Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66383 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
John is on his way back to the house.
Pushing away from me, Grim leaves without another word.
Why must he do that to me?
Why?
I check around and see all the vampires are gone—ashes on the ground in their place—and know Max had a hand in their demise. Levy is sitting a short distance away, knowing she is safe with Max there.
That’s what a good king or queen should do.
Make their people feel safe.
Time starts to move again, and as soon as it does, Max’s head swings around, and his eyes find mine.
Chapter Twelve
You don’t really plan to fall for two men, do you?
Because I am falling for Max.
He is everything I should want.
Need.
There is no doubt in my mind we could be happy.
But there is also a part of me that screams for Grim.
How I wanted him with a force so fierce I was willing to sacrifice everything for him.
“Talia,” Max says my name as he stands.
Valefar said time moves differently, yet it felt like I was gone for over an hour.
“How long was I gone?” I ask.
“Minutes,” Max replies.
“But the vampires…”
“Dead.” And I know he would have had no issues handling them all alone. “Are you okay? That demon didn’t…” he trails off, not wanting to finish the sentence but wanting to know the answer.
I shake my head. “We aren’t related, are we?” I ask Max. “Because even though demons don’t mind keeping it in the bloodline, I do.”
“My father was a low-level demon. Yours is not.”
Okay! I nod.
That makes sense.
I think.
“Are you hurt?” he asks, reaching for me. I shake my head and pull back. “Did he bring you back?”
“No,” I answer truthfully. “Who killed the vampires?”
“Me,” he says, stepping even closer. “Then who brought you back?” This time when he reaches out to touch me, I let him because I am a sucker for all things Max.
“Valefar said I could do it myself, but I don’t know how.”
“You could. I can.” My brows rise in surprise. “Did you not think I could?”
“No, I do. How do you do it?”
“I think of where I want to be, and I am there,” he declares, as if it’s that simple. It’s not. I close my eyes and think of somewhere I want to be, and just as I do, Max squeezes me, and I open my eyes.
“It doesn’t work like that for me,” I tell him.
“No, it appears it does not.”
“I wonder why. Maybe it’s because you are part Angel as well.”
“Possibly. But you are more powerful than me, so it should work for you.”
I lean into him and rest my head on his shoulder. “I don’t feel more powerful,” I whisper.
“Talia.” I turn to see John walking toward us. “Where did you go?”
“Valefar,” I reply with a groan.
“Your sister needs you.” I go to pull myself away from Max, but he holds me tighter.
“How did you get back?”
“Death,” I say before I finally pull away from Max and leave without looking back.
“I think…” My sister starts pacing. She’s back in her house and hasn’t stopped moving back and forth, back and forth. “Oh my God.” She bends over in pain, clutching her stomach.
“Tatiana.” I run over to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders.
“Something isn’t right… it doesn’t feel right. It’s too early.” She gasps, and her free hand clutches mine. “Go and get John. I need John.”
I run outside and see John already heading toward the house.
“Tatiana?” he asks, already guessing. “I felt…” He doesn’t finish his sentence before he starts running toward the house. I rush after him to find Tatiana has her pants off and is bent down with her hands between her legs. Tears are streaming down her face as John holds her up.
“It’s not right. It’s not right…” she keeps repeating as she cries harder.
I walk over and stand next to her, not sure exactly what I can do. I’ve never helped deliver a baby, especially not one this early.
“John.” He steps in front of her. “Can you hear a heartbeat?”
Before anyone can say anything, Grim appears.
Tatiana spots him at the same time I do.
“Grim…” I say his name, but his eyes are on my sister.
“No. No, not you. Go away. You can’t have her.” Tatiana’s eyes are red now, she stops, and a scream rips from her mouth as she pushes harder. John leans down, and I watch as he pulls out the baby. He flips the tiny child around and smacks her back.
Smacks it and smacks it, trying to get her to breathe.
But nothing happens.
Grim steps closer.
Tears flow harder.
“Talia,” my sister cries. She grabs her baby from John and falls to the floor, screaming my name again. “Make him go away. Please, make him go away.”
My eyes fall to Grim.
He is watching.
He is waiting.
“Let me hold her,” I say. My sister shakes her head, her tears continuing to stream heavily down her cheeks.