Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
But he couldn’t give into those impulses now. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t avenge Sonya in that way. He would get kicked out of The House of a Thousand Flowers and never be able to see her again. He would lose any chance he might have of buying her and taking her away from this fucking place. He had to calm down—he had to control the Rage and not let it take over his mind!
He took deep breaths, willing himself to be cool and composed—willing the Rage to leave, to dissipate. Calm…he had to be calm and think rationally about how to deal with this situation.
When the crimson curtain that had dropped over his vision finally cleared, he turned to see that Sonya had withdrawn completely. She was curled on her side of the bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. Her face was hidden in her hands and her shoulders were shaking.
Davrik felt a stab of guilt. Here he was, nearly going into a useless Rage that wouldn’t help anyone, while the woman he loved was sobbing her heart out! He ought to be comforting her, not pacing around in a hyper-masculine fit of fury.
“Sonya…baby girl,” he murmured, getting into bed beside her again and turning her to face him. Her hands were still over her eyes but he slowly coaxed them away from her face.
“I’m sorry…so sorry,” she whispered. Her lovely brown eyes were red with crying and her whole face was a mask of misery.
Davrik felt like she had reached into his chest and squeezed his heart in her soft little hand.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, baby girl. None of this is your fault,” he murmured, swiping one thumb over her cheek to wipe away the tears that had collected there. “I’m not angry with you—I’m just so sorry I didn’t save you from that bastard! I never should have let you go—never! But I swear I’ll never let it happen again.”
She looked at him, her eyes wide and uncertain.
“Then…you still want me? Even after he…what he did to me? You don’t think I’m dirty or disgusting?”
“Dirty or disgusting? What are you talking about?” Davrik frowned. “Why would I think that?”
“I guess because…because that’s how I feel.” She shook her head and looked down, not meeting his eyes. “My skin still burns where he…where he shot his stuff on me. I scrubbed and scrubbed but it still hurts and I feel like I’ll never be clean again!”
“Oh, baby girl…” Davrik felt like his heart was breaking. Poor little female! She’d been through so much that his own Sonya had never had to endure. “Come here,” he murmured, putting an arm around her and pulling her close to him. His fangs were producing Essence—he could taste the faintly sweet flavor on his tongue and he knew what he needed to do.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered again, pressing her face to his chest. “I didn’t want to let him do any of that and I sure as hell didn’t want to put that nasty metal thing inside me! But I was so afraid I’d be sent to The Box if I didn’t do what he said…”
“Shhh…” Davrik stroked her hair. “None of it was your fault. You’re stuck in this horrible fucking place and you had to do what he told you to do. But you won’t be stuck here for long—I’m going to get you out of here, baby girl. I swear I will.”
She looked up at him and he saw hope warring with fear on her tearstained face.
“I hope you can, but it might already be too late.”
“Too late?” Davrik demanded. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Grox told me that Oozle had already agreed to sell me to him. He said…” She swallowed hard. “He said that after my week with you was up, he was taking me away and he was…was going to impregnate me with his ‘heir’.” She shivered with apparent disgust. “I don’t know if it’s a lie or not, but just the thought of that…”
“Gods!” Davrik clenched his jaw. It was clear she was frightened of belonging to the Trollox—as well she should be! But he didn’t think she knew the whole story, or she would be Goddess-damned terrified.
When a Trollox took a humanoid mate to “bear his heir”, it meant the end of her life. Because as soon as the monstrous fetus he implanted in her grew to full term, it chewed its way out of the mother, inevitably killing her in the process.
Of course, he couldn’t tell Sonya that. It would upset her even more than she was already. But he knew now that he had to get her away from this place—even if it meant stealing her instead of buying her.
But he would try the legitimate way first—it would be much simpler.