Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Before she can finish the sentence, Sabelle breaks down. Her wracking sobs are like a machete to the chest.
Lucan violated her. Yes, she consented, but in her mind, she endured something horrible and still failed to save him. I sense her bitter defeat.
I don’t want magic in my life. I don’t want to be here at all. But poor Sabelle… The least I can do is comfort the woman who bravely put herself in harm’s path to aid my brother.
Since I don’t know what to say—maybe she doesn’t want me to talk at all—I hold her gently, let her cry, and vow that I’ll never put others through this magical torture. I refuse to have a mate to mourn.
Minutes slide by as Sabelle’s tears flow. I swallow the urge to ask her how we care for Lucan, but now isn’t the time, and he isn’t her responsibility. That burden sits squarely on my shoulders. I have to find Anka and not rely on Sabelle’s sacrifices.
“Never again.” I take her face in my hands and wipe away the tears from her red-rimmed eyes. “Ever. We’ll find another way.”
She sniffles. The heartache in her eyes crushes me. “It’s the only way I know to keep him alive.”
“You did your best, but there must be something—”
“What the fuck is going on here?”
I zip around, shuffling Sabelle behind me, and face the menacing growl at the door. Ice fills the portal, wearing an unpleasant scowl that says he’s about two seconds from ripping off my head.
The big, skull-shaved warrior prowls into the room, his green gaze raking Sabelle as if he’s checking every square inch of her for injuries—and getting more furious by the instant. He looks ready to pound flesh first—probably mine—and ask questions later. He radiates a territorial vibe I can’t miss.
Since compounding our problems would be stupid, I step away from her.
“Explain. What the hell happened?” If patience and politeness are virtues, Ice possesses not an iota of either.
Sabelle raises her chin. “I was caring for Lucan.”
Ice glances between a naked Lucan slumped on the floor, then at Sabelle with her wild hair, hastily donned robe, and the imprint of fingers around her neck.
Fury roars across his face as he whips toward me, looking ready to kill. “Your prick of a brother did this? Did you stand and watch, you motherfucking pervert, while he hurt her?”
Out of nowhere, Ice smashes my jaw with a right cross, then follows with a mean uppercut to the abdomen. I double over and swallow back the urge to vomit. I could fight the warrior in hand-to-hand and, being better trained, could probably win. But I remain still. Why defend my actions when he’s right?
“Were you hoping to have a go at her next?” he seethes into my ear. “I’m going to rip your throats out with my bare hands. Neither you nor your brother will touch her again.”
“Ice!” Sabelle wraps her delicate fingers around his giant biceps to stay him.
To my surprise, the big warrior backs down, despite the fact he’s clearly ready to pulverize any who touch her.
“It was my choice to serve Lucan,” she explains. “I asked Caden to stay…just in case.”
Ice absorbs that information with a clenched jaw and a homicidal mien. “He hurt you. I won’t allow that.”
“I don’t need your approval. Lucan is not in his right mind, and he’s my friend.” She turns to me as I rub my assaulted jaw. “Go. I need to gather myself and clean up before I face my brother.”
The witch swallows. For the first time, she looks genuinely nervous.
I can’t leave her to face her brother’s wrath alone.
I grab her hand. “Thank you for your effort. On behalf of my brother, I’m sorry for…what he put you through. I’ll talk to Bram and—”
Ice shoulders his way between us and shoves me back. “Do not touch her. Ever. Again. Are we fucking clear?”
Whoa. He’s as volatile as a wizard in the throes of fresh mating fever.
Wait.
I glance between them. They’re not mated, but I suspect Ice would like to be. And Sabelle… Is she blushing?
Yeah. No, not getting in the middle of that.
“Quite.” I step away.
As if Ice’s possessiveness is completely normal, Sabelle pastes on a chipper smile. “I’ll talk to my brother. Tell him I’ll be down shortly, will you?”
I’ve been dismissed.
Still, with Ice in this mood, do I dare leave her alone with the head case? “You all right here?”
“Of course.” Her fake smile widens.
“Get the fuck out,” Ice snarls. “From now on, I will protect her.”
I’ll bet Bram has plenty to say about that…
I send one last glance at Sabelle, who nods. If she wants to be alone with the crazy bastard, I can’t get in her way.
With a sigh, I head for the door. At the threshold, I glance back to see Sabelle send Ice a fiery glare. Neither says a word, but I have a feeling that the possessive male is about to get a serious dressing down. My guess? Sabelle intends to put distance between her and Ice for reasons I can only speculate about. My other guess? Ice isn’t about to let that stop him.