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)
None of this made sense.
But then, it didn’t really have to, did it? When traveling a journey on one of my stronger products, nothing ever made sense. It was important to flow with it, accepting what was until you could alter your reality.
I stared up at his startlingly handsome face, cataloguing all his features. Looking down at me from above were slate gray eyes cut from granite. Sharp cheekbones cut angles above his hollowed cheeks, and he had a small cleft in his strong jaw. His dusky brown eyebrows settled low, nearly touched by his long black lashes. His dark blonde hair held sun-kissed streaks and currently fell to the sides of his forehead and around his ears, longer than he liked it.
I had no clue how I could know that last bit. And yet, I’d bet a good fortune on that knowledge.
I’d walk in this criminal’s journey, no problem, until I could alter my reality. When I did, only one of us would be walking away: me.
“Get up,” he commanded.
He was the alpha of this pack, obviously. A man no one said no to.
I wasn’t in his pack, and I didn’t give a damn what he wanted.
I stared at him impassively, allowing myself to go numb again. He would feed off my anger, off my rebellion. I knew it. Instead, I’d give him nothing to work with. I’d give him a shell of a woman.
He stared back, his eyes heating until they were spitting fire. Currents of electricity sizzled between us, flowing over my body in a way that frazzled my mind. I didn’t balk, though, pushing the feelings down with my emotions.
“Slap my dick and call me jumpy! This whole situation just got a whole lot more interesting,” the man in the colorful jacket said, looking between us.
“Hadriel, you may go,” the alpha said, his eyes not leaving mine.
“Goodie-goodie cum-drops.” Mr. Colorful Jacket—Hadriel—set down his spear and stood from his chair. “She doesn’t have a weapon, sir, but I’d watch her. I’ve known my fair share of wild women and they have this habit of conjuring weapons out of thin air. Access to her animal or not, she’ll chop off your nuts if she gets half a chance.”
“Go,” the alpha growled. My small hairs stood on end with the viciousness in his tone. Hadriel shivered.
“Okay but . . . be nice to her,” Hadriel said before turning. “You’re not the judge. Keep her alive until she can grovel to Queen Finley. Finley is a lot more reasonable than you are when it comes to”—he affected a strange accent and tone—“duty and honor.”
Now the alpha did tear his eyes away, his gaze finding Hadriel slowly.
“Fuck!” Hadriel flinched, hunching down on himself. “I haven’t felt the need to terror-shit my pants in forever. What an unwelcome change.” He looked at me and nodded a goodbye before heading away.
“This is the last time I will tell you.” The alpha’s focus came back to me. His cock was jutting out, hard and huge. “Get. Up.”
I remained unmoving, trying desperately to not remember how that cock felt. How it tasted. How much I wanted to feel it again.
The air blistered with heat now, raking across my flesh. He felt it; I could tell. A sheen of sweat suddenly coated that fine body.
The rushing in my ears turned into pounding in my core. The desperate need to do what he said ate away my resolve. I didn’t dare give in.
Instead, I did what I knew would incite him most of all. Nothing. I did and said absolutely nothing. I continued to kneel as I was, quietly defiant. Challenging him to a battle of wills. I was a prisoner now; I had all the time and patience in the world.
His left hand clenched into a fist. His pecs popped in frustration, knowing what I was doing. I felt his power curl through the air around me, goading me into following that command. Finally reaching the end of his tether, he moved, reaching for me.
Chapter 10
Aurelia
Iclosed my eyes to keep from flinching as he leaned over me, expecting the pain that was sure to come. His large hand closed over my upper arm. He jerked me upright.
I straightened my legs, allowing him to set me on my feet. I again waited for the blow. Alexander sometimes liked to do it face-to-face.
His large hand now gripped my forearm.
“What is this?” he demanded, holding up my hands. His thumb trailed across the blood from the ropes. “Who did this to you?” His tone was vicious but his touch was soft, wiping away the blood. “Was this you, trying to escape? Did you do this?” He peered into my eyes, his expression pained. “Aurelia . . .”
Hearing my name on his tongue, said with that deep, sexy voice, sent tingles spreading throughout my body. Hearing the concern in his tone, feeling his touch on my skin . . . My knees weakened in response, though I held steady. Barely.