Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
The memory of him healing her played over and over in her head. The way he had licked her so eagerly—his deep voice telling her to come while he fucked her with his tongue…just thinking of it made her hot all over again. But then, what about his eyes?
They were filled with flames…was that his Drake? Was it about to come out?
What would happen if it did come out, Addie wondered. She wished she had any friends aboard the Mother Ship that were mated to Drake Kindred so she could have a frame of reference. But Drakes were a rare branch of the Kindred family tree. She only knew they were huge and powerful and that they could fly. She’d heard of Fire Drakes and Ice Drakes and she’d even heard of Lightning Drakes but Drago hadn’t told her which kind his was.
He said his Drake wanted to Claim me though—that he wanted to possess me.
What would it mean to be Claimed and possessed by a Drake? Was it sexual? Or just a matter of ownership? Addie thought of the old fantasy novels she’d loved reading as a kid. All about dragons guarding their hoard. Would she be the hoard in this scenario—the precious treasure the great beast would do anything to protect?
The idea didn’t sound that bad—though Drago’s flaming eyes had been scary. But he hadn’t said his Drake wanted to hurt her—just that it wanted to Claim her. Claiming a bride and bonding with her was the mark of ultimate ownership, love, and devotion for a Kindred warrior. But how would it be possible to be Claimed by a Drake?
Still pondering these questions, Addie at last fell asleep, clutching her Protector's pillow to her chest.
She dreamed of being held in a giant, clawed hand that wasn't human and rushing upwards toward the stars.
17
ADDIE
Addie woke up with a toothache. Two toothaches, in fact. And both were located in her upper row of teeth—one on either side.
“Ow!” she mumbled and reached up with her tongue to probe gingerly at her painful right canine.
The result was a sharp pain in the tip of her tongue that made her wince and sit bolt upright in bed.
“OW!” she repeated, with much more conviction this time. It felt like someone had poked her tongue with a needle!
The lights were on by now—Drago must have been right about them being on some kind of timer. Speaking of her Protector, where was he? He must not have come back last night. Was he out somewhere fighting with his Drake?
Addie had no idea, but she couldn’t help feeling abandoned. Getting out of bed, she made her way to the small, closet-sized bathroom. Last night she hadn’t been able to see much of anything in the mirror but with the lights on high, everything was much more visible.
She leaned forward, studying her reflection in the shiny surface. Then she bared her teeth. She had no idea what she might see but what she didn’t expect was finding that she’d somehow sprouted vampire fangs in the night.
“Oh my God!” she mumbled, staring at herself. “No way—this can’t be right!”
But there was no denying what her eyes were telling her. The girl in the mirror had her same long, wavy red hair and blue/green eyes. She also had two long, sharp fangs where her canine teeth should be. And a very sore tongue.
“What the hell?” Addie muttered, staring at herself. How could this be? She had no idea—none at all.
Then she remembered Ls Prissa ordering her to open her mouth and saying that her teeth “looked promising” or something like that, at the feast. Could the fact that she’d suddenly grown vampire fangs have anything to do with the Choosing Ceremony last night?
“Maybe it was that weird cup full of cum they made us all drink from,” Addie muttered to herself and shivered at the memory. Or maybe it had to do with the spider bite that Drago had healed for her.
That thought gave her instant anxiety and she hiked up the skirt of the long black dress she was still wearing to stare at her right inner thigh.
Pure, unblemished skin greeted her gaze. There wasn’t even a red mark to show where she’d been bitten—Drago really had healed her completely.
The memory of her Protector between her legs, licking her until she came, made her feel hot all over again. She wished he was here…but she wasn't sure what she would say to him if he was. How do you deal with a morning-after scenario with a guy who saved your life and made you come harder than you'd ever come in your life…and yet insisted the two of you couldn't be together because of the massive dragon he kept inside himself?
No solutions to that problem leaped readily to mind, so Addie decided to change her clothes and go looking for him. Maybe he would have an idea on how to get rid of her new fangs since he had been able to heal the spider bite. But then she hesitated—getting something new to wear would mean going back into the main bedchamber where the screaming spider was still lurking.