Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
My eyes met his, holding his gaze. “Why am I the exception?” I whispered.
He didn’t speak, just looked at me in a way that spread warmth through my chest. It felt as though it expanded throughout my whole world, a deep, thrilling sentiment I was starting to feel on my own. One I wouldn’t dare voice, not even to myself. Things would change when we got out of these woods, when we went back to our lives—he had an important role, and I had literally nothing at all. This, whatever this was, wasn’t forever. I needed to remember that.
I looked away and trailed my fingertips down the center of his chest.
“Who do you look like, your mom, your dad, or the butler?” I asked.
He spit out laughter. “My dad, mostly. My mom is off the hook for that wild night in the silver pantry.” He tried to wrestle his smile away but clearly couldn’t manage. “Apparently, I’m the spitting image of my dad, though some people say I have my mom’s eyes and nose. The shape, I mean. Her eyes are blue. His are a yellowish-brown.”
“Yours are gray.”
“Dull, yes.”
I shook my head. “Not dull. Expressive and beautiful, like an angry sky right before thunder claps and lightning strikes.” I paused for a moment, unable to hold his deep, open gaze for all those reasons I wasn’t yet ready to voice. “Do you still look like him, or is age not kind to your family?”
I expected him to smile at my joke, his humor often self-deprecating. Instead, his smile faded. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I walked away from the palace. He and my mother disowned me.”
“Oh, Weston. I’m sorry to hear that.” My fingers glided across each bump of his toned abdominal muscles. “Do you miss them?”
“I miss . . . the idea of a family.”
“What does that mean?”
“When I was a child, they weren’t around much. Their lives were devoted to the palace. They had children to continue their powerful bloodlines. Theirs was an arranged mating because of those bloodlines. They had us out of duty and left most of our care to servants. When my brothers and I were old enough to show our power, they finally took an interest in us, grooming us for a life serving the court. I was the prized son because of my abilities. I became their pride and joy, not because of any real emotional attachment, but because of my power—their status in continuing their line. We were a family in name, only. That was the dynamic for a lot of families in the Red Lupine court.”
“And your younger brother? The one lacking power?”
“He was mostly forgotten. Half the time my parents didn’t bother inviting him to family functions. He’s the one I left the palace for. They wouldn’t let him go because they wanted to keep his bloodline in the court, but no one paid him any attention. He was dangerously unhappy, withering away. My older brother and I had vowed to protect him, and so I broke all ties and helped him walk away.”
“And then you were stolen off the shores of your lands and lost touch with him, as well.”
“No,” he whispered. “When I came back, I saw that he was thriving as the alpha, so I walked away again, but that time of my own accord and on good terms. He’s happy. That’s what matters.”
“And you? Are you happy?”
He didn’t answer, instead saying, “Why do you trace my chest?”
“And arms. Don’t forget that I trace the contours of your arms.” I smiled. “Because you have a spectacular body and I like feeling it.” I paused. “Do you mind?”
“No,” he said, so softly I could barely hear him. “I like it.”
“What is your dream?”
“I think it’s your turn to share.”
“Not even remotely.” I grinned and scooted a little closer. He reached out, laying his hand on my hip. “You know all sorts of things about me. You read all those journals and heard all my stories during this journey. You’ve even snooped around my home. Am I going to get to snoop around your home?”
“If you like.”
I widened my eyes, not expecting that. I took it in stride, though. This was a pleasant fiction I was going to milk until reality shed its harsh light down on us.
“What’s your dream?” I asked again.
His gaze traveled my face. “When I was younger, it was to be the king and queen’s beta. The commander leading their legions, the most important non-royal duty in the land. When I was trapped in the demon dungeons, it was freedom. A kiss of fresh air. A meal I made for myself. After I watched the dragon king and queen struggle for each other and build a home and a family . . .”