Series: Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
“Come with me dear.” I almost shove against the small woman leading me away. But then I see her pale blue eyes pleading with me. Screams carry through the room. Yelling and shouting; several healers run into the room. I cry into Mrs. Sarah’s arms as she walks me back to Drago’s bedchambers.
I can hear them trying to save her, shouting at one another, but it all turns to white noise. How can you save someone who’s already gone?
With my heart unable to stop racing, I pace the front of the door holding onto my crossed arms. I’m fucking freezing. I swallow the lump growing in my throat. At least I’m alive. Tears leak out of the corners of my eyes. I can’t close them, when I do, I see her.
“She’ll be all right dear.” I stare at Mrs. Sarah, who has made herself at home in the bedroom, with disbelief and even a sense of betrayal. They killed her.
“How can you say that?” I’m barely able to speak with my throat being so dry and closed.
She stops rocking and looks at me with the sincerest eyes. “Because I know she’ll be alright. Did you see her? Really see her?”
“Yes!” I scream and then regret yelling. My hands fist in my hair. “I can’t stop seeing her.”
“She was frozen, dear. Galen merely froze her. She’ll be all right.” I look back at her with wide eyes and then shake my head in disbelief.
“No she was bleeding.”
“He froze her, dear. She can still be injured,” she explains. “I’m sure he froze her before they left. To keep her quiet maybe? I’m not sure why. But she was only frozen not dead. It may seem as though she has lost her life, but I assure you my dear, Drago will walk through those doors any minute now and confirm what I’m telling you.”
“Then why were they screaming?” I ask.
Her eyes narrow at me as if it’s obvious. “She was hurt.” The sound of the door opening startles me; I jump away from it and then see Drago and I run straight into his chest, wrapping my arms around him.
“There, there, treasure. Everything’s all right.”
I pull away from him and search his face for the truth. In a whisper, I ask, “Is she dead?”
“She’s alive. I’m sorry you had to see that. She’s all right now. Cyrus has healed her cut. I’m not sure he’ll ever forgive himself, but Taryn will be just fine.”
“Taryn?”
He gives me a tight smile and then leaves me to walk to the bathroom as he says under his breath, “Yes Taryn.”
Mrs. Sarah takes that as her cue to get the hell out and I don’t blame her. Drago runs his hands through his hair.
“What happened?” I question as Mrs. Sarah closes the door behind me and I slowly make my way to Drago. He’s hunched over the sink, the faucet running. His eyes shine with so much emotion it’s hard to know what he’s thinking.
“Drago,” I repeat, daring to get closer to him. “What happened?”
Tilting his head, he looks back at me and heaves in a deep breath as if he doesn’t want to tell me. He runs a hand down his face before he speaks. “When they got there, they found Taryn and Isabella together and decided to take them both because they were both in heat.”
“In heat?” I question and a new fear slows my pulse.
“Yes.”
“Like I was?” I ask him and once again pull my arms over my chest.
“Yes,” he answers and then stands up straighter.
“My brothers offered me the chance to court them, and I swear I said no, treasure. I told them you were my mate.” He shakes his head, his eyes closed and his hands on his temples. “I actually punched Galen in the jaw for asking me. He knows I chose you as my mate and he had the fucking balls to question it.”
Relief is instant as my heart swells.
“You told them I’m your mate?” I ask him although I know that’s exactly what he just said.
“Yes,” he answers me, and I can’t help the smile that breaks across my face.
“So even though I can’t give you dragonlings, you still want me?”
“Of course.” He smiles the sexiest grin I’ve ever seen as he walks toward me and wraps his arms around my waist. “I told you I love you.”
I look up at him to ask, “Is she really okay?”
“Health wise they’re fine.” He swallows down whatever else he was going to say, and I can only imagine. His brothers kidnapped them. Injured them. And now they’re locked away in a strange castle by magical beasts.
“Before you say anything, I want you to stay out of it,” Drago tells me, and my eyes drop to the floor and then come back to his.