Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“I can only imagine. You’ve been awake for a very long time and humans need sleep.”
“We do, unfortunately.” My eyes close in a long blink. In this instance, I’m glad I’ll be able to sleep and forget about everything for a few hours. Though, I have a feeling I’m going to have a nightmare.
“You should go get some sleep. And then maybe we can go out tonight! There’s a new restaurant I saw yesterday while I was out—before I got kidnapped—and it’s just so cute it would make swell photos! You can order food so we have a reason to be there.”
I smile. “Yeah. That sounds nice, Mabel.”
She beams at me and takes another drink of blood from her pretty pink teacup. I fold up the cupcake wrapper and take it with me as I leave the parlor, throwing it away in the kitchen. The house is usually quiet, but there’s no staff here at the moment. Filling up a glass with water, I slowly start toward the stairs, pausing for a moment when I get near Xavier’s office. It’s in the back of the house, and has two large wooden doors sealing it away from the main living area. I can hear his voice, muffled and speaking in Spanish. Letting out a sigh, I keep going only to pause again at the top of the stairs.
“Devon?” I call quietly. He’s a vampire now. He’ll be able to hear me. “Are you awake?”
“Wren?” he calls back and my heart flutters in my chest. He sounds the same, which is to be expected, but it’s so damn reassuring to hear him say my name. “Are you okay?” I take a step down the hall and his bedroom door opens.
My pulse quickens when I see him and a smile breaks out on my face. I set my glass of water on a console table against the wall opposite me and go to him, looking him up and down. He’s healed, obviously, and looks pretty much the same. There’s less color to his cheeks, but vampires don’t really look dead since their blood still circulates in their body, powered by black magic instead of their heart.
His chest isn’t rising and falling, but he hasn’t gotten out of the habit of blinking yet. If you didn’t know Devon was a vampire, it would be hard to guess.
“I’m sorry,” I start, unable to stop the apology from tumbling out of my mouth. “I know you didn’t want to be—”
“It’s okay,” Devon replies and hugs me. His body is cool, just like Xavier’s, and it unnerves me a bit, reminding me that my friend and the only other trusted human in this house is undead because my former boyfriend shot him. “I’m glad I’m…” he trails off, burying his face against me. “You smell good.”
Oh shit. I forgot vampires can sense magic and it’s like offering drugs to an addict. “Devon,” I say and go to push him off. “Don’t—”
He’s too strong and doesn’t know how to control himself. His arms tighten around me and his fangs press into my skin.
“Devon, stop!” I conjure whips of magic and zap him with it, but it’s not enough to stop him and Devon’s fangs sink into my neck.
Chapter
Eleven
“Devon,” I try again, this time summoning a bigger ball of energy. The lights flicker and Devon squeezes me tighter, making it hard to breathe. Then, suddenly, he’s pulled back and his fingernails scrape against my arms, tearing my skin. Xavier pushes him back with one arm and Devon comes back at me, like a hungry dog desperate for the last slab of meat. Xavier turns, puts both hands on Devon’s head, and snaps his neck. Horrified, I watch Devon’s eyes roll back and his body collapses to the floor.
“Wren.” Xavier rushes back to me, putting his fingers over the bite wounds on my neck. I wince from the pain, realizing that my skin is torn and tender. Xavier has drunk from me and of course it hurt to have his fangs puncture my flesh, but it wasn’t like this.
“I’m okay,” I rush out and let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t…I forgot…”
“It’s okay,” Xavier says and cradles me against him. I inhale and let myself melt against him, feeling safe wrapped in his one-armed embrace. “Is Devon okay?”
“He’s isn’t dead,” Xavier explains. “It’ll take a few minutes for him to heal.”
“What the hell is going on?” Theo appears at the top of the stairs, eyes narrowing as he looks at me.
“He, um, he bit me,” I say, thinking it’s fucking obvious.
“You provoked him?”
“Excuse me?” My brows go up and I pull away from Xavier. “I knew you were an asshole but I didn’t take you for a what-was-she-wearing kind of asshole.”
“Get her under control,” Theo tells Xavier through gritted teeth.
“Tread carefully, brother,” Xavier warns.