Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 76857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
For crying out loud, why would he not shut up? Screeching, I rose to my feet. “I never wanted the city! I wanted the fog, and you stole that from me!”
Cold-blooded, he smiled darkly. “Yes, I did. And I will steal it from you again every single day when you suffer with heat and realize you cannot leave me, no matter how much you may wish to. Hybrid’s mate for life. The fog cannot have you, Lorieyn.”
I had never done anything so ridiculous in my life, but I lifted his plate with that beautiful half-eaten slice of cake and threw it down on the floor to shatter into bits. “You’ve always been horrible! Pretending to be some adoring mate, tricking me into letting you do things to my body that you knew I didn’t understand. How do I know you’re not misleading about the heat as well? You are a conniving, lying jerk who exerts power over me, because I would never come to you any other way!”
“I know.” Not a speck of shame in his acknowledgment. Rising to tower over me, he narrowed his eyes. “And I do have complete control of you, my dear. Force me to wield it, and I will not hesitate.”
I was going to rip out his throat. Snarling, baring my teeth, I stretched my fingers, ready to slice him to ribbons. “Going to hold me down again?”
Face growing deadpan, Cyderial's voice grew melodic. “Some rest will do you good, so I am going to make you sleep before you accidentally cut your foot on broken glass.”
Put me to bed like I was some child? The morning's fear had been bled out of me. I was furious and eager for my pound of flesh.
But the room began to smell better than wedding cake, powerful sound moving through the air to soak into my skin. Every inch of me felt as if he wrapped me in the snuggliest blanket, beautiful oblivion flowing through my veins.
Already woozy, the edges of my vision went fuzzy. “Stop that!”
“No.” He approached, and I took a wobbly step back.
It was unfair how easy it was for him to catch me, or how good it felt to be lifted into his arms and held against the vibrations emanating from his chest.
I was taken from the dangerous glass, swept toward the huge bed where I had begun the difficult day. Laid gently upon cool sheets, Cyderial carefully arranged my body as I tried and failed to put up more than token resistance.
High on his tricks as I was, it might not have been resistance at all. My fumbling hands clung to the monster, and no matter how I tried to puzzle them out, they only seemed to pull him nearer.
Sitting at my side, he took those needy hands, holding them while I melted into softness.
Addiction was not a strong enough word for this. No matter how I tried, I could not stop myself from sucking in deep breaths of his sweetness, of enjoying the ripple of music in the air.
I could even admit, staring up at his striking features, I might have even thought him handsome had I not disliked him so deeply.
Cyderial was very beautifully made.
Tone having gentled, he looked down at me and smoothed my hair. “Don’t put yourself in danger, Lorieyn. I cannot control myself when you do.”
The glass on the floor was about as dangerous as a fly. Having been run through with a sword multiple times during training, I could easily attest to that. It should have been easy to explain that to him, but my mind was fascinated with other things.
Like how perfect his unblinking eyes looked in this light—acid-green, deadly, and unwavering.
After a deep exhale, I murmured, “You smell really good.”
“Do I?” He stroked my hand and smiled softly.
“Mmm hmm.” So good I could eat him, sink my teeth right into his flesh.
Leaning over me, he breathed over my parted lips. “Beloved, you’re very tired and want to go to sleep right now.”
My eyes were so heavy, the idea of a nap extremely appealing.
Already drowsing, I felt him kiss my forehead. “Be brave when you wake up.”
19
I was going to kill him!
Violently, I went from dreaming to hypervigilance. Jackknifing upright, hissing with lethal intent, I scanned the darkness unsure how many hours I had been sedated.
No one was in the large bed with me. I didn’t see him in his chair. Scrambling off the mattress, I moved through the dark, finding the sprawling bedroom empty.
Where the hell had he gone?
The troublesome glass had all been swept away, my cake and the remaining dishes missing from the little table.
There was a note. All it said was: You are safe.
I crushed it in my fist and dropped it to the floor.
With no looming male to prevent my exit, I abandoned the bedroom and headed into the heart of his home.