Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Once he’d met Safia and realized she hadn’t been given any information about him or his claim on her, or about Carpathians, he felt her family had betrayed him. Still, he believed that Safia could handle the truth, and he intended to go forward being as transparent as possible with her. The bottom line was that the end of his days were near, and he was holding on by a thread. If this was going to work, she had to comply. He wasn’t safe until they were completely merged together and she had accepted their relationship. He sensed she was a long way from that reality.
You have my permission to invade my privacy. I brought you here to clear up issues between us. I want you to ask questions, and I’ll try to answer as openly as possible.
There was a buildup of rock forming a gorge where water ran down in a tall, narrow steady stream over misshapen smaller boulders. The water fell down the steep slope to pool below in a canyon no more than ten feet at its widest point. The gorge ran for several yards before a sharp bend took away sight of the rapidly moving current.
Close your eyes. I’m going to take you behind the water. There’s a thin crack in the rocks. I’ll widen the crack enough for us to get through and close it behind us. Once inside, I’ll light the way so you can see. I’ll have to weave safeguards to prevent the undead from entering.
Her heart accelerated and he thought she might protest, but she managed to slow her pulse to normal. I should ensure no demon can find us as well.
Her voice was steady despite her fear of being alone with him. They were far from her home, and she would be trapped inside the cave with no way out until he allowed it. The more he was with her, the more he admired her. The universe had been extremely good to him when he didn’t in any way deserve her.
That is an excellent idea.
He widened the crack in the rock just enough to allow them to pass through. Ordinarily he would have forced their bodies to be paper thin. He didn’t think she needed to have any undue stress. She was going to be facing enough of that with the things he would have to reveal to her.
Waving his hand to light sconces on the walls of the cave, he closed the crack behind them and set her on her feet. She clung to him to steady herself, but only for a moment—just as long as it took to ensure she had her balance. His lifemate was independent.
“I brought your coat and backpack just in case we ran into demons you had to destroy. I was uncertain of what you would need since we hadn’t discussed it, so I brought as much as possible.” He gave her a brief smile. “I didn’t intrude. I probably should have.”
He turned back to the entrance to weave safeguards, treating the situation as matter-of-factly as possible.
Safia followed his example, going through the backpack he had placed on the dirt floor beside a massive rock. “That was thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
She didn’t look at him but kept her gaze on the weave he was building to ensure nothing would disturb them. “Would you mind if I add to your safeguard? I often added to Aura’s. When we wove strands together, mine kept demons from entering, but it would also confuse vampires.”
Petru stepped back and indicated for her to proceed. He found her fascinating. She asked his permission, but she was already forming the proper guards in her mind with complete confidence. He studied her without seeming to. Even her demeanor had changed. She was serious, just as she had been when she was defending Aura. She was the defender. She’d been shaped into that role from the time she was born. He realized that was who she was and would always be. He might want to put her in a safe locked room where no harm could ever come to her, but she would never be happy. Never.
This was his lifemate. This woman standing beside him confidently adding to the safeguards he’d woven. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him to take care of her. She wasn’t defying him or in any way fearing he wasn’t able to keep her or those around them safe. She would fight every single battle to keep those around—and him—safe because that was her true nature.
Could he accept that in her? He had watched her die. He had watched a vampire rip her heart from her chest right in front him. He hadn’t protected her. He hadn’t saved her. That moment was forever burned into his brain. Now that the memory was uncovered, there was no putting it aside. He knew he had failed the most important person in his life. She knew he had abandoned her. There was no taking that back.