Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Afanasiv was—unexpected. He did seem to view her as a full partner. She wrapped herself in that knowledge as she followed the demon’s path through the woods.
Does the vampire seem like he’s more of a problem? Do you think Olga senses us? She has royal blood in her veins. It could be she feels me closing in on her. She wanted—no, needed—the reassurance of someone to discuss the worst possibilities with.
You would know before she did, Vasi. You are more. You always were more, but now with both Carpathian and Lycan blood in you, there will be little escaping you. You are on full alert. She will not be able to elude you. Have faith in your abilities.
His calmness and absolute belief in her brought tears to her eyes. She had to dash them away. He was wonderful. She didn’t want to fall in love with him. That wasn’t in her plan, not with the royal curse hanging over her head. All of them knew better.
Look at poor Garald right now. He had started off innocently enough, determined to stay away from a young woman he knew better than to see. He was thirty-four years old, and they each had the weight of their kingdom pressing down on their shoulders. Crushing them. Garald stayed in the shadows. When he came out, he acted the playboy at the parties and had one-night stands with many, many women, but he didn’t ever have relationships. That wasn’t part of the agenda. It couldn’t be, and they all knew that.
The demon held out his hands eagerly toward the very tree Vasilisa had pointed out to Afanasiv earlier. The demon had made a full circle around the outlying forest and had returned to the place where he had started, yet just inside the woods.
Vasilisa took her eyes from the blight on the tree to hastily look down to ensure her brother was in good condition. Demon heads rolled in every direction, spilling dark contents across the snow. Garald strode to each of the bodies crumpled like paper dolls and stabbed down with the point of the sword, then swirled around to set the body on fire. The flames leapt from body to body and then head to head. A foul, noxious odor permeated the night air. Only when the last demon had burned to ashes did he turn his attention to the woman bound so tightly. At once, his body language changed completely. He looked impossibly gentle, tender even, as he began to remove the ropes binding her, murmuring to her soothingly.
Vasilisa turned her attention back to the one demon left alive, the one staring up at the tree, holding his offering as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Her heart began to beat faster as the bark seemed to part, like curtains being pushed to either side. A rope ladder dropped from a seat bench, and then an elegant leg clad in black stretch trousers appeared. Then the backside and hips as the woman began to descend.
Vasilisa would know her anywhere.
She is?
My aunt Olga.
CHAPTER
6
Afanasiv cursed under his breath in several languages. He would have spared his lifemate this heart-wrenching moment if he could have. He wanted to take her into his arms and surround her with his strength. Or put her somewhere safe. Command her to sleep until this nightmare for her family was over. He knew she was not a woman who would stand for such a solution.
The best he could do was move close to her as they hovered in the air watching the woman as she stepped onto the snow-covered ground. Olga turned from the ladder to face the demon. There was no fear in her expression as she looked at the creature with his wide grinning mouth and teeth that seemed to have grown even longer in the time it took to get to his mistress. She snapped her fingers, and the demon placed the vial of blood into the bag she held out to him.
She sealed the bag and began to turn away.
“Mistress. Wait. You promised me a reward. My heart’s desire.”
She turned back to him. Afanasiv again wanted to spare his lifemate. He edged just a little in front of her, but didn’t entirely take her field of vision. He knew if he did, she would immediately fight to see what her aunt was doing. Olga had turned back with a cruel, evil look he had seen many times throughout the centuries. It was a look of pure maliciousness. This woman was corrupt right through to her soul.
“You want your precious reward? Your heart’s desire? You worked so hard for it, torturing those young women for me. Enslaving my nephews. But you missed with Vasilisa, didn’t you? Do you think I should reward your screwup, Hattie? My niece is very dangerous. If she ever finds her Carpathian lover, she would be doubly so. She was the ultimate prize to me.”