Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 42969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
“Love…you,” he finally got out. “Always…loved you…Princess.”
“What? You what?” Sylvia swiped at her eyes and looked at him uncertainly.
“Love you,” Kross repeated.
And then the burning pain became too much to bear and everything suddenly went dark.
20
SYLVIE
What did he say? Did he say he loves me?
Sylvie stared uncertainly at the big Kindred. Kross, who had been convulsing with agony a moment ago, appeared to have fainted. Anxiously, she placed two fingers over the pulse point in his neck and was relieved to feel that his heart was still pumping.
Both of them were still drenched to the skin and she shivered as she knelt on the bed, leaning over him. He’d said he loved her. More than that, he said he’d always loved her. Did that mean he’d secretly had feelings for her all this time? Even though they usually fought like cats and dogs, his admission made her heart pound. Could it be true?
But what did it matter even if it was? The two of them were trapped here—trapped all over again and with zero chance of escape this time. And who knew what horrible substance Barbarous had injected Kross with? It was obviously doing something to him, but what she couldn’t tell. The big Kindred looked the same…or did he?
Her heart began to beat faster as she leaned over him. Was his hair changing? Indeed, it seemed to be. His silver hair seemed shaggier somehow and it had acquired a bluish tint.
But wasn’t just her Protector’s hair that was changing color—his body seemed to be getting even bigger and his skin had changed from pearly gray to a deep red. What the Hell was going on?
“Kross?” said softly, patting his cheek. “Are you okay? What’s happening to you?”
“What’s happening is that changes are taking place in his body.” It was Barbarous again, smirking from the screen on the far wall.
Sylvie frowned at him.
“Changes? What changes?”
“Oh, just a few minor tweaks to his DNA. Did you know that one of his ancestors was more beast than humanoid? Quite a savage individual, I imagine. Apparently they were able to change the color of their skin and hair as well as their eyes, as Mr. Kross is able to do. I wanted to bring that trait out in him. I’ve been working with plants for so long—working on a pure animal is a nice change of pace,” Barbarous said.
“You tweaked his DNA?” Sylvie demanded. “What did you do to him?”
“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough, my dear. In fact, right now. Look, I do believe he’s awake.”
The mad scientist’s words made Sylvie turn back to Kross…only to see that his eyes were open.
But they weren’t red or blue or purple or any of the colors she was used to seeing in her surly Protector’s eyes—or rather, they were all of those together. The colors swirled hypnotically, making his irises look almost like kaleidoscopes.
“Kross?” she asked uncertainly. She was beginning to feel uneasy because there was no recognition in those swirling eyes when he looked at her—none at all. There was interest though. He sat up with smooth, cat-like grace and leaned forward to sniff her hair. A low, rumbling growl of interest rose in his throat, sending a shiver down Sylvie’s spine.
“Ah—just as I hoped. He recognizes you as his mate, my dear,” Barbarous said, sounding pleased. “And now that he’s awake, let’s see if those genetic changes I made will translate to his offspring.”
“His offspring? What do you mean by that?” Sylvie demanded. She was keeping one eye on the screen and one on Kross, who wasn’t acting like himself at all.
“Why, I mean that I intend for Mr. Kross to get you pregnant tonight my dear,” Barbarous purred smoothly. “But don’t worry—I’ll make certain you enjoy the process.”
As he finished speaking, Sylvie heard a hissing sound. The hidden vents in the room must have opened because the room filled with billows of white gas, obscuring everything for a moment.
Sylvie clapped a hand over her mouth but, as before, it didn’t help. Soon she was coughing and choking on the cloying cotton candy gas as it seeped its way into her lungs.
A moment later, the gas cleared but she was very much afraid that the damage was done. She had inhaled a good portion of it—what was it going to do to her this time?
Anxiously, she pulled open her shift and looked down at her breasts. Were they getting any bigger? Filling with nectar again? She didn’t think so but she wasn’t quite sure. Maybe they were a little swollen…
But she wasn’t the only one with an interest in her breasts. As soon as she pulled open the top of her shift, Kross leaned down at sniffed at her chest like a curious cat.
“Kross, no!” she exclaimed, trying to move away from him. “What are you doing?”