Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 165649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 663(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165649 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 663(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Ferro opened the ground for her and met her there, his arms welcoming. The moment Elisabeta floated to him, her body tight against his, he took her to their forest, where he knew she was the happiest. Without the modern confines of a house and the pressures of trying to figure out furniture and entertaining, they could just be Ferro and Elisabeta, lifemates, learning about each other and enjoying the process. They had this one rising before they would have to once again serve their people. This time was theirs.
Elisabeta wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him, the feel of her mouth against his skin exquisite. The softness of her breasts pressing tightly to him as she took his blood added to the sheer intimacy of the erotic feeding. He had taken blood over centuries and given it, but nothing had prepared him for taking from or giving to his lifemate. She made his blood rush hotly in his veins to pool wild and thick in his groin. He savored the feeling and always would, never taking it for granted after so many centuries without her.
He pushed back her dark hair, needing to see her beloved face, her high cheekbones, her large eyes and those lush lashes. He had memorized every detail of her, but each rising he marveled at her beauty. It seemed impossible to hold the exact feel of how soft she was, or how feminine her form truly felt against his no matter how many times he took those images into his mind and etched them there.
Ferro. You think these things and I do not know how to process them. The healing saliva closed the pinpricks, her tongue sliding over his neck in a velvet, sensual rasp. She slowly sat up, blinking up at him with a faint smile on her face.
His woman. She was still uncertain what she really meant to him. She had so long been made to believe that she was worthless. It was difficult for her to really understand his feelings even when she was merged with him.
He bent his head to take her mouth. Those lips of hers. So tempting. How could he possibly resist? I think those things because they are true, minan piŋe sarnanak. It would be impossible for me to do without you. You really are my world.
That mouth of hers. Hotter than hell. Igniting a firestorm in him—in her, in them—until it burned so out of control neither could think clearly. Kissing her took him to another realm, one he hadn’t known existed. Fire burned through him, flames licking along his spine, dancing over his skin, over their skin. Little sparks of electricity arced between them.
They had to stop before he couldn’t. He knew it was getting more difficult for him every rising, not claiming his woman. He didn’t want her to come to him for the wrong reasons—and she would. That would be so like Elisabeta, putting his needs before her own. Throughout the centuries they would spend together, he would always have to check himself that he didn’t take advantage of her giving nature.
He broke off the kiss reluctantly, clothing both of them as he stood, setting her on her feet, right on the narrow deer path just at the edge of the meadow.
“Ferro?” Elisabeta touched her lips with slightly trembling fingers. “Is something wrong?”
“Everything is right, sívamet. Too right. You are very difficult to resist.” He took her hand and began to walk along the trail with her, deeper into the woods. “I want you to pay attention to every detail around you. You are very good at that. You have to have every image in your mind so that you can reproduce each detail when you need it. That will be essential when we lay our traps this next rising.”
She moistened her lips, her gaze shifting up to his face. “Our traps?”
He nodded and pulled her closer, matching her shorter steps. “Cornel has devised a plan to attack the nightclub. He plans to let loose an army of their servants, all hungry for fresh blood, a diversion to acquire young Josef for them. And you for Sergey. We do not want to lose any humans to their army of servants. We have called our own army to combat them. You are our secret weapon against them, Elisabeta. And you are my secret weapon against Sergey.”
She walked beside him in silence, her back and shoulders straight. His woman, up to the challenge. Thoughtful. “Sergey is very dangerous. Cunning. Never forget that he has slivers of each of his brothers residing in his brain. If that is not enough to beware of, he also has two of Xavier, the high mage.”
“Does he know how to access their aid without you?” Ferro asked, keeping the inquiry gentle. It was always a sore subject whenever he brought up just how much Elisabeta had helped Sergey against his brothers over the years. She didn’t really understand that her own nature had betrayed her. It was impossible for her to watch the victim of cruelty suffer, no matter if that person was good or bad themselves. She was compelled by her nature to help them.