Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“What about the cure?”
“That was her addition to the deal—or at least she believed it was her idea. She wanted access to our blood. Gregor agreed, of course. He needed to save the food supply if he wants to rule.”
“Fucking bleak.”
“Yes,” he purrs, his hand still stroking through my hair. “But he never intended to let you keep the cure once you’d found it.”
“That’s the ‘killing us all’ part you mentioned?”
“Just so. He would take the cure and dole it out as he saw fit. Use it as a whip to keep the humans in line and willing participants in his scheme.”
“But you gave me shit samples to draw it out, to make his plan falter?”
“The longer it took you to find the cure, the more time I’d have to undermine Gregor and find a way out for you.”
“But you help Gregor.” I sit up and look at him. “You fight for him, kill for him. You keep him propped up.”
He gives me a level stare, his eyes bluer now. “I do what I have to do to ensure his belief in my loyalty.”
“Including killing innocent people.” I push away from him, but he wraps his arm around me, keeping me in his lap.
“Yes. I’ve killed many. I’ll kill more.” He says it so simply, like a fact from a textbook. “To keep you safe, I’ll do it gladly.”
“Why are you so obsessed with me being safe? We aren’t together. We aren’t—”
“You’re my mate. I will fight and bleed and die for you.”
“You’re delusional!” I try again to wrest myself free of his grip but get nowhere.
“Would you like me to stop telling you everything you want to know?” he asks, his arrogant smirk back in place.
I groan, my irritation like a burr under my skin. “Fine.” I settle against him under protest.
“When I realized you were mine—”
I scoff.
He ignores me and continues, “I couldn’t let anyone know.”
“Why?”
“If Gregor were to discover I’d found my mate, he’d have both of us impaled. I’m of his line. If I were able to bring forth a mate and eventually an heir from a true mate bond, I’d be the biggest threat to his reign he’s ever experienced. He’s never officially claimed me as his son, but that would force his hand.”
“I’m lost.”
“Vampires have a defined hierarchy.” He toys with my hair.
“Right, Gregor’s at the top. I get it. Vampire politics.”
“Gregor, then Theo, then—grudgingly, of course—me.”
“Why doesn’t he claim you as his?”
“Because my mother was a human.”
I make something akin to a croaking sound. He’s half human? Every moment spent in bed with him replays in my mind in fits and starts. “Are you saying humans and vampires can breed?”
“Of course.”
“Fuck!” I try to stand.
Again, he doesn’t let me.
“We didn’t use protection. I didn’t think—We—Oh, god!” I press a hand to my face.
“You aren’t with child.” He kisses my shoulder. “I would know. I would smell it.”
Relief washes over me right along with indignation. “Stop smelling me!”
“Impossible.” He pulls me closer, his nose at my neck. “The most delicious scent in the world.”
When his lips ghost along my skin, a pleasurable shiver runs down my spine. I lean away from him. “Stop trying to distract me. Why are you telling me all this?” I ask. “Just to keep me from going outside?”
“I’d tie you to the bed before I’d let you venture an inch out into the darkness. I’m telling you because it doesn’t matter any longer.”
My eyelids flutter closed when he presses his mouth to the spot just below my ear. “Why doesn’t it matter?”
“Because I’ve arranged transport for you off this continent. You’ll fly from DC to a ship in port, then away from here.”
My breath catches, disbelief fogging my thoughts. “What?”
“You’re leaving. Tonight you’ll be taken from here and then across the sea.”
“Your solution to all this is for us to run away to Europe?”
“I didn’t say Europe, and I didn’t say I’m coming with you.”
“You’re not?” Why does that give me pause? It shouldn’t. I shouldn’t want him to come with me.
He gives me a cocky half smile. “Worried for me?”
“Glad to be rid of you.” I shrug.
His half smile turns into a knowing full smile. “I’m afraid I can’t leave. Gregor’s connection to me is far too strong. He can’t control me as he did when I was younger, but he can still get into my mind if he wants to badly enough. The only way out is for me to kill him.” He sighs. “Therein lies the rub.”
“Huh?”
“The problem. I’ve been near enough to do it many times, but his mind is well guarded and always scanning those closest to him. Any full intention on my part—he’d know before I could strike.”
“If he can read your thoughts, why doesn’t he know you’ve been trying to kill him?”
“He can only read ones that are easy to catch, ones at the forefront of my consciousness. I’m mindful and keep my true desires hidden away.” He sighs. “You’re there. Always there. I can try to hide you away in my memories, but he’d find you eventually if he ever had reason to go looking. I can’t risk it. I can’t come with you. He’d hunt me down, and in doing so, would find you.”