Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“It’s okay.” She reached for me.
I jerked away, not missing the way her face fell at my rejection.
It was necessary.
She should be on her knees thanking me for keeping my hands to myself. Hell, now I was imagining her on her knees. I was already painfully hard.
It was going to be a long day.
I winced and stared at the flames again as they licked higher and higher.
“I’m thirsty,” she whispered.
I frowned and turned around. “Do I look like your servant?”
“Please?” She licked those damn lips again, and I forgot what I was even supposed to be doing. Hell, I’d have trouble finding my way home at this point. “Just a bit of water? I promise I’ll be prepared next time and try not to annoy you.”
I grunted out a stern, “I’ll be right back.”
She beamed like I’d just bought her an island or something.
And in my muddled, lust-filled brain, I didn’t think about the consequences of me leaving that room.
Or the possibilities.
I quickly grabbed a bottle of water from my study next door, and when I came back into the library, it was to see her reach into the flames.
“I’m Luna.” She hesitated briefly.
I dropped the bottle of water and ran, wishing to the gods my powers were completely unlocked.
Always out of time.
Never able to save her.
Her life flashed before me.
We hadn’t had enough time.
And now she would die.
I’d known this version of her for less than two days.
And I would be too late.
The fire licked higher and higher, its angry orange flames exploding in front of her face.
“Luna!” I screamed her name as the fire completely engulfed her and then swirled around her wrists thirteen times before going completely out.
Her face was covered in soot, her blue eyes wide as she shakily looked down at her hands.
And on her wrists, two bands of silver wrapped around her skin, creating a snowflake tattoo that linked like a bracelet around her wrist.
The claiming of the Winter Court.
The fire hadn’t destroyed her.
The fire should have killed her—Spring fire always killed the Winter—turned it to ice.
So why the hell was she still standing there?
“What just happened?” She collapsed to her knees, her hands trembling, “What’s this on my skin?”
I tried to look impassive, but my heart was damn near thudding outside of my chest.
This felt different.
And just like that, hope started to bloom where it had been dead for centuries, hope that this wouldn’t end with her blood on my hands.
Hope, what a dangerous thing to have.
A knock sounded on the library door before it opened. I shoved her behind me as Jasper walked in, eyes narrowing. “Did you hear that?”
“The knock? Yes, it was loud. Consider me annoyed.” I smirked. “Did you need something, Jasper, or can I seduce this woman without your prying eyes?”
One eyebrow shot up in surprise. “Seduce?”
“That was the idea, and then you came stomping in here with a sour look on your face, and gods, man, would it kill you to wear something other than black?”
He glared from behind his glasses. “Yes, it just might.”
“So, if I send you a red sweater…”
“I’ll burn it,” he said in an irritated voice.
“You’re in a good mood.” I held Luna behind me even though it was killing me to touch her, even though my fingertips pulsed with her energy, her life force, her love.
The usual pain that hit my temples at the very thought of love was gone; I almost sagged in relief but didn’t want Jasper asking questions, didn’t even want him looking at her, which also felt new.
He was my keeper. Why the hell was I suddenly suspicious of him?
His eyes narrowed in my direction. “Is she staying for dinner, then?”
I held his gaze. “Not tonight.”
I could tell he wanted to peer around me, wanted to ask questions he had no business asking. Already my control was barely hanging on by a thread. I was torn between wanting to ask him why the sweet smell he always had was getting stronger and stronger and wanting to lock her in a room and throw away the key so I didn’t hurt her.
So history didn’t repeat itself.
“All right, I’ll just leave you to your… books.” He snarled the last word and clicked the door shut.
“I don’t feel very good,” Luna said from behind me.
Shit.
I’d been touching her that whole time.
I quickly pulled away. Already her color was better, her blue eyes not as dull, her skin shinier.
Without laying a finger on her, I locked eyes and whispered, “You should rest—come back tomorrow.”
Her eyes dilated and then nearly closed as she swayed toward me. I was careful not to touch her; at this rate I was going to need to wear leather gloves to keep from siphoning anything from her.
“Yeah.” Her brow furrowed. “That’s— that’s a good idea. This was probably all just a really weird dream, right? The fire? The way your eyes just went so amber like that, the green hair—”