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)
“No, please,” Nolan choked out past the tightness in his throat.
“Good pet. You’ve spent so much of your life protecting your brother, and now you’re protecting this witch. It’s time to think of yourself.” Christoph released his jaw and threaded his fingers through Nolan’s hair, pushing it from his forehead. Nolan remained frozen, unable to move a single muscle. Fear and self-loathing were acids pumping through his veins. He hated every time Christoph touched him, but there was also something soothing it in. The same soothing that flooded Christoph’s voice to fog his thoughts.
Maybe it would be easier to keep his head down.
Sky would be safer.
He was still fighting his way through those thoughts when the car parked and Christoph ushered them out. Another car had followed them. Both Aldo and Colette stepped out, along with two other vampires he remembered seeing at the cemetery. As much as he hated it, he stuck close to Christoph. He didn’t trust Aldo or Colette. At least Christoph wanted him in one piece and agreeable. The other two appeared content to tear him apart and gnaw on his organs like a pair of wild dogs.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with a scowl answered the front door, and that seemed to please Christoph immensely.
“Master Marcus, how nice of you to welcome us into your home,” Christoph said, every word twisted into a taunt.
Marcus didn’t acknowledge his words. His eyes paused on Nolan, his frown growing deeper, then sweeping over the rest of their party. “The pet and those two may accompany you. The extras will remain outside. King Aiden did not summon them.”
“Extras?” Colette screeched in a high enough pitch that Nolan winced. “How dare you—”
“Leave it,” Christoph cut her off in a dull tone as if it were all beneath his notice.
King Aiden. The Sandor clan had been called before King Aiden. This had to be about the business they were using Owen for. Maybe if he was lucky, Aiden would wipe out the Sandor clan.
But would he be lumped in with them because he was now Christoph’s pet?
No, Winter and Fox had to be here, too. They’d promised to help him. They would at least try to intercede on his behalf, make the king understand he had nothing to do with gathering up pets for other vampires.
Marcus led them up a set of wide stairs, the sound of their footsteps lost on the thick carpet. He glanced around the massive foyer, trying to soak in all this exquisite history. It was stunning. If Marcus was the owner of this house, he had to be an incredibly old and rich vampire. So much of this place felt well over two hundred years old.
“Gauche,” Christoph muttered under his breath and Nolan quickly snapped his eyes to the floor and shut his mouth. While he might want nothing to do with Christoph, he knew it wasn’t in his best interest to upset the vampire he was tied to. Right now, he didn’t need to give Christoph any reason to feel jealous.
Unfortunately, that was all thrown out the window when they stepped into an enormous library with shelves loaded with books.
“Nolan!”
His head snapped up at the sound of Sky’s frantic voice. His heart slammed into his chest as if it were trying to break free and fly to him. In a room cluttered with faces he didn’t know, Nolan’s eyes unerringly located Sky as he leaped from his place on the sofa.
“Sky!” His feet carried him three steps forward without his brain even attempting to kick in. It didn’t matter. A sharp pain around his neck stopped him short, and he briefly choked, his windpipe almost completely closed off.
Christoph’s finger had found the silver ring on the back of the choker collar that his new master had given him to wear. If Sky was into this kind of kinky fun, he would have loved it. But the gift had come from Christoph, and he had no choice, making the object wrapping his neck a degrading nuisance.
“Forgive my pet. He’s still being housebroken,” Christoph drawled.
“Nolan Banks is a caring, wonderful man. He is no one’s pet!” Sky snarled while another man’s fingers dug into his arms, keeping him from attacking Christoph.
Nolan smiled at Sky, though it felt crooked on his lips, and melted at the witch’s words, but Christoph chose that second to give another sharp tug on his collar, squeezing his throat and jolting him to reality. The vampire was staking his claim.
“Sky.” This time it was a man who was sitting in a high-backed chair in the center of the room with a regal, untouchable appearance. His tone was firm but compassionate, as if he understood Sky’s anger. He had to be King Aiden Varik.
It was only now that his gaze was torn from Sky that he even noticed all the other people that filled the room, but he didn’t recognize many. Just Winter and Fox. Their faces were as twisted up with rage as Sky’s. Another man stood behind the king’s shoulder, looking less than pleased with Christoph. There were a couple of others who had a passing resemblance to Winter. Could they be other family members of the Varik clan?