Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 67138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 336(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Grace kneels on the floor beside him looking just as dejected as Oracle, and it takes every ounce of control not to pull her away from him. Her sitting next to him gets his attention. With tears in her eyes, she touches his shoulder gently. “We will find her.”
Oracle looks at her through glowing yellow eyes, making her pull back her hand as fear etches her face. “She disappeared into the void. I can’t get to her. I keep trying to figure out a way, but I can’t. I can’t get to my mate.”
My heart aches for my friend. Hearing the pain in his voice, the hopelessness. I know only a fraction of the pain from when I thought I had pushed away Grace forever. Even that horrible pain can’t touch this. His mate is truly gone.
“But you and Lucy both said I was like her. We can use me.”
My heart drops to my knees, cracking in the process. “No,” I growl stepping toward her. “You will do nothing to put yourself in danger, Grace. If something happened to you…” I stop as the fear threatens to buckle my knees. “You won’t do it.”
This can’t be happening. I didn’t stay away just to have hope of winning her back…just for her to leave too. Grace looks up at me and I know she can see the tears welling in my eyes, but I don’t care. It’s time she learns how special she is to me.
“I promise I’ll be careful, Seven, but I’m going to find my friend.” I can see the resolve in her pretty face and fear the likes that I’ve never known rips through me.
She turns back to Oracle. “We can do this, Oracle. Together, we can bring Lucy back.”
“I don’t understand why she would willingly leave me….”
“I do,” Grace pauses, looking like she regrets saying anything as shock flashes across his face. “Lucy told me she felt like she was hurting you more by remaining here, not being able to touch you and love you like you needed. She couldn’t watch you slowly die.”
“She’s all I need,” Oracle says dejectedly.
I know what he’s feeling. I stare at my mate as she stares at me. I just pray she’s not putting herself in harm’s way because without her, I can’t live…I wouldn’t want to.
35
#7
(STARK)
Grace, Ettie, and Oracle have spent most of their time in the lab, huddled together discussing how best to reach Lucy. I tried to stay to offer my support, but I know now that it was only making me go insane as I obsessed over the possibility of losing my mate. I know Oracle’s scene in the lab is nothing compared to the beast I would become.
I gathered Leo and Sean so I could do something other than hover. I need to feel productive.
“What’s up, man?” Leo asks, sitting in one of the office chairs. I brought us to one of the rooms close to the lab, but far enough away that I could think about my initial concern. “Well, besides our mates offering themselves up to find this mysterious Lucy.” I can see the strain in Leo as well. While his mate can’t see Lucy like mine, she is headstrong enough to try to do what she can. With no answers, we have no idea what that means.
“We came down to the lab to find Oracle because Grace heard a voice.”
“That’s normal for mates though,” Sean adds. “And she’s capable of seeing things we don’t so what’s the problem?”
I growl in frustration. “Grace thought she heard her doctor’s voice in her head, not my voice. It said something along the lines of see Dr. Brashear, he will help calm you.” I rub a hand down my face.
“What makes her think she hears the doctor?” Sean asks, sitting up. Both are listening more closely now.
“She can’t be sure because Dr. Brashear has an accent in person. This person didn’t, but she said it did sound like him.”
“You can’t disguise your voice with telepathy because you don’t talk to yourself in random accents,” Leo says, picking up on what I have already.
“Exactly,” I sigh.
“Are we supposed to call you Stark or Seven now? I’m confused,” Sean asks, completely bypassing everything.
“Is that really important right now?” I ask, grinding my teeth.
“It is to me,” Sean says, with a shrug.
“My mate prefers Seven and what she wants she gets. Now focus.”
“I’m on it. I’ll do some quick recon on this Dr. Brashear,” Sean says, rolling his chair to grab the laptop before rolling back to the table in front of us. “All hospitals will have pictures of the doctors on staff on their website.”
I watch Sean with lightning fingers, typing away until the website directory pops up. He clicks on it, but when he punches in Dr. Brashear it brings up an error.