Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 229266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1146(@200wpm)___ 917(@250wpm)___ 764(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 229266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1146(@200wpm)___ 917(@250wpm)___ 764(@300wpm)
Any denials died on Alastir’s tongue.
“There is no reason for me to believe that his parents won’t share the same worries or concerns as the people do,” I continued. “I’d rather marry without actually being able to replay all of their concerns in my head during the ceremony.”
Alastir sat back, rubbing his fingers over his brow. “I can understand that. I really can, but our King and Queen—”
“Will be shocked and probably greatly annoyed that I have married someone they have never laid eyes on, not to mention someone who is only half-Atlantian and was once the Maiden,” Casteel interrupted. “But as soon as they get to know her, none of that will matter. They will come to love her as fiercely as I do.”
My heart stuttered and squeezed as I looked at Casteel, and I knew—I knew he hadn’t planned to say that last part, or at least he hadn’t meant to say it like that. His surprise was sharp and cool, and the moment his gaze met mine, I looked away.
I swallowed the ragged breath I wanted to exhale. “How is Beckett?” I asked. Vonetta had said that the young wolven was walking with barely a limp, but it was time to change the subject.
“It is like he wasn’t injured at all,” Alastir replied. “What you did for him—”
“I was only trying to ease his pain,” I said again. “I don’t even know if I’ll be able to do something like that again.”
Alastir nodded, but he didn’t seem too convinced of, well, anything. And then, he left. Alone, I turned to Casteel.
“That was fun, wasn’t it?” he asked.
I didn’t know what it was about how he’d said that, but I laughed. “Almost more than I could handle.”
He smiled, his body finally relaxing to match his posture. “I could tell.”
My gaze flickered over him, and I…I knew the anger and frustration had faded. The sadness was there, lingering beneath it all, but there was a strange sense of contentedness, too.
“Are you reading my emotions?”
“No.” I paused. “Sort of?”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure what it means.” I glanced down at my hands. “Ever since I woke this morning, I can read emotions without opening myself—without having to concentrate. I focus, and if I want to know…I know.”
“And if you don’t want to know?”
I frowned. “Then I don’t. I don’t know if crowds will be different.”
“Because they sometimes overwhelm you.”
He remembered. I nodded.
“That’s…” He trailed off, and I looked over at him. “What am I feeling now?”
“I…you’re feeling curiosity. Not concern.”
His head tilted. “Why would I feel concern?”
“Aren’t you worried that I will develop more empath traits?”
“If you’re thinking that I’m worried about you becoming a Soul Eater and feeding off my emotions, you’d be wasting your energy.”
I frowned at him. “I would hope you wouldn’t think that.”
“What I do think is it’s all amazing,” he said. “You’re amazing.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Especially when you shut Alastir up. That is a talent that even I haven’t mastered.” He sat forward, stopping so that we were nearly at eye level. “My parents will likely be displeased, but they will welcome you. I’m not saying that to make you feel better. I mean it. Their anger or disappointment will not be directed at you.”
I actually believed that.
And I almost believed what he said to Alastir about his parents loving me as fiercely as he did. Heartmates.
Casteel curled his fingers around my chin, drawing my gaze back to his. “What?” His gaze searched mine. “What are you thinking? I know you are thinking about something. You always get this look on your face when you’re thinking about something you don’t want to share.”
“What kind of look do I get?”
“Your nose wrinkles.”
“What? It does not.”
“It does.”
I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“Lies.” His thumb swept over my bottom lip. “Tell me.”
His gaze caught and held mine, and my heart started pounding. I fell into his warm amber depths, and I could feel my mask cracking. “I was thinking…I was thinking that you can be very convincing when you speak to others about how you feel about me.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He dragged his lower lip through his teeth as his lashes lowered. “But not convincing enough.”
I knew he spoke of Alastir, but I thought if he were any more convincing, I would start to believe him.
His lashes lifted. “There’s something I want to show you.”
Astride Setti once more, Casteel controlled the reins as he led us through the woods, riding in the kind of companionable silence I’d felt with few people before. He hadn’t gone straight, toward the town. He veered left, where the canopy of trees was quite a bit thicker and the woods were dense for as far as I could see.
“Look,” Casteel said, nodding toward our right.