Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“We’ve only just met.”
“Nonetheless, I offer you refuge from a king who oppressed you and sanctuary from a husband who treated you like material goods.”
“And what will we do?”
“Make love during the day and at night we’ll help more people escape the king,” he said with clear certainty.
“It sounds like fun.” I smiled. “But in the end, I should stay in Zumaya. Regardless if Ethan moves on or not, I have my daughters to think about.”
Xander didn’t reply as he leaned away from me and moved his hands.
An uncomfortable silence hung between us.
I wondered what he was thinking about. My stomach churned with guilt and regret. So many questions spun around in my head.
Why did I have sex with Xander? Did I hurt his feelings?
I blew out air as Zumaya materialized miles ahead of us.
What about my loyalty to Ethan? I’ll have to tell him. And I absolutely can’t see Xander again.
A dark grumbling sound boomed behind me.
“Our minds are connected,” Xander snarled. “We will see each other again. There won’t be any escaping me.”
“Stop reading my thoughts!”
“Make me.” His voice sounded low with a deadly edge. He gripped my waist hard.
“Well, at least you’re being mature. You talk about men oppressing me and how you’ll save me and then turn right around and try to own me yourself.” I wiped the sweat away from my face as the distance between us and Zumaya shortened. “We. . .made love. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. . .so great and mind-blowing, but. . .I have a family and in the end you don’t really love me.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that I could love you.” Xander’s hand strayed from my hips to my thighs. “Be selfish for once. Stop putting everyone else before yourself.”
“I did that by having sex with you.”
The two moons shone down on my town of Zumaya. The iron gates gleamed in the moonlight. A few lit lanterns had been carefully positioned at the top corners of the gates. Other than that, darkness draped the town.
The air was pungent and cloyingly sweet with the scent of Zumaya mushrooms.
“Your husband sold you to a vampire king to breed.” Xander chuckled. “Surely your husband won’t mind you having sex with me in the future.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not funny. And I volunteered. Ethan didn’t sell me. In fact, he didn’t want me to leave.”
Xander snorted. “How long did you both argue about it?”
I pursed my lips.
There hadn’t been any fighting on the matter. When I stood up and demanded I take the young girls’ place, Ethan had understood. We’d already lost both our parents to the food shortage.
We’d combined all of the residents’ supplies together and rationed out most of the food to the town’s children and nursing mothers.
All others suffered with small portions. Our elders weakened, unable to cope with the lack of nutrition and care they so desperately needed. We had no medical supplies or energy to attend to anyone.
And as if things couldn’t have become any worse, death appeared as an unwelcome companion, claiming the lives of both the old and young. Countless days Ethan and I carried lifeless bodies of our loved ones out of their homes.
We dug a seemingly endless line of graves, each filled with the fresh scent of death and despair.
Fear settled like a shadow over our broken town.
With the arrival of the king’s guards, a glimmer of hope sparked amidst the darkness.
I still would have fought for you to stay, Xander proclaimed after probably seeing those suffering years in my mind.
Then, he spoke out loud, “I’m still not sure if I’ll let you stay in Zumaya.”
My body stiffened. “As you please, prince. But mark my words. I’m starting to be pretty good at escaping vampires.”
He grunted and then let out a dark laugh.
We entered Zumaya’s gates.
“No guards?” he asked in shock.
“Zumaya is a peaceful town. We’ve never had any need to protect the gates.”
He shifted. “Well Zumaya will need protection if you choose to remain here and the king discovers your absence. This town won’t be peaceful anymore.”
My heart raced as I thought of the impending danger.
I’d considered that. I maybe had a month before the king was due to sleep in my bed, then he would realize I was missing and send people to search the city for me.
What will happen after that?
“Once he doesn’t find you in the Capitol City, there will be guards delivered to Zumaya to sniff you out.” Xander moved his hands from my legs. “Whether you reunite with your family or not, you can’t stay here.”
“And if the guards don’t find me in Zumaya, what will happen to my people?” I asked, finally seeing the full picture.
Am I endangering everyone?
“If a runaway’s scent isn’t in the town, I’ve found that no harm comes to the people. The Quiet King would see them as innocent in your disappearance.”