Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
He didn’t like hiding in solid objects—he could do it, but his vision was somewhat obstructed and he could feel the molecules of whatever he was in vibrating hard, wanting to get rid of him. Still, he had spent most of his afternoon and evening doing exactly that, since it was the only way he could find out what was happening with the intriguing little Elite.
As far as he could tell, she seemed to be in fear because some kind of demonic force was pursuing her. Wraith knew a thing or two about Dark Forces—he had tangled with them before, greatly to his detriment. So he could understand her fear.
He could also see the fiery runes the Dark Entity had placed on her forehead—they burned and glowed and were extremely obvious when she had her hair pulled out of the way. But he hadn’t gotten a chance to get a really good look at them and he wanted to—he felt like maybe there was more to the curse than even her Aunt Luna knew.
Wraith had decided to wait until she went to sleep to see if he could get a better look at them. He didn’t watch her while she was naked or bathing—he was an honorable male and it would have been wrong to spy on her when she was in such a vulnerable position. But he did hang around her suite—hidden in this wall or that—and watched as she explored it. He liked to hear her little murmurs of surprise or pleasure, such as when she sat on the mattress and exclaimed to herself,
“Oh! So soft!” as though she wasn’t used to such luxury.
He had also watched her trying some of the Kindred food. She had put a meal cube into the rehydrator and made herself a serving of k’achik-ston—a meat dish with a fiery hot sauce most frequently served on the Beast Kindred home world of Rageron.
Wraith had watched her taste it and then make a face and run to the cold unit to get something to drink to ease the burning in her mouth. He wished he could come out and explain that she needed to pour the pale yellow ping-sha sauce over the meal to neutralize some of the heat. But he was afraid that she would get upset if he suddenly appeared in her food prep unit and started instructing her on how to eat Kindred cuisine, so he remained hidden.
She had put the rest of the meal back into the cold unit—clearly she didn’t like to waste food but she didn’t feel up to eating any more of it. Wraith wished again that he could talk to her—that he could recommend a meal cube that she might enjoy. She needed to eat, after all, or she would lose her luscious curves and she wouldn’t be an Elite anymore, which would be a damn shame.
But again, he couldn’t say anything or let himself be seen, so he just watched her.
This wasn’t the first time he’d watched a beautiful woman—when he had first died, he had been obsessed with watching the female that he loved—Mara, the one he had hoped to Bond with. He had wanted so badly to comfort her as she grieved for him, but she had been unable to see or hear him. Eventually she had moved away from the Mother Ship, going back to the Blood Kindred home world, Tranq Prime, where he had first met her.
Wraith had picked up from various conversations that she had Joined with another male and had several children. At first he had felt angry and betrayed, but after a time reason prevailed. After all, he wanted her to be happy and since he was unable to provide for her and protect her, he was glad that she’d found another male who could.
He had missed Mara terribly at first, but now over fifty solar cycles had passed since he had heard anyone mention her and he assumed she was dead. She must have passed into the afterlife, however, since he had never seen her. Or else, if she had gotten stuck like he was, she might be still on Tranq Prime, which was presumably the place of her death.
After Mara had moved out of his life—or death, he supposed—Wraith had never taken much interest in any other female. With very few exceptions, Kindred are monogamous—once a warrior gives his heart to a partner, no one else catches his eye or holds his attention.
But Wraith found himself intrigued by Hanna—more than intrigued actually. He couldn’t seem to stop watching her. So as soon as she finally fell asleep, he came out from the extremely uncomfortable wall he’d been hiding in and drifted over to her bedside.
She was lying on her side with her knees pulled up and her arms folded, her hands tucked under her chin. It was a strangely vulnerable, childlike posture and he couldn’t help thinking how beautiful she was and wishing that he could protect her from whatever it was that she feared.