Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
“Varrick, help! Help me!”
His eyes shot open, and he bolted off the bench seeing the bed empty. Fear rushed through him, taking hold, squeezing him, tearing at his heart.
“Fia!” he shouted, seeing her nowhere in the cottage.
“Varrick!” came her cry again.
He yanked open the door and ran out into heavily falling snow. “Fia!”
“Save me, Varrick! Save me!”
Varrick turned in circles unable to see through the snow and darkness and roared, “Where are you, Fia?”
“I am here, Varrick. Don’t let him take me.”
Someone had her. How did someone steal her from him?
He squinted his eyes trying to see through the thick snowflakes and caught a flash of a shadow racing through the snow.
“LET HER GO!” he cried out and ran after it.
“I am here, Varrick! Don’t lose me!” she called out.
“I’m coming for you, Fia. I will find you,” he shouted.
“Hurry! Hurry! I love you!”
Her words struck Varrick’s heart like an arrow, painful yet pleasurable as well. She loved him. His wife loved him. He let out a furious roar and went to run, when a hand grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“Wake up! Wake up, Varrick! You’re dreaming.”
His eyes shot open to see his wife standing in front of him. He hurried to his feet, rushed his arms around her, and lowered his lips to hers.
CHAPTER 19
Varrick hugged her tight, needing to feel her body pressed against his, needing to know she was real and that it had been a nightmare that had struck fear in him. The kiss was instinctive. It was another way of proving this was real, she was real, the kiss they eagerly shared was real. As was the way she held onto him as if she never wanted to let him go. It was the first time he never ever wanted to let a woman go.
He slipped his arm around her waist, lifted her just enough that her feet didn’t touch the ground, and walked toward the bed. He might be completely mad, but he felt her passion coursing through her along with his own and it overwhelmed. It was time to let passion have its way.
The soulful howls sounded as if they echoed through the shelter halting Varrick just before he was about to drop down on the bed with her. Their eyes caught as their lips parted and they kept focused on each other as the howls rang out longer than usual.
Reluctantly, he released her, but she would not let him go. She kept hold of his arm and followed him to the door.
Varrick was surprised to see it was morning and that snow had fallen during the night.
“This fresh coating of snow might actually let us track the hounds,” Varrick said and shut the door. “You will stay here while I speak to my warriors.”
Her hand fell away from him when he went to the hearth to add more logs, then he snatched his cloak off the chest and headed to the door. “You will remain inside until I return.”
“That is time wasted. I need to explore the forest.”
“I will not allow you to venture into the woods alone. I do not know if the howls come from the wild hounds that you confronted or the hell hounds. You will stay put until I say otherwise,” he commanded, letting her know he would have it no other way.
“Animals avoid that section of the forest where I need to explore. I will be safe enough, and the hell hounds do not kill,” she said, trying to make him see reason.
“You are right, they don’t kill… Death swoops in to claim the person,” he argued.
“If Death wants me there is no stopping him from coming after me no matter where I am. But it does not mean I would surrender to him. I would fight him, and I would win. With that said, I cannot simply linger here and do nothing when this problem needs solving.”
Varrick shook his head. Why did she always have to make sense and be so brave?
“Please. Go see what you can find, and I will do the same,” she urged.
His nightmare had him ready to deny her, but he also had a duty to his clan to do as she said and solve the problem, the very reason why they were there.
Seeing the conflict in her husband’s eyes as he thought over his decision, something she was sure he was not accustomed to, made her offer help. “I will make a hot brew to warm myself before I venture out into the cold. It will delay my start and give me less time alone in the woods and you more time to return to me.”
“You will not go far,” he ordered, planning to return posthaste if possible.
“Only far enough,” she said.
Her response did not please him since it left her to go wherever she chose to, but not wanting to waste any more time, he nodded. “You will be careful and take no chances.”