Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145341 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
In the distance, she caught the faint sound of air moving through labored lungs. There he was. She had him now. She waited until she was positively certain that this was the man she was connected to. Her man. The man whose soul she guarded so carefully. She began to match that labored breathing, allowing her lungs to take on the same ragged gasps struggling for air. Once they were in perfect sync, she began to even the two of them out slowly. He became aware of her instantly.
He went from near unconsciousness to his mind on complete alert. She felt him pushing into her mind, and he was extremely strong. Like a battering ram. A tidal wave.
Be careful, she cautioned. There are others who might overhear if you aren’t cautious. How badly are you injured?
He didn’t withdraw from her, but he remained silent as though thinking whether or not he was going to answer her. You are?
She sighed. She should have known he would ask. There was no getting around this. Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva. And you?
I am called Afanasiv Belan. Or Siv for short. The daughter of the royal wolf, he mused. Are you aware of what you are to me?
Vasilisa didn’t know if it was because they were speaking telepathically to one another that his voice stroked and caressed like a deep, husky velvet brush. Soft. Gentle. He sounded as if he belonged to the night, just as she did. She only knew it was one of the most sensual experiences of her life.
She wanted to lie to him. She didn’t belong to any man. She was her own person and she went her own way. He was the one who needed help, not her. She didn’t say any of that. Yes, of course. I connected to you when you were first injured. Your head.
Forgive me. Had I known, I would not have allowed you to feel anything. You must leave this place. I will find you once I know you are safe.
Her belly grew hot, and she knew her temper was fighting for supremacy. She hadn’t just sauntered down a brick road to get to him. She’d fought a battle and killed men to make certain he was all right. He was laid out like bait in a trap. He was bait in a trap. He’d been nearly unconscious when she’d first arrived. A small kernel of doubt seeped in. Hadn’t he? He’d come alert awfully fast. Had he been faking?
I do not allow strangers to be accosted on my lands without retaliation. In any case, I believe they are using you as bait to draw me to them. It would be nice to know why.
I wanted the answer to that question. That is why I am lying here on the ground looking pathetic with my head bleeding. They did a poor job of weaving magic to tie me to the earth.
How many? And describe them, please. She ignored his high-handed order to leave. She was born into the house of Korolyavolk—the royal wolf. She was royalty, and while she didn’t hold that over the head of her people, no stranger was going to tell her what to do on her own land.
You are one of the very modern women who simply ignores anything her partner wants or needs.
She felt him heave a tremendous sigh. It was there in his mind. She might have found humor in the situation, but there was something else she caught a glimmer of—the smallest of scars, although its thickness gave her pause. That scar shouldn’t have been there in his mind. It wasn’t a barrier. He had those in abundance, hard walls she couldn’t penetrate, nor was she attempting to do so. That thick scar wasn’t actually in his mind; he’d been thinking of it in some conjunction with him. Sorrow had been instantly overwhelming.
She glimpsed startling shades of color, bright visions he tried to suppress or tone down. She got all of that in that one small glimmer that came through on their extraordinarily narrow connection. He was extremely good at keeping the energy from a telepathic connection from spilling into the air around them.
She went back over the words he had used. Ignore anything her partner wants or needs. He had used the word partner, a good thing. Why would he need or want her to leave him in a dire situation? You came with other men? Are you alone, or are they here waiting to help you when this trap is sprung? That had to be the answer. He had his friends secreted close by, and they had the situation well in hand. He was afraid she would tip off his assailants, and they wouldn’t show themselves.
No, I am afraid it is just me that came in this direction. We set out in different directions looking for Dimitri, a friend of ours. He resides here a good portion of the year. We thought it best to find him without calling out. There are vampires in the area. You seem a bit overrun at the moment with enemies.