Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
My brother would have called me an embarrassment to our bloodline, and if he weren’t so afraid of Mother’s wrath, he would have labeled me a bastard to boot.
Hawk’s father huffs like a bull about to charge. “Don’t run your mouth if you can’t handle the consequences, boy. And you?” he says to Hawk. “Let’s go get you a car before I report you to the cops myself!”
Hawk glances at me, sliding his fingers through my hair as his mother steps out of the kitchen carrying a whole tray of various sandwiches. “Go on, boys. There will be plenty of food left when you’re back,” she says and sits on the sofa, right next to the spot I previously occupied. She’s old in ways elves never get to be, unless they’re banished to a short existence in the human realm, but her eyes are kind, so I settle next to her and nod at Hawk.
“All right,” he mumbles, watching me from above. “I’ll be close.”
When he leaves with his father and both brothers, I release a deep sigh to ease some of the tension coiling inside my chest. I cannot believe I was just grabbed like that. I’m aware my position in this world is one of irrelevance, that my title means nothing here, but knowing this and being confronted with the physical reality of that fact are two different things.
I grab a crispy sandwich that smells quite nice, of salty meat and cheese. “Have you heard that the Sunwolf Crown was stolen in New York City?” I ask in an attempt to make some small talk while we wait.
Hawk’s mother stalls, but then shakes her head. “I… don’t believe I’ve heard anything about that. We don’t get that much news here, you see. Only found out about Hawk’s escape from a neighbor on the radio.”
“Ah, a shame,” I say, wracking my brain for more things to say. My mother always chastised me for making conversation partners uncomfortable with awkward pauses, but just thinking about it makes me more nervous and prone to speaking out of turn. “Your son has been most gallant to me.” A bit of a stretch, but a compliment always goes down well.
“Yes, Hawk’s a very good boy. Always was. Even if a bit rough around the edges. I didn’t expect him to turn out gay, to be honest,” she says and pushes the cup of chocolate closer. “Drink it. It’ll make you stronger.”
“Will it?” I ask in amazement and grab the cup. The drink is warm, but if it’s an elixir of strength, I am willing to endure the unpleasant heat on my tongue. The beverage is way too sweet, but I close my eyes and gulp down the whole thing in one go, not caring about manners. If I am to survive another day in the sun, I’ll need the energy this nice woman so lovingly infused into the contents of my cup.
“So… what is really between you and my son?” she asks, pulling the folds of her robe more tightly around her. “Did you… correspond with him while he was in prison? If he brought you here against your will, I can help you. Hawk can get a little… overenthusiastic when his heart guides him.”
I bite into the crispy sandwich to give myself a moment to think, but it doesn’t seem like she’s intending some elaborate trap after trying to soften my attitude with a sweet drink. “Oh, no, if I am a victim, then it’s only of my own impulsivity. Hawk is special to me.” Because I can’t even begin to explain to her that when he becomes my Dark Companion, both our lives will change for the better. “We may have met just last night, but I have never felt so much tenderness for anyone before.”
Saying it out loud fractures me. My heart beats faster, my cheeks flush at the memory of the filthy things we did together, and moths flutter in my stomach when I think of his protective attitude, but… But. We did only meet last night. Can I really trust someone, a human at that, just because my body yearns for him? Because when I see his shadow, I want to step into it and bathe in its thick darkness? Because I crave a bond that’ll ensure I’ll never again be lonely?
Am I like a fish which has lived all its life in a bowl, and now that it’s been set free into the ocean, can’t see the threats, too blinded by delight?
My hostess sighs, peering at me with a gaze that reflects many of my own fears. “You do know he was convicted for double homicide? And that he is on the run? I want all the best for my son, but if the two of you are found together, you will be tried for assisting an escaped convict. I don’t think prison is the place for a boy as delicate as you.”