Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“You’ll be sorry for this,” she said to Miri in a low, furious voice. “Very sorry indeed—I promise you that!”
Then she turned and swept away in a rustle of purple skirts with her over-muscled bodyslaves lumbering along after her.
“Oh, dear…” Mistress Hottalot surveyed the retreating Mistress Bloodmuch with a worried look on her face. “My dear,” she said to Miri. “I really don’t think you should have done that! Mistress Bloodmuch is extremely rich and powerful—she has a very long reach.”
“I don’t care how rich and powerful she is,” Miri said stubbornly. “It doesn’t give her the right to ruin the planet for everyone else!”
She turned and made her way through the crowd, ignoring the stares and whispers of the other Mistresses as she went. She was sick to death of this scene and she needed some fresh air to clear her head!
TWENTY-FOUR
MIRABELLA
In the far corner of the vast marble hall was a set of floor to ceiling windows which opened onto a vast outdoor terrace on the side of the tower. Miri headed straight for them, longing to get free of the crowd of women, all buzzing about the very public fight she’d just had with Mistress Bloodmuch.
But before she could duck through the windows onto the terrace, Lynx stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Wait, my Lady—before you go out there, let me or Saxon look it over first,” he murmured. “We’re eighty stories up here—if someone wished you harm they could hardly do better than to push you off the balcony.”
“Oh…” Miri pulled up short, her heart beating in her throat at the awful mental image his words formed in her head.
“Yeah—let Lynx make sure there aren’t any of Bloodmuch’s goons out there,” Saxon growled. He had shifted back to his humanoid form, but his pale blue eyes were still burning like they did when he was Shifted. “I’ll stay here and guard you. That way you’re protected either way.”
“All right.” Miri stood beside Saxon, waiting patiently until Lynx had swept the terrace, looking for any assassins. The Felinus Shifter finally gave them the all clear and the three of them stepped out to breathe the night air.
“Ahh…this is a relief,” Miri murmured, looking around at the lights of Opulex spread out around them. They were in the heart of the huge city and it was like being in the middle of an enormous jewelry box filled with sparkling diamonds. The sight was beautiful…and yet she still missed the quiet darkness and the stars of the night sky around her hometown.
“Well, my Lady, you certainly gave them something to think about in there,” Lynx murmured diplomatically.
“Yeah, you basically told Bloodmuch to go fuck herself,” Saxon growled.
“Well she was going to strip mine my hometown!” Miri exclaimed. “And she doesn’t care what a mess she makes of the planet as long as she gets even richer! It’s disgusting!”
“I agree that her attitude is reprehensible,” Lynx purred, sounding worried. “But I’m not sure if you should have shamed her quite so publicly. I have a feeling we’re going to hear more from her before all is said and done.”
“What do you mean ‘we’?” Miri asked, her heart speeding up. “I thought the two of you were going to leave as soon as the meeting was over and go back to your ship?”
“I don’t see how we can, now,” Lynx said, frowning. “After all, we’re here to protect you and it seems to me you’re in as much danger as ever.”
“Lynx is fucking right,” Saxon growled. “You opened a whole can of worms in there, calling Bloodmuch out like that. She’s going to want revenge.”
“Well, she won’t get it,” Miri said, lifting her chin. “As soon as I find the right person to replace me, I’ll go back home and go back to practicing medicine.”
“You think she’ll forget you just because you’re not in Opulex anymore?” Lynx asked doubtfully. “My Lady, you publicly humiliated her! People—especially wealthy and powerful people—don’t forget such things. They hold grudges.”
“Which is why we’re going to stay and keep you safe—at least until you’ve finished the transfer of power and we see you settled someplace Mistress Bloodmuch can’t hurt you,” Saxon said.
Miri looked up at the two of them. On one hand, she was still upset by the confrontation she’d had with the awful Mistress Bloodmuch. But on the other hand, she was filled with joy that the two big Monstrum were going to stay a little longer.
“Oh, thank you!” she exclaimed, putting an arm around each of them and pulling them close—putting herself between them, which felt incredibly right. “Thank you for saying you’ll stay to protect me!”
“You’re welcome, little one,” Saxon rumbled gently, stroking her hair.
“Of course we would never leave you in danger,” Lynx purred, rubbing her back with his big, warm hand.