Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Looking him right in the eyes, I smile. “But he was unsuccessful, as were his friends that are downstairs.” His eyes widen a bit, unable to hide his fear. That’s right, motherfucker, we were onto you before you even stepped foot into this building.
Peter, trying to regain his composure, walks over and grabs the hunter by the arm, pulling him into the center of the room.
“Fuck you, vampire fucker,” the hunter hisses and goes to spit on me. Xavier is there in front of me in just a blink of an eye. He grabs the hunter’s face, squeezing his cheeks.
“I suggest you treat my wife with the respect she deserves,” Xavier says calmly. “And know that if you so much as lay a finger on her, you will die and I won’t make it quick. Your hillbilly brother-cousins will be finding body parts for months before I finally allow you to succumb to the dark and cold release of death.” He releases the hunter and he stumbles back. The loser looks at Peter as if he’ll help him just because they’re both human.
Idiot. Read the room. We’re at a convention to promote vampire and human relationships, showing that we can all get along and coexist peacefully.
“Are you all right?” Xavier asks me, turning and putting his hands on my shoulders. Security comes into the ballroom—one human and one vampire officer.
“I’m perfectly fine,” I tell him, not used to having anyone defend me so…violently. Fuck, I like it. “I take it Theo stopped the others from doing whatever it is they had planned?”
“I’m sure,” he tells me and lets his hands fall down my body, settling on my waist. He pulls me in and I know it’s just for show…or is it? Is he that good at pretending I’m getting confused at his intentions?
“Let’s not let that ruin the night,” one of the VC reps says as the hunter is walked out of the room by security. Xavier takes my hand and looks at me curiously.
“What?” I ask.
“You’re rather unfazed by that.”
I shrug. “That was nothing. I’m a hunter, remember. And I remember who I am, but you seem to forget,” I say pointedly. “I’m far from helpless.”
“That is very true. You’re curious, Wren. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
I roll my eyes. “Please, save the love bombing for someone more naive.”
Xavier chuckles. “I’ll rephrase that. I’ve never met a witch like you,” he says softly.
“Have you met many witches?”
He takes my hand and we slowly make our way to the front of the room. The vibe has shifted and the room is full of anxious chatter. The woman who was attacked is sitting at a table, with a bunch of concerned humans and vampires around her. Someone mentions that EMTs are on their way to check her out, just to be safe.
“I’ve avoided them, like a good vampire.”
“You’re scared of them?”
“Not particularly,” he replies. “Being involved with witches was never beneficial. Vampires never had official rules to follow until recently, but the advice has always been to avoid or kill any witch we came across.”
“Because you all are still butthurt over the War of Light and Dark,” I say and playfully elbow him. That particular war took place over a thousand years ago. Witches and vampires went up against each other and the witches won—by a lot. They almost eliminated all vampires when some super powerful witch cast a spell that bathed the world in pure, white light. It burned almost every single vampire in existence at that time.
It’s still rare to find vampires older than the war.
“Kill or be killed,” he states. “We would all rather kill.” We stop near the floor to ceiling windows and Xavier turns so his torso is right up against mine. “Witches have the same mentality. And since you’re not part of a coven, I assume you don’t know the Grand Coven’s stance on witch-vampire relationships.”
“No,” I say as I shake my head. There’s so much about who I am and where I came from that I don’t know. “I don’t. What is it?”
“If a witch is caught entertaining a vampire in any way, the punishment is death.”
CHAPTER 18
“You’re willing to risk me?” the words leave my mouth before I have a chance to even think about it. Of course, he’s willing to risk me. I’m nothing more than a breeder to him.
“You think I’d let anyone hurt my wife?”
I cock an eyebrow. “You married me out of convenience, not because you can’t stand the thought of living a day without me.”
“That was true.”
“Was?”
He steps in, closing the distance between us, with his large body towering over mine. My heart skips a beat in my chest and heat rushes through me at the thought of his cool skin touching mine again. I blink and get a flash of his lips pressed to mine and no matter how hard I try, I can’t fight off the desire I’m feeling for him.