Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Nolan’s gaze shifted over to Winter, and he swallowed hard. Fox could claim his boyfriend was a nice guy, but right now, all Nolan was getting were “I’m going to bite you” vibes, and he already had one vampire chewing on him. He didn’t need another.
“Sorry! Sorry!” Sky’s voice echoed through the house as he hurried from a tiny half-bath on the first floor to the living room. He appeared, still drying his hands with a small mint-green towel. “It takes forever to get that brine off my fingers, and I didn’t want to risk it smelling up the house.”
Fox shifted to the very edge of his seat, his body tensing while a huge smile spread across his face. “What kind of plants are those? Could I grow them in my greenhouse? What spells did you use to grow them like that? What were you feeding them?”
The questions left Fox’s lips in rapid fire while Winter groaned, covering his face with one hand.
“You’ll have to talk to Maddox about that. He knows their official name since he planted them. I call them my Audrey II roses,” Sky began. Nolan snorted. Sky had the most twisted sense of humor, and Nolan could appreciate anyone who made a Little Shop of Horrors reference. Sky flashed him a grin and turned to Fox, his expression tightening a bit. “As for them turning out so…”
“Carnivorous?” Nolan supplied.
“Yes. That. Well, that’s kind of influenced by my magic. Whenever I plant things or work in the dirt, the life there…has this strange way of mutating.” Sky winced. Winter chuckled and wrapped his arm around Fox’s waist as the witch stared at the necromancer with an open mouth. Even Nolan was floored. What it sounded like Sky was saying was that he had a knack for turning living plants into zombie plants.
“But it’s not everything!” Sky quickly added. “Nightshade, Belladonna, Lily of the Valley. Generally, most shade plants I can grow the hell out of. However, things like daisies, roses, and lavender turn into something of a nightmare. And you don’t even want to know about the vegetables.” Sky squeezed his eyes shut. “This is why Mad and Red typically keep up with my flower beds. It’s too dangerous for me to go poking in the dirt.”
Nolan caught Sky’s hand and wrapped it in both of his. He lifted it to his lips and brushed a kiss across the knuckles. “If you’re in the mood for fresh vegetables, I’ve got a nice open patch of earth in my backyard. I can start a small garden for you and bring over the produce before it mutates.”
Sky gasped and dropped to the arm of the chair Nolan was sitting in as though his knees had given out. “You’d do that for me?”
Nolan’s heart skipped at the sight of that soft smile. Witch or not, there was something universally addictive about putting that sweet expression on someone’s face. “If you agree to have me over for dinner occasionally so I can taste the veggies. That’d be a fair deal, right?”
“Very much!”
“Okay, okay. I can see why you don’t want him getting caught up with the Sandor Clan,” Winter muttered.
“Exactly! Isn’t he perfect? It’s obvious why Christoph wants Nolan, but he can’t have him. I saw him first!”
Nolan rolled his eyes. “I don’t understand why anyone is interested in me. I’ve got to be the most ordinary human in existence.”
Sky leaned close and brushed a kiss across his forehead. “No, baby. You pronounced that wrong. You’re the most adorable human in existence.”
“Oh, Lord. Hurry and check him, Winter.” Fox shoved at his boyfriend’s shoulder, pushing him up from his place on the sofa. “These two are nearly as sickening as Bel with the wolves. Or even Rafe and Philippe.”
“All my brothers are disgusting. There’s no contest.” Winter smoothly rose and moved around the coffee table to stand in front of Nolan. The hands holding on to Sky’s reflexively tightened, and this time Sky was the one peppering his fingers with kisses.
“Where’s the bite?” Winter demanded.
Nolan pried one hand loose from Sky’s grip and tugged at the collar of his shirt to reveal where Christoph had bitten him each time. The vampire only glimpsed at it for a second before he was shuffling to his spot next to his mate.
The vampire leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his eyes narrowed on Nolan as if he were staring straight through to his soul. “The first time he bit you. It was at Phoenix?” Winter inquired.
“Yes.”
“And you could still see the wound when you got home?”
“Yes. It looked like it was a couple of days old rather than hours old.”
“Hm.”
“What the hell does ‘hm’ mean?” Sky snapped. He got to his feet, but Nolan pulled him back down. The vampire was thinking, and Nolan didn’t want to disturb him. Of all the people in the room, Winter was the only one who could give them an insider’s view of what was happening.