Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“Before you two break down the door to kill me, know that I was sent by Father—”
“Father sent Pelopia. You volunteered and came on your own.” Melora’s voice met my ears.
“Pelopia…me. It doesn’t matter—”
“What. Is. It?” Theseus hissed out dangerously low. His jaw clenched as he held back from saying anything else.
“It’s been two days, brother. Are you not satisfied yet?” Ulrik laughed. “How many times do you need to bite—”
In a flash, Theseus was off me, and the doors burst open. I grabbed the sheet and quickly tied it around myself. When I turned, I saw Theseus now held his brother by the throat, not that Ulrik seemed to care. He just grinned as Melora stood arms crossed, shaking her head at the scene, though she seemed amused, not at all trying to stop either of them. Right behind her was Pelopia, holding a deep-red silk dress and heels in her hands, waiting emotionless.
“You are a nuisance, Ulrik,” Theseus sneered.
“That hurts my feelings, brother,” Ulrik said back, pouting. “I came out of the kindness of my heart to tell you and your mate that you are to get dressed. Remember, Father called for there to be a welcoming of her, which is tonight. We’re so enthralled. Did you notice?” He grinned and leaned over despite Theseus’s hand around his neck, grinning as his eyes met mine. “Hello, sister. No longer in name only, I see. You gave in very quickly. No longer saying nonsense about intending—Ah. Theseus, ease up a bit. One would think you are trying to hurt me.”
“I think he is trying to hurt you,” I said, finally speaking up as I stood at the door, wishing I had more than a sheet to cover myself. But seeing as Theseus was completely naked and none of them seemed to notice or mind, I pushed the thought out of my head.
“Impossible,” Ulrik said, gripping Theseus’s wrist, and with a quickness that shocked me, he pulled Theseus’s hand off him and spun him, locking him in a headlock. To which Theseus was not at all amused. “I’m his favorite brother, after all! Isn’t that right, Theseus? Tell her?”
Ulrik squeezed hard, and seeing Theseus wince, angered me—more than I realized. My hand twitched, and that alone was enough to send only Ulrik flying down the hall, landing on his back with a heavy thud and cracking the marble of the floor.
Dammit, I thought as I looked at my hand. It was only when I heard a laugh that the panic faded from me. I looked up to Theseus, who was now laughing at his brother. A full grin on his lips.
“It seems your tyranny has come to an end, brother,” Theseus said back to him.
Slowly, Ulrik peeled himself up from the ground, dusting the marble off his shoulder. But he didn’t glare at Theseus or even me. His annoyance was pointed directly at Melora, who stood still as a spectator.
“Did you not see your mate being attacked, woman! Are you not going to defend me? His mate flung me like a shoe for a slight wince from her mate. And you just stand there?”
Melora raised her eyebrow, and she glanced over to me and then back over to Ulrik. “Yeah…I’m not stupid. So I’m not going to do that. Better luck next time, sweetheart.”
Ulrik grumbled, “I should have found me a vampire-witch…”
“What was that, you ogre?” Melora snapped, finally uncrossing her arms.
“Ogre?” Ulrik yelled at her. “As in Shrek? Listen here, you slandering she-man…”
Melora ran and kicked him right in the face.
“Can you both not do this in our hall!” Theseus yelled at them as they began to wrestle and fight on the ground. Meanwhile, Pelopia simply walked up to me, stretched out her hands, and handed me the clothes. When I took them, she bowed and turned, walking away.
It was all so…weird and crazy. And so funny.
“You’re laughing?” Theseus turned to me, clearly annoyed. “It’s going to take days if not weeks to fix all the damage they have caused—”
Right on cue, Ulrik threw Melora into a wall, which had Theseus’s art, the magnificent paintings he’d drawn, cracking and ruining them.
“Oh my God, stop!” I screamed, dropping the clothes and reaching out to them, and just like that, they stopped, not because they wanted to but because they were frozen like statues, hovering mid-step. However, creepy was that all of their body was frozen, but their eyes shifted to me, both shocked. I didn’t know what to say or do, so I looked to Theseus, but he was laughing.
“Don’t laugh. Help me!” I said to him.
“Why? You are doing mighty well on your own. Though, once again, it seems you cared more of the art,” he replied, moving to step beside me and wrapping his arm around my waist. “Nevertheless, I am glad, as good things come to those who wait…never have truer words been spoken. All the centuries I have waited, and now justified by you.”