Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Laura fell to her knees. "Callum, oh God, sweetheart, come here."
The boy ran to his mother while Gaël ran towards the girl.
Even without her turning around, and her scent masked, he already knew, oh God, he already knew it was her—-
Juliette.
Gaël roared for help as she fell into his arms, and her head lolled back.
"E-Etienne...what Etienne said was true."
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
"I thought I was b-being p-paranoid—-"
No, God, no.
He couldn't even understand how she was able to choke the words out, with her throat torn open and bleeding.
"But I w-wasn't—-"
His brothers came, and Gaël looked up at Jean Luc, his face ashen. "I have to do it."
"It's been w-watching me all these years..." Juliette's eyes had closed, and she was mumbling as if she was in a dream.
"I was its obsession..."
Gaël's oldest brother ripped his wrist open with his fangs and held it to Gaël. "Drink, brother."
And the process for turning Juliette into Caro began.
Change him.
Oh God, no.
Juliette woke up in the hospital, and she knew right away that Gaël had saved her from the jaws of death...by turning her.
Her blood was alive the way it never was before, and she hungered like she never had before.
She was now Caro like him, and in accordance with the laws of his race, which was now hers as well, there were only two ways for the old bloods to formally accept her turning.
She could either marry the Caro that turned her...or sign away the rest of her life as his servant. If she chose neither, then it automatically meant her death.
The door to her room opened, and Juliette's heart ached upon seeing a disheveled and strained-looking Gaël enter.
Juliette knew what she wanted, but she also knew what she must do.
Gaël's steps slowed into a halt at the haunted look on his ward's face.
She knew.
He could see it in her eyes.
She knew that he had saved her.
Knew that she was now Caro like him.
And most of all, she knew that her turning had a price—-
"I know what the rules are," his ward choked out, "and I choose to be your servant."
Gaël whitened at her words. "I see." His chest felt so damn empty, and he wondered if it was because he would never get his heart back from his ward. He considered challenging her words and even considered forcing Juliette to change her mind. But in the end, he did neither. He loved her, after all, and that meant all he wanted was for her to be happy.
"If that's what you truly wish..."
Juliette bit her lip hard. There was nothing she wanted more than to be his bride, but she couldn't be so selfish. She loved him, after all, and that meant all she wanted was for him to be happy.
"I just want to do the right thing," she said jerkily.
"Then so be it."
Juliette watched him turn away, and it still hurt to see him leave her like this. She didn't want to cry, but the tears started to fall as soon as her guardian stepped out of the room.
The rest of the family looked at Gaël as soon as he came out, and he heard himself mutter something barely coherent. They seemed to understand him anyway, and in moments, he was all alone in the hallway as his family entered Juliette's room en masse.
Gaël wondered numbly how and where everything had become so fucking wrong between them. Was it really that impossible for Juliette to marry him...that she would rather be his servant for the rest of her life?
"Gaël?"
His head jerked up at the sound of his ex-wife's voice.
"How is she?" Laura asked shakily.
Gaël waited for the hatred to come back, but with everything that had happened, he realized all of a sudden that life was just too damn short to waste on pointless emotions like anger and vengeance.
And as his bitterness faded, it was then he saw what he had failed to realize before.
Laura was hurting, too, and the knowledge made him feel even wearier.
"How is your son?" he asked finally.
Laura's eyes glistened with tears. "He's your son, too."
Gaël could only stare at her. What the fuck did she just say?
"I woke up in pain that night," Laura said brokenly, "and I was all alone in the house. All of you were gone. So I knew I had to go on my own. Drive myself to the hospital. But it was raining so hard, and even now, I still have no idea what happened. I can't remember clearly. All I know is that when I woke up, my baby was gone."
Gaël realized where this was all going, and agonizing regret tore him apart. "Oh God, Laura. I'm sorry."
"I needed you to comfort me that night," Laura revealed with a sob, "but instead the man I loved believed I had killed our own daughter. You thought I was so shallow, I'd risk my child's life by d-driving in the rain to party!"