Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
But I never thought I’d have to pose as her pet.
Cassandra Zorin is the elegant, sexy, vampire daughter of a traitor. She’s as trustworthy as a pit viper, despite her claims of innocence. And when the king orders me to pose as her beloved pet panther while she infiltrates her heavily warded family estate, I can’t say no—even though I think we’re as likely to kill each other as our enemies.
Spending every waking minute with her has my hackles rising, among other things… I can’t help it. She’s gorgeous, with a sharp tongue and an even sharper set of fangs that I can’t stop thinking about. The more I learn about who she is beneath the polished, noble mask, the more I realize she’s nothing like I assumed.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER 1
Talon
The atmosphere in Alek’s office was anything but cozy, especially with the way Lachlan refused to sit the fuck down.
Seriously, the Highlander hovered behind the king like a damned nursemaid, but at least he didn’t insult me by keeping watch on me. Oh no, the second-in-command’s eyes were on the door behind me.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why you were summoned,” Alek said, shooting a look at Lachlan that said he’d had enough of the pacing, too.
“I can admit I’m curious.” I lounged back in the chair across from his desk.
“You have a skill I need,” Alek admitted, reaching into his drawer and pulling out a few papers. A quick glance told me they were the lists of names we’d acquired from the Sons. “As you know, we’re about to head into the war room for a meeting, and I would like you to agree to my plan before I pitch it to the rest of the table.”
“Before?” I arched an eyebrow.
“I’d rather know you’re on my side and agree before fighting Zachariah about sending you into danger,” he admitted. “You all tend to stick together.”
A slow smile played across my face. “You have my attention.” I casually crossed my ankle over my knee.
“These lists,” Alek said, and pushed the papers my way. “The last one arrived with Warrick Zorin.”
I nodded, knowing the others had put the kid through his paces before they’d let him out of the dungeon and into the barracks to train with the others. Not that he was a kid. He was just a fuck-ton younger than I was.
“He says that he got it from his older brother, Edward.” Alek looked me in the eye. “Which means the oldest Zorin is in league with the Sons, just like his father had been.”
My jaw flexed, seeing where this was headed. “You want me to leave my brother’s mission to hunt down Samuel and focus instead on the Sons.”
“I’m not saying that Samuel isn’t involved—” Alek started.
“Do me the honor of not bullshitting me.”
Lachlan’s focus changed from the door to me.
“Fine.” Alek shrugged. “I’m asking you to switch your focus, because you are uniquely able to get inside the fortress the Zorins call home.”
My brow furrowed. “You want me to do what? Change into a hawk? A mouse? How the fuck would that help get past the wards they have on that place?” The protections the Zorins kept on their family home weren’t just formidable, they were legendary, and while I’d known more than one Zorin in my time, it seemed this generation had taken their security to a whole new level.
“Not exactly.” Alek cringed.
“It’s about to get interesting.” Lachlan’s beard twitched, and I had the distinct impression that there was a joke I wasn’t in on.
A knock sounded softly on the door behind me.
“Come in,” Alek answered.
The door opened and Cassandra Zorin swept in, her gown rustling around her ankles. The female was still dressed formally, apparently having attended evening repast. Her panther sauntered in after her.
Fuck me, but Cassandra was exquisite to look at. High cheekbones, dark hair that I would have bet looked great sweeping over my thighs as she wrapped those blood-red, perfect lips around my cock made her…well, too gorgeous for her own good. She was tall and lithe, the perfect specimen of a female of our species, and she had a way of walking that made me wonder if her feet ever touched the floor.
She was the epitome of nobility, of grace, of centuries of selective breeding.
She was also as trustworthy as a fucking pit viper.
“You asked to see me, my king?” She dropped into a curtsy, sinking low enough to raise my eyebrows. What a well-trained little snake.
I couldn't help but wonder if my king’s mating mark was still falsely tattooed on her skin, or if she’d gone through the rather painful procedure to have it removed after Lyric had shown up and claimed Alek’s heart…and his mark.
“Please, sit.”
Cassandra rose just as gracefully as she’d dipped, and her dark eyes widened slightly as she saw me. Then she swallowed and sat in the chair next to me. The look on her face was…resigned.
She knew what was going on.
Interesting.
“Have you given thought to what we spoke about earlier?” Alek asked.
“I have,” she said, nodding once. She folded her hands in her lap and kept her spine ramrod straight.
“And?” Alek prodded as Lachlan crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’ll do it,” she said with a note of certainty that told me she’d given a lot of thought to his request. “If Warrick says that Edward has been making use of our family home from time to time, then I believe him.” She eyed the papers on the desk. “I’d like to not believe that Edward is involved in any of that, but I’m willing to journey home for a…sabbatical, and ferret out the truth. I’ll report back as agreed.”