Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
From the opposite corner, I less than innocently ask, “What…shit…exactly?”
His gray gaze hits me hard, platinum glow taking over. “You need to come-”
A mindless whimper occurs outward as well as inward.
“Mother of Dragons,” he grunts, tugging at his tie, “I don’t know whether to be frustrated I can’t finish the fucking sentence or flattered.”
“Both?” The flirty grin I give causes him to hungrily groan. “Can the answer be both?”
Ptur steals a swipe of his own lips, briefly shuts his eyes, and takes in a deep breath prior to proceeding. “Orcs have something called Blood Rage. It’s that surge of energy and strength and determination to destroy everything that stands in your way between where you are and what you want to achieve. You literally feel less pain and more invincible.”
“I basically Hulk out?”
Confusion crinkles his forehead.
“Right, you don’t get that reference,” I mutter more to myself than him. “What happened in the office with Frankford. That was Blood Rage?”
“Yes.” There’s a small pause prior to him adding. “And typically opposing creatures don’t survive an orc’s Blood Rage. It’s a massacre now, who needs questions answered level of savageness.”
That explains why the other half of me wanted me to just murder him.
“Blood Rage—according to the orc literature I had an acquaintance gather for me and Dae—is always followed by,” another stretched out lull ensues, “Primal Thirst.”
“Which is?”
“An overwhelming need to drain the adrenaline that remains in your system through additional physical action.”
Annoyance rears its ugly head in the form of an eyeroll. “How about you answer that like you didn’t pull it from a compendium?”
The creature I am having to will myself not to climb like he’s Mt. Everest allows the color of his eyes to damn near go white. “You fight and then you wanna fuck.”
“Yes,” is thoughtlessly whimpered in tandem with my ancient half.
“Forfuckssake, could you not moan your agreement, Pint-Size? I’m barely keeping this shit together as is.”
Another airy whine is presented.
“Fated Mate, you smell like campfire smoke and peaches and need and I wanna fuck you as much as you wanna be fucked-”
“Then do it.” My bag is discarded to the floor beside my feet. “And do it now.”
His body prepares to lunge itself forward when his left hand partially shifts into talons and hooks into the wall to keep him anchored in place. “No.”
The question comes out in almost a roar. “What the fuck do you mean no?!”
“I mean,” the claws dig deeper into the structure that probably can’t take too much more damage, “I don’t trust myself to just fuck you, Cami. The second I get my dick inside I’m gonna do more than split that pussy in two, baby. I’m gonna erase any other fucking existence of another male before me, carve my fucking name into every orgasm you ever think of having, deliver so many back-to-back it brings you to fucking tears, and then bond with you.”
My fingers fly to my blouse to begin that exact process.
“We’re not bonding today, Fated Mate.”
His proclamation incites a throaty murmur of displeasure. “Why not?”
“You’re not ready for that shit, yet.”
“What did I say about making decisions for me?!” I fold my arms unhappily across my chest. “I thought you were listening. I thought you respected my ability to think for my fucking self!”
“I do when you’re thinking for your fucking self!” he snidely snips in return. “You’re not right now. Your orc instinct is leading this merger and while I want to give it everything it’s demanding-”
“Do it!”
“I don’t want your Awaker half to regret the decision.”
Surprise stumbles me back against the wall I had inched away from.
“I don’t want our bonding…our first steps into being officially fated to be filled with doubt or resentment or anything other than absolute certainty that all of you wants all of me forever.”
Shock tips my mouth downward, yet I’m unsure of exactly what to say.
Do.
I mean I think I do? But is it too soon to make that declaration? We barely know each other.
Half.
Yeah, I get it. The Goddess of Fate is the ultimate cupid blah blah blah, but like, you can’t blame me for being a little hesitant here.
Can.
Oh…fuck off.
Trying.
Not what I meant.
“Bonding is much more than just being tethered together until we die, Cami. It means there’s no splitting. No matter how difficult things may get there is no divorce. There is no separating. Once we’re bonded, that’s it. We are in everything together. We’re one. What you feel I feel. What I feel you feel. For instance, the anger you felt coming from me earlier pales in comparison to the way you’ll be able to feel it when we’re bonded and this…insatiable hunger you have to be taken hard and rough and fast will be felt so intensely, I will have no choice but to stop whatever I’m doing, wherever I am, to tend to it.”