as he shifted her in his arms and nuzzled her throat. There was a distinct scent to her. He inhaled, taking her into his lungs. Jasmine mixed with a hint of pine and the sea. There was something else, a scent he remembered from meadows of flowers too many years ago, the memory faint, tiny little white stars staring up to the sky at night. They had a subtle perfume unlike anything he’d ever smelled.
He sank his teeth into her without any expectations. The results were nearly overwhelming. Her blood burst into every one of his senses like an aphrodisiac, a spice created only for him. Addicting. It would be difficult to ever want anything other than the taste of her blood. The rush was hot, every nerve ending coming alive, making him acutely aware of her as a woman and him as a man. Blood pounded through his veins, settled low and wicked with urgent demands, something he had never experienced. She was giving him too many firsts all at one time when he needed discipline and control to find a way to best handle their relationship. More than anything, he wanted her to feel like an equal partner, which wasn’t going to be easy.
Very reluctantly, he stopped himself from taking more than just enough for their first blood exchange. “Safia, when you wake, I want you to remember just enough, keeping emotions at a distance so you aren’t afraid, but we can discuss what was necessary.”
Her lashes lifted instantly, and he found himself staring into her wide, very intelligent green eyes. She took a moment to examine what he’d done. He expected fear, but what he got was more like fury. She made a move to jerk out of his arms, but he didn’t so much as rock back or act in any way as if he’d noticed.
He continued to stare into her eyes, partially mesmerized by her. He hadn’t considered he would be awestruck by her.
“I didn’t give you permission to give me blood that way. In fact, I specifically told you I needed to be transfused the human way.”
Her voice trembled with temper, but she made every effort not to raise her voice at him.
“I am a Carpathian male, Safia. We have no choice but to see to the health of our lifemate. You were in need, and I provided for you. It is that simple. Arguing was pointless. Allowing you to be frightened over something that was necessary and easy was unacceptable.”
“It was taking my free will away.”
He didn’t respond. “I will take you back to your residence. My understanding is I must meet with your grandfather to make my claim on you official.”
For one moment, her heart accelerated, and then she was able to get it under control. “I thought we could take a little time to get to know one another before we proceeded with your claim.”
“That would be too dangerous. Your family was to prepare you in advance. I’m sorry they did not. War is inevitable and we must be ready.”
She nodded, her green eyes searching his. “Exactly. That’s why it’s important we spend some time getting to know one another before we agree to become husband and wife. You don’t want to make a mistake. You could be wrong about me.”
He reached up to trace the full curve of her lower lip. It was soft and inviting, a temptation he had never noticed on any woman in the long centuries of his existence. “There can be no mistakes with a Carpathian male, Pelkgapâd és Meke Pirämet. I know this is frightening for you and is happening too fast. I would want to slow time down to give you whatever you would need, to give you the extra weeks to understand my ways and customs, but we do not have that luxury.”
Safia didn’t argue with him. He almost wished she would. It wasn’t as if she accepted what he said. She only regarded him with her jade green eyes and then looked around her at the thick fog.
“I think it best we go to the farm. My grandfather is consulting with the ancestors this night. He’s protected by Aura’s safeguards, but I will have to go back to the cave after I check on the family. It’s my duty to guard him through the rest of the night. I doubt any demon can slip through the safeguards, but I must be there just in case.”
Petru’s gaze met Nicu’s over her head. She would be guarding her grandfather in the cave of the ancestors, waiting for demons to surface after the ugly ordeal with the vampires. What next? “Do you plan on traveling to the very gates of hell and taking on the mistress, Lilith, and her hellhounds tonight?”