Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 76282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76282 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“My god. You’re… Wick? Wick, wake up. Chadwick,” Justice boomed, yanking Wick to his feet. Well, um, four strong legs.
He took a step and stumbled, his back legs needing to catch up with how they moved in sync with the front. Wick stood in his new form, looking around, turning his heavy head up to the dark sky. Everything was different and the same. His senses were still advanced, only now they were amplified. He could hear for miles, scent for days, and could see in a new dimension. Creatures scattered away and Wick had a natural urge to chase the sound, but he didn’t. That also meant that Wick was still in control of his mind.
“Mate.”
Wick made an interesting sound, a chuffing snort, and turned to look behind him. Justice had shifted to his wolf and Wick didn’t know if it was to protect himself or if he thought it was the best way for them to communicate. It didn’t matter, Justice had stood by him and he made sure their link was still functioning before he did anything else. Wick still wasn’t sure what he was but Justice wasn’t rebuffed anymore. No, actually, his Beloved looked quite proud.
“Justice.” Wick found he liked their link even more in this form. Justice’s wolf felt like an extension of him. He could feel everything he felt. And right now, Justice was immensely impressed. “What am I?”
“You are a white Siberian Tiger. One of the few remaining and rarely seen.” The Mother’s voice filtered to them on the warm night breeze right before her serene glow appeared. “Justice’s favorite. He was always fascinated with the white tiger when he was a pup. You both ruled together many, many moons ago… now you will again.”
Justice shifted. He stood stark naked in the middle of the woods in front of Mother Nature herself with his enigma of a mate. Who happened to not only be a vampire but a shifter no one had seen before. There were plenty more species in the world but as far as Justice knew, the only shifters were wolves. Justice was trying to put it all together, trying to understand the bigger meaning of it all.
“You look skeptical, dear.”
Justice thought he heard mild amusement in her voice but he failed to see the humor in any of this. Serious times were upon them, Justice could feel it. How was he to properly care for his mate? It would damage his animal, the alpha in him, if his mate was in need. Justice knew she could read his mind. He tried to hone in on the details of her face but she glowed too brightly for him to stare, he could only see her figure.
“I knew the time would come when the two of you were needed again.” She walked – more like glided – further up the mountain and turned to speak to him.
Justice didn’t know when he’d moved closer to the resting tiger, but he found himself stroking the thick tuft of hair on top of his head. It appeared to soothe them booth while his mate continued to make soft purring noises. Justice listened as she explained.
“The Vampire King and the Alpha Zenith were mates in another lifetime. Centuries ago. They brought peace after the first and the last species war. But this time you won’t be fighting each other. You’ll be fighting a common enemy. You’ll need to unite your kinds, and the only way for that to happen is for them to see their leaders united in a bond never imagined. No one can refute the true mate bond. It was meant for a purpose. Your road will not be easy, but I gave you exactly what you need to prevail. You’ll never be stronger than when you’re with your mate, Justice. His beast is here to protect you, nothing more. He is not a new shifting species of vampire. Fate has combined the battle warrior with the bringer of justice. Together you will make things right.”
Justice heard what she was saying and he’d heard the myth of their species mating before, but there was no confirmation of any of it. Until now. Justice heard it from the source herself.
“Wick is very special, Justice. I placed that gift inside of him when he was young. He used to venture into the woods for days at a time, searching for any trace of me. He played and chased my small critters, but he never hurt them or fed from them. He had too much respect to do that. Those animals called to him, they didn’t fear him, and I knew he was the one.”
“He is the one,” Justice whispered. “He brought me my wolves.”
“He came up with that gift on his own.” She sounded so pleased, Justice knew he’d found the validation he’d needed.