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)
“Please see to it that this mess is cleaned up,” she said to her talem, then she smoothed the folds of her elegant ball gown. “I suppose I’ll have to drink a little more of Reginald tonight than usual. We can't have him trying to enact any form of justice.” She seemed completely delighted by the idea. “I'll give you one thing, my darling, you certainly have made this place less boring.” She gave me a sinister wink and disappeared.
I nodded toward my mother's talem again before hurrying to my bedroom, Talon on my heels, before locking the door behind us.
He shifted instantly, yanking on his sweats like he always did, just angrier than usual this time.
“What the hell was that?” I snapped.
Talon wouldn't turn around to face me, instead he flexed and unflexed his fingers into fists at his side, his muscles shaking.
“Talon, what the fuck was that?” I asked again.
“He touched you,” he said, his voice scraped raw.
“He’s not the first vampire who has tried to take something from me that I didn't consent to. I would’ve eventually gotten away—”
“He was about to drink from you!” Talon shouted, whirling around to finally look at me.
I went wholly still. He was every inch the Viking hunter that I’d heard stories about.
His pupils were fully blown out, his fangs bared, the evidence of Archibald’s blood caked to his chin even in his vampire form. He looked like an animal. More like his shifter self than vampire in that moment.
I spared half a thought as to why I wasn't afraid when I absolutely should’ve been. The vampire had joked about killing me no less than a dozen times, but for some reason, all I could feel was sorry.
I stepped into his space, slowly, deliberately, arching my neck as I looked up and up at him.
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I'll be faster next time,” I assured him.
I hated that he’d had to kill for me. I hadn't expected him to, but of course, it’s what Shadow would’ve done. She would have ripped Archibald to shreds without a second thought. But Talon wasn't Shadow. Talon wasn't an animal that viewed things in black and white.
He was a hunter who was used to carrying out justice, not killing in cold blood.
“Don't be sorry,” he said, leaning down so close that I could smell the blood on his breath. “I’d do it again, only I’d make it last longer. You said no. You told him no and he didn't listen.”
“That's not exactly new for me,” I said.
Talon bared his fangs again, every muscle in his body flexing like he had too much energy trying to escape his body.
“Talon,” I said, unable to form the string of words I needed to. I had too many emotions flying around, and I couldn't tell which were mine and which were his thanks to that connection he’d fashioned between us. I was being catapulted from anger and possession and desire and fear.
I had no idea where I would land.
I reached up, gently gliding my hand along his cheek, almost petting him like he was still in the panther form. His eyes instantly closed, and he leaned into my palm like he would do when he was intimidating Shadow. He let out a long, heavy sigh that had some of those coiled muscles un-bunching.
I'd never seen him as vulnerable as he was now, and I didn't have a clue how to handle him like this. When he was throwing insults my way or accusing me of being a spoiled rich vampire, it was normal, expected. This?
This raw exposed side of him?
We were in uncharted territory.
“It's okay,” I said. “It's okay.” I tried to be as soothing as I could, using my free hand to slide into his and guide him toward the bathroom.
To my utter surprise, he followed me and let me situate him in front of the sink, guiding him down upon a cushioned stool where I could reach his face while standing. I wet a cloth, and timidly approached him, gauging his reaction as I started to wipe Archibald’s blood off of his face.
He let me.
He sat perfectly still, his eyes locked on me as I gently cleaned the blood from his face.
I continued to hold on to his chin even after I’d finished, some aching part of me unwilling to let this side of him go. I knew I likely only had seconds before he returned to the hunter who hated me, so I clung to the one who was letting me take care of him. Something I highly doubt he allowed very often.
I set the cloth on the counter and turned back to face him. I was only slightly taller with him sitting, but we were damn near eye to eye. His pupils had gone down, but only a thin ring of blue showed.