Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129912 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
I fall into silence as I hold his stare. “I can be.”
“Can be?”
“I will be.”
He’s quiet a moment, studying my features, searching for thoughts.
When he doesn’t hear anything, he says, “Regardless, I made you a promise.”
“What’s that?”
“That if any children of ours were ever born, I’d find a way to protect you. Now that the time has arrived, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you and our baby safe…even if that means building more trust with Hassha and Korah.”
I’ll beg Hassha for protection, do whatever she wants. I’ll owe her, but I don’t care as long as you’re safe.
I catch the thought before he can shut me out again.
“No.” I cup his face with a warm smile. “You have enough to deal with. Leave Hassha up to me. I’m the one she owes, after all.”
FORTY-SEVEN
WILLOW
I have the worst sleep of my life that night.
The flames surround me, roaring and raging as it consumes the land. They chase me, hunt me, stalk me.
I’m running for my life through a familiar forest.
Rukane Forest.
I stumble into the familiar moss that hangs like dead bodies, a thick fog hovering above, combining with smoke. Fire torches the trees behind me, and the bodies of moss cry out.
I stumble and land on my knees, breathing raggedly as I clutch my stomach. When I look back, the stalking fire morphs into a woman. In her hand is a sword made of flames. Her eyes are pitch black, and her scarlet hair floats around her.
I stand and face her, swallowing my fear.
“The Seed of Yuri is in you too,” she says with a wicked grin.
She raises the sword and runs in my direction. I cry out as she pounces on top of me and buries her searing blade into my belly.
“I will have your child, and I will devour it whole!” she snarls in my face. “It will be mine, and when it is, I’ll use it to kill you and your mate.”
I manage to shove her off and run again. She doesn’t chase me this time, but I see her watching me. Smirking.
I wake with a sharp inhale, immediately reaching for my stomach.
“Willow? What? What is it?” Caz springs out of a chair in the corner. A gun is in one hand and a black cloth in the other, like he was cleaning it.
He rushes to the bed, and I try telling him about the nightmare, but I can’t form the proper words. My heart is racing way too fast, and I swear there’s actual smoke in my lungs.
“Here.” He taps his temple. “Tell me here.”
Selah I tell him, clinging to his shoulders with shaky hands.
The mere mention of her name causes his brows to furrow and his eyes to darken. I swear I even see a spark of red appear in his irises, faint like a distant flash of lightning.
She found me in my dreams. She’s wants to kill our baby, Caz.
FORTY-EIGHT
CAZ
Sleeping is out of the question. Even if I tried, I wouldn’t be able to.
I hate to do it, especially after the shit that happened with The Council, but I leave Willow at Blackwater Manor.
I don’t go without waking Maeve and Juniper so they can keep an eye on her. I even whistled for Cerberus and Silvera so they can keep guard and ordered them to stay vigilant.
I don’t know if my aunt, cousin, and the wolves will be enough to stand against any evil Selah tosses our way, but it’s better to know someone is with her.
Killian and Rowan left hours ago to get in touch with our blacksmiths and gunsmiths. They’ve reported that the work has already started. I can tell by the smoke billowing in the village, rising to the sky in thick black clouds, that weapon making is in motion.
It’s much too early in the morning for anyone to be awake, yet the village hums with life. Horse carriages roll along the dirt roads, and men shout and yell as hammers slam onto metal. Sparks of heated metal launch my way as I pass the stands, but I don’t stop until I’ve made it to Blackwater Tavern.
Once inside, I take a look around at the stragglers, their faces planted on the tables, cards and rubies clutched in their hands. Bunch of fucking drunks.
Rowan stands behind the counter with Simpson, chugging a goblet of beer.
“Oi, it’s the monarch,” Rowan announces.
I look from him and Simpson to the rest of the people. “All of you need to wake up and get the fuck out. Now!” I order.
A few sleepers startle and spring their heads up. Those who are awake are completely disoriented and frown at the outburst.
“You heard the monarch!” Rowan barks from behind the bar. “Get your drunk, sloppy asses out of here!”
The people groan and gripe as they stumble out of the tavern. When it’s cleared, Rowan walks around the bar with a whiskey and offers it to me.