Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Why anyone would want to skip that is beyond me. That’s the best part. But I digress…
Casteel’s feelings continue to grow, yet she still seems hesitant, so he asks her to pretend and live in the moment with him. To not worry about the past or the future.
As someone all about roleplay and pretending, that was super sexy to me. But it was also ridiculously sweet.
After gifting Poppy with her retribution for Lord Chaney attacking her and taking the child hostage, he sets off to take care of his princely duties, even though he hates leaving her. Being away from her is getting harder and harder as the days pass. Later, when Poppy has a nightmare, he comforts her and pretends again. But it’s becoming something more than a ruse with him. He can’t seem to stop himself from pleasuring her and loves to watch her shatter beneath his touch.
Continuing their journey to Atlantia, Casteel worries about his people. He plans to wait for the first group from New Haven before continuing on to the Skotos Mountains, but he finds that he’s not only worrying about his people. His protective instincts for Poppy continue to grow—as do his feelings.
When Poppy tells him she’s not his and says she only belongs to herself, he asks her if she’d be willing to give him at least a piece, whatever one she chooses, and tells her that it will be his most prized possession.
Could he be any sweeter?
They eventually discuss their relationship, what they can expect, and what people will expect of them, as well as the changes in Poppy. In passing, Cas mentions her finding someone to love for real after all is said and done, but the way he poses it, it’s really still about them—I wonder if maybe he didn’t even realize it. When Poppy asks him if he’s ever been in love, he confirms that he has, but cuts off any more questions she has by simply saying, “She’s gone.” He doesn’t want to talk about Shea. Who could blame him?
Things are pretty quiet for the next three days until their group comes upon the Dead Bones Clan. Cas gives Poppy a crossbow and shows her how to use it. It’s a sign of trust, plus necessary. When the Clan attacks, their group fights valiantly, but Casteel is injured in the battle, shot with multiple arrows—in his left shoulder, just to the right of the center of his back, one in the back, and another in the stomach. The last gets stuck when he tries to pull it out, but he assures Poppy it’s not serious.
Once settled in Spessa’s End, Casteel rouses with Poppy but wakes up starving. The injuries he sustained took too much out of him, not to mention the blood he gave Poppy to heal. But despite his need for blood, he hungers for her and is done waiting. He scares her a bit at first until she realizes his intentions. Then…he devours her. Until Kieran storms in to stop him, worried about Poppy’s safety—and Cas’s mental state should he accidentally hurt her. Eventually, the Prince comes out of it and apologizes. But he knows he’ll never think of honeydew the same.
Despite needing blood, he hesitates when Poppy offers to feed him. When she insists, he ultimately relents and says he’ll do it, but only under one condition: They can’t be left alone. They invite Kieran to oversee the act, and when he’s fed enough, Casteel lets Kieran leave and offers to ease Poppy’s lustful ache—her glorious reaction to having him feed from her. He tells her how brave and generous he thinks she is. How beautiful. And then brings her to climax with skilled hands while finding release himself—something he says has never happened before like that.
Earnestly, he admits that he’ll always want more when it comes to her and asks to hold her, to pretend once again, even though it hasn’t been a ruse to him in quite some time. He doesn’t think she’ll let him. So, when she does, he tells her that there are no takebacks and pulls her close, reveling in how she melts against him.
My heart is melting again while writing this, just like it did when I saw it.
Casteel proposes a field trip to the real Spessa’s End for Poppy, the one that outsiders don’t get to see, but gives her an ultimatum. He’ll only do it if they keep pretending to be a couple—his ruse to keep her close. They seal the deal with a kiss, and Poppy laughs. It absolutely undoes him.
Her laugh is pretty spectacular.
When a young wolven named Beckett is hurt and Poppy heals him, Casteel witnesses her glowing and wants her so badly it’s nearly unfathomable. Being Cas and never afraid to speak his mind, he tells her—both that she glowed and that he wants to do wicked things to her.