Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Changing to his Lyccan form, he loped through the forest, his preternatural speed turning him into a blur. He spotted them a few meters away from where Calys was and clawed his way to the top of a tree. And then he watched and waited.
They were young and inexperienced vampires, their powers fed by bloodlust but not much else. It took them a full minute to realize they were not alone, but by then it was too late.
Alejandro Moretti had already learned what he needed to know. It took bare seconds to decimate their numbers. Blood streaked his thick white fur as he slashed their throats with his claws. The air around him began carrying the stench of death, and soon it would reach Calys and the others. It was Alejandro’s warning to whoever was snitching on them.
He would be found, sooner or later, and when he was, he would know what would be the end of him.
Alejandro left one alive for him to interrogate. The vampire was on the ground, trying to crawl away from him.
Shifting to human form, he landed one light kick on the vampire’s side, enough to have his body flip on the ground and the bloodied creature looking up at him.
Damn.
This was no vampire.
It was a shifter, a hyena, and one of the men he and Calys had fought when they were at The Den.
“Who sent you here?” he demanded. “Answer me truthfully, and I may not kill you.”
“A scarred man,” the hyena choked. “Not shifter, not vampire. Something different. But not human. Sometimes, he smells...like he’s decaying...from inside.”
Chapter Four
CALYS
Alejandro arrived on our second night in camp. It had been raining most of the day, forcing us to seek shelter inside nearby caves. Rain didn’t make for good and safe travel. It had the power to wash away both sound and smell, making us blind to incoming attacks. The delay had Pasquale throwing a prissy fit, and the fact that we would need to considerably slow our pace because of having Juriaan – a human – among us only worsened his mood.
“Good evening, princess,” Alejandro murmured as he took a seat between me and Juriaan, forcing the ranger to move away. I scowled up at Alejandro but he only responded with a lazy smile, one that made my heart beat just a little bit faster.
Looking around, he asked, “Everyone’s outside?”
I nodded. It had been so since it started raining. Apparently, if their prince was sulking, everyone had to sulk, too.
“Welcome back,” Juriaan said politely to Alejandro. “Were you able to do what you were supposed to do?” There was something about his tone that made my head snap towards Juriaan, but his face only showed mild curiosity.
“Yes. And then some.” Alejandro, meanwhile, appeared extremely satisfied.
I was instantly jealous. I knew I had no right to, but I was and I wondered if it was deliberate on Alejandro’s part.
“I was just telling Calys about the recent onslaught of visitors coming from the Bay,” Juriaan was saying. “All of them, apparently, have been personally invited by her cousin Raoul.”
Alejandro frowned. “Is that normal, princess?”
I shook my head, Juriaan’s words making me worry. What if all those supposed guests were actually Raoul’s allies – people who were willing to do whatever it took to usurp my father’s throne?
“Princess?”
I looked up, realizing belatedly that Alejandro had come to his feet and was gazing at me questioningly.
“I was asking if we could speak privately for a moment. Stefano has sent word.”
If that was so, then it must be about Anastasia. “Of course,” I mumbled, trying not to let my alarm show even as I scrambled to get up. It was an unspoken rule in our pack not to talk about Anastasia or do anything that would remind the world of her existence. Only the gravest danger would have made Stefano break the rule.
“Juriaan’s helped me set up a tent inside here,” I told Alejandro absently as I led him further inside the cave.
“And did he watch you over your sleep?” Alejandro asked silkily.
I turned around to scowl at him. “No. I don’t need anyone watching over.” Looking at him, I realized Alejandro appeared tense.
“And Pasquale?”
I rolled my eyes. “As you can see, he’s mad at me and has been pretty much since you left.” When we reached my tent, I said, “We can talk privately here.”
Alejandro pulled the flap open and stepped aside. Bending down, I entered the tent first and Alejandro followed behind me. Seating myself on the sleeping bag, I watched Alejandro zip the door and windows shut. It made me more nervous and I demanded, “Could you please tell me what Stefano said?”
He turned around. “Nothing.”
I gaped. “What do you mean nothing?”
“I lied.” A second later he had me on my back and his body was on top of me, one knee nudging my legs to part open.