Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 139076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 695(@200wpm)___ 556(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Fox chewed on his bottom lip, his stomach coiling into tighter and tighter knots. He couldn’t believe he was about to say this, but Winter had said he’d do anything to protect his family. This would be included in that anything.
“I know a witch. Another one,” he admitted softly.
“Really? I thought you didn’t. Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Winter demanded.
“Because the last time I saw her, she tried to kill me. I barely got out with my heart still attached to the rest of my body,” Fox shot back. He stopped and took a calming breath. There was no point in getting irritated with Winter. He was more angry at himself for being weak and scared of the old bitch. “She didn’t like me all those years ago, and I can’t imagine anything has changed her opinion since then.”
“Do you think she’ll help us?” Marcus asked.
“Honestly? No. But seeing as we have no other options at this point, we might as well try. I’ll need a little time to locate her. She was in Washington when I knew her, but she’s like the rest of them. Moves around when she gets the itch.”
Marcus nodded. “I’ll leave you and Winter to it. Just keep us updated. If you need anything…”
“I’ll call you,” Winter finished.
Fox remained sitting with his head in his hands as Winter walked Ethan and Marcus over to the door. A hand briefly touched Fox’s shoulder and he looked up expecting to see Ethan’s smiling face, but he was surprised to find Marcus’s worried blue eyes watching him closely. The vampire squeezed his shoulder wordlessly and continued to the door.
He didn’t know what to make of the moment, and truthfully, his brain and heart hurt too much to mull it all over.
Maybe he and Winter had been moving too fast. They’d known each other for two weeks, and they were already talking about moving in together. It was all insane and ridiculous. No one fell for another person that fast.
It didn’t matter that Winter made him feel so happy and free when they were together.
That they laughed constantly.
That they shared the same interests.
That they could talk about anything.
That they felt completely safe with each other.
Except Fox’s heart was breaking into a million pieces, and he didn’t know how he was going to ever put it back together again. Every piece he picked up had Winter’s name on it, and it might be time to throw those pieces out.
Chapter 23
Winter sat in his office, watching Fox retreat up to his room under the excuse of wanting to take a shower. Marcus and Ethan had left an hour earlier, and Fox had spent that time searching for a witch by the name of Cheryl Watkins. It was by sheer luck that she was living close in Massachusetts. Just a few hours’ drive away.
Their plan was to drive to her place and hope she could shed some light on this prophecy. While they had the wording, proving that Fox was linked to it, they needed clarification on whether Fox’s magic could be a threat and what was meant by “disarm the Variks.”
But even with a new plan of action in hand, the mood remained somber. Winter loved his brother, but he wished to God the man hadn’t stopped by. He and Fox had been happy in their little bubble away from the world. It had been a taste of heaven, and now Winter didn’t want to go back to normal life.
Just the idea made his stomach turn and his heart ache.
Life before Fox had been bleak with little sparks of happiness here and there when he was with his brothers. It had been balancing protecting Julianna from herself, protecting his brothers from her, and protecting all of his family from other vampires. The job had no end in sight.
And then there were the ghosts. Bitching and moaning and constantly cluttering up his life. They floated through, wanting something, searching for something, or just angry they were dead. And Winter could do nothing about it.
But with Fox, it felt like all of that went away. For just a little while, he could simply be, and it was glorious.
Even if he was dealing with other vampires and fighting against them, he had Fox right there at his side. The burden didn’t feel so great.
Talking to Marcus, though, had left Winter feeling torn. He felt guilty for what happened to Blush. For so many years, he’d overseen the protection of his family. It was his job. It was what he was good at. Marcus dealt with the Ministry and other clans. Bel was their scientist and Rafe, for all his troublemaking, was sort of their goodwill ambassador. If a vampire didn’t start a quarrel with the Variks, then Rafe made sure he or she had fun at his club.