Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
A loud ring roared through my ears, accompanied by a tide of dizziness. My stomach protested.
Panting and fighting tears, I sat up and gently worked my foot out from under the rock. The pain intensified, wrenching a groan from me. Ow, ow, ow! This was so much worse! My vision blurred, yet I had no trouble spotting the swelling and darkening of my ankle. I’d never be able to walk to the castle. I doubted I could crawl.
I needed help. Desperate, I withdrew the cell from my pocket. I’d call Callen. Right here, right now, I didn’t care what he was. He’d aided me last time, and he would aid me again. I dialed—argh! No bars. What should I do?
I couldn’t stay here, hoping Callen returned on his own and pulled another rescue out of his nonexistent hat. I had to do something.
Leaves rattled, and more twigs snapped. I stopped breathing. Someone–or thing–approached. Maybe Callen, maybe not.
Should I call out or hide?
Just as I geared to scramble away, Lady Thorn jumped from between two branches.
Relief rained over me. She trotted to my side and curled up, sharing her warmth. Despite my abysmal condition, I recognized the miracle. She’d grown to like me and didn’t want me to die.
Tears welled. I petted the little darling and fell in absolute, utter love with her. “I will protect you with my life,” I vowed, determined to find a way to keep her after the switch without dying of an allergic reaction. We were friends until the end of time now.
We huddled together for minutes—hours?—before leaves rattled again. Hope and dread went head to head. Was this a rescue, or another animal?
Callen appeared, wearing a perfectly tailored suit, and I whimpered.
“You’re here,” I cried. So his features were molded into a fearsome scowl. So what? He’d come for me again.
He headed straight for me. “You didna have to pretend to hurt yourself to avoid attending another clan meeting. If you donna wish to perform your sworn duty to me, I’ll allow you to stay home. That is your shame, no’ mine.”
Oh, that burned. “Look at my ankle, you idiot!” The command exploded from me, causing Lady Thorn to dart away. I reached for her, crying, “My precious! Come back!”
As Callen blinked with surprise, my uncharacteristic burst of temper and emotion quickly deflated, and I released another whimper. “My apologies. I’m sure you’re super smart most days. Just help me, okay, without being your usual snarky self. Please, Callen. I know you aren’t my biggest fan, but I need pain meds. And an ice pack. Probably major surgery and a cast. But I’ll settle for a shred of compassion. Please, Callen,” I repeated. “I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but I’m almost positive gangrene is setting in.”
His gaze darted to my ankle and narrowed before returning to my face. Silent, he fisted and released his hands. An eternity of seconds ticked. Every blip of my internal clock felt the same: awful.
Finally, he bent and scooped me against his broad chest. Relief brought a fresh well of tears as he navigated the twists and turns of the maze, aiming for the entrance of the castle.
Ignoring the servants and guards we passed, each gawking at us, he carried me to my bedroom, bypassed the locked door without pause and settled me upon the mattress, where Thora already waited. She humphed at me, still miffed by my outburst, and I muttered an apology.
Callen fluffed two pillows beneath my ankle. After gently removing my shoes, he stalked from the room. My eyelids slid closed. I breathed in deeply through my nose, then out my mouth, attempting to control the pain.
To my astonishment, Callen returned and eased to my side, careful not to brush his hip against mine as the mattress dipped. With his palm beneath my skull, he helped me partake from a glass of…sweet tea? Whatever it was, I liked it. Amazing warmth spread through me, leaving a tide of peace and wellbeing in its wake. If that wasn’t wonderful enough, he gently slathered my foot and ankle with a layer of cooling gel.
Even my growing serenity couldn’t prevent a deluge of shock when my swelling subsided. The ugly bruising faded along with the pain, as if… My jaw slackened. Were my bones repairing themselves?
Well, of course a berserker possessed a magic elixir capable of eliciting supernatural healing. But, considering I was the woman Callen held responsible for the demise of his brother, shouldn’t he let me suffer? And why hadn’t he healed, say, his brother after their death match? Or did the magic elixir only work on non-life-threatening injuries?
“Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you,” I cried, sagging against the comforter. I either rolled with this experience, or I freaked out and gave myself away. “I will be forever grateful.”