Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
My gaze dropped to his dagger wound again and I suddenly couldn’t stand him. “Why the hell did you make me stab you, huh? Wouldn’t this have been easier if you weren’t coughing up blood and about to pass out? You’re such an idiot.”
“Quiet,” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re so noisy. My ears are ringing. Also...” His hand dropped as his head came up. “Don’t call me an idiot.”
“Why? Will you punish me?”
His mouth twitched. “Yes.”
“How?” I shot back. “You’re literally on the ground...like a fool.”
“Keep talking and we’re going to have a problem.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. More of a problem than we already have?”
A low chuckle rumbled free as he tipped his face to the falling rain. “Fuck, you’re right.” Whisper licked his cheek as Lucien added, “At least I won’t die alone.”
My hackles rose and I literally couldn’t control myself. “Argh! I’m tempted to kill you myself, you annoying, pig-headed, stubborn—”
“You sure you want to keep going? I’m keeping notes of how many times you curse me.”
Tears burned my eyes. “I hate you. I hate you because every bone in my body is telling me to run and I can’t.”
His gaze shuttered and any sign of emotion shut down. Arching his chin at the exit and society beyond, he muttered, “Go on then. No one’s stopping you.”
“You’re what’s stopping me!” Pacing around him pinned beneath the bike, I couldn’t stay still. My head pounded. My heart skipped. I felt sick and trapped and useless. “If you hadn’t forced me to stab you, you wouldn’t be this weak. If I didn’t agree to go along with your ridiculous plan, you’d—”
“Still be trapped. Just like every other day,” he cut in coldly, tugging his pinned leg. “They wouldn’t have risked taking me past the wall if they didn’t think I was about to die.”
“So you decided to oblige them and die the moment you did?”
“No. I told you. If you stop jabbering for one second, you’d know I just needed a moment. That’s all.”
“A moment.” I flung my arms up. “Sure. Take a moment. Because we have so many of those before trouble arrives.”
“I think the real trouble here is you,” he grumbled as if we weren’t counting down the seconds to our demise.
“Excuse me?” Ice frosted my bloodstream as the pill failed at numbing the intensity of my emotions. I couldn’t do this anymore. I needed out. I needed him out. I needed to be safe and free, and this idiot was ruining everything.
“I can’t believe I caught feelings for you,” I hissed. “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to fall—”
“Wait. What?” His chin snapped up. His eyes found mine and didn’t let go. “Say that again.”
My lips pressed together as I swayed backward on my heels. “I didn’t say anything. Get up. Right now. If you don’t, I’m going to kick you until you do.”
His gaze stayed locked on mine, sniper-focused but amazingly gentle. “Are you actually worried about me?”
“Oh my God, what do you think this is? Of course I’m worried. I’m fucking terrified!”
“Of dying here?”
“Of watching you die, you fool.”
“That’s twice you’ve called me a fool.”
My gaze dropped to his stab wound and all the questions I’d been choking on spilled out. “Why didn’t you tell me what you planned? Why did you harvest two bags of blood when you knew you would need your strength? Why are you so annoying?”
His lips twitched into a morbid half smile. “So you are worried about me.”
“I’m fucking furious at you. There’s a difference.” Marching to the bike, I bent over and grabbed the handlebars again. “Stop trying to do everything on your own!”
“I am on my own.” He winced as I tried to lift the bike off his leg again. “I’ve been on my own since I was nine.”
“And now, you’re not!” I spat back. “You have me. So shut up. Stay alive. And get out from under that motorbike before I choke you with it.”
The thunderstorm of our argument reached breaking point. Forked lightning shredded both our souls as the air sizzled.
His dark eyes blazed.
He coughed again, a bloom of red appearing at the corner of his mouth.
I hauled on the heavy bike with all my might.
The metal groaned—
His hand shot out, snagged my wrist, and yanked.
My palms smacked against his bloody, fiery chest as I fell on top of him.
I went to push away, but he was too fast.
Wrapping an arm around my waist, he captured me just as his lips slammed over mine.
The savage kiss hit like a lightning bolt.
I combusted as if he’d struck a match and sent us both up in flames.
Brutal and unrestrained, he cut off all my protests, kissing me, bruising me, hurting me. Starving. Suffering. Yearning.
Kissing me as if he was dying.
Kissing me as if it was the last thing he’d ever do in this world.