Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46379 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
He reaches out and catches my chin lightly. “You know if you did end up pregnant, I’d simply whisk you away to somewhere you father can never find you.”
That’s vaguely comforting as a plan of last resort, but that doesn’t create a fix for all our problems right now. “What about Malachi?”
“When you have forever, it gives you time to figure out alternative solutions.” He shrugs. “Most likely, once I secure you, I’ll snatch up some human and haul them back here to break the blood ward and free Malachi.”
“Let’s just shelve the idea of murder for time being” I hesitate. “And maybe get condoms, too? If you want to keep fucking?”
His grin is quick and wicked. “Oh, love, we are definitely going to keep fucking.” He kisses me, and then he’s gone, moving so fast my hair lifts in the breeze of his passing.
I exhale slowly. There’s nothing to do but wait now. I know I should eat, but my stomach is tied up in knots. I’ll just grab something and take it back to my room. Barricading myself in sounds like a good plan right about now. I know it’s more emotional comfort than actually a deterrent for a murderous vampire, but it’s better than nothing.
I feel the cold as I shut off the burner. It’s the only indication I’m not alone. The desire to curl into a ball is so strong, I almost lose it. Gods, I thought Wolf was scary. He’s nothing on this new vampire. I turn slowly and find Rylan standing in the doorway, watching me with those icy blue eyes. A quick glance over his shoulder confirms we’re alone.
Great.
“Malachi seems to think you’re something special.” His tone conveys his doubt of that pretty damn clearly. Rylan steps into the room with exaggerated slowness. “You sent Wolf away. I’m surprised he listens to you.”
“I’ve known Wolf a grand total of twenty-four hours and even I know he does what he wants, when he wants.”
He raises a single eyebrow. “You don’t know him. You don’t know Malachi. You sure as fuck don’t know me.”
If he lifted his leg and peed to mark his territory, I wouldn’t be surprised at this point. Fear is still threatening to clog my throat, but anger rises in steady waves, battling the chill I feel just from standing in the same room as this vampire. I narrow my eyes. “How long have you been harboring a sad, unrequited love for Malachi? Centuries? It’s got to sting he’s shacking up with a dhampir now.”
He flinches, the tiniest of movements, one I would have missed if not for my dhampir senses. When Rylan speaks, it’s with a dry tone which raises the small hairs on the back of my neck. “You’re bold.”
“I was doomed the second I was born.” I force myself to shrug, as if the painful truth of the sentence means nothing. “If not you, then someone else. The fact I’ve made it this long is, frankly, surprising. My father hates me.”
“A likely story.”
Anger is quickly surpassing fear. I glare. “Yes, you’re right. Fathers who love their daughters definitely ship them off to Gothic mansions haunted by famished vampires to be a resident blood bank and womb. Totally.”
I blink and he’s in front of me. Holy shit, he’s fast. I didn’t even see him move. This close, it’s strange to discover he’s only a few inches taller than me. His suit shows off a great body, but he’s not nearly as huge as his presence makes him seem.
Rylan’s hand whips out and closes around my throat. “I don’t care about your sad little life. I care about Malachi, and I care about Wolf.”
“Quite the exhaustive list.” Gods, why can’t I stop talking back? It’s like rage has hijacked what little verbal brakes I had. “Should I be impressed?”
He stares at me with something akin to surprise. “Do you want to die?”
“Not particularly.”
His dark brows pull together in a frown. “Why are you baiting me?”
“I don’t like you.” When he keeps frowning at me like I’m a disgusting, but vaguely interesting, insect, I snarl. “Either rip out my throat or get the fuck off me.”
“Malachi says you taste different.” He’s not talking to me. He almost sounds like he’s thinking aloud, musing to himself. “But he’s young. There’s so much he doesn’t know. I suppose there’s one way to find out.”
Comprehension dawns. “No. Don’t you dare.”
It’s too late. Rylan shifts his hand from my throat to my hair and wrenches my head to the side. I jerk back, but the counter is in my way, and even if it wasn’t, he’s too strong. They’re always too goddamn strong. He bites me, sinking his teeth into my throat. He tenses against me. “What are you?”
I don’t get a chance to answer before he bites me again. His free hand lands on the counter next to my hip and he presses his entire body to mine. Instant pleasure hits me in a wave. I grit my teeth, trying to fight it. I don’t want it from him. I refuse to orgasm as a result of this asshole’s bite, bloodline vampire or no.