Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 78879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
I didn’t know if those were questions that could ever be answered, but it didn’t matter regardless. I had one focus and one goal, and that was to get to Luca.
I had to end the violence. It was time I was the one who became alpha.
And that was at the forefront of my mind as I burst through the tree line and onto the manicured property, immediately seeing Luca and Adryan in a brutal fight. I smelled blood. It was so thick in the air I tasted it on my tongue in a coppery layer.
Luca was shifted into his ginormous beast, but even though he outweighed Adryan, even if his body was proportionately fearsome compared to my uncle, Adryan was just as equally powerful.
Before I could lunge for them, Adryan slammed his fist into Luca’s side, sending my mate flying backward, his massive body connecting with a thick tree, the trunk splintering nearly in half from the impact.
Adryan was in front of him instantly, his incredible vampire speed nothing more than a blur. He hauled Luca up by the throat, my mate’s huge body clearly dazed and weak after the impact. I could see he was struggling to regain his composure, and the impact had rattled him.
A fierce roar ripped from my wolf’s throat, and I charged forward. I was aware of my size in comparison to both males. Whereas Luca was the size of a damn Clydesdale, my wolf was petite, more the size of a pup than a “normal sized” wolf. I looked like a toy compared to both males.
I wasn’t thinking and just let my wolf take control and move on instinct. Before I knew what was happening, I was launching myself at Adryan’s back, the force of me hitting his big body surprising him so much that he let go of Luca and stumbled to the side.
My animal cried out at the sight of Luca lying far too still on the ground. I also noticed the wound in his chest, realizing the position of the two males had blocked my sight. Adryan had been trying to tear out Luca’s heart.
I snarled and swung my head toward my uncle, not seeing a hint of fear in his face. He just watched me with this curiosity. And then his eyes widened marginally, his nostrils flaring as he realized it was me.
I growled again when I heard Luca start to rouse, pissed that Adryan had hurt him. It was strange feeling so much anger. I’d always been timid, soft-spoken Ainslee. But now that Luca was in my life, the very thought of him hurt had every protective instinct in me rising.
If I had to kill Adryan to make sure Luca was safe... so be it.
“Well I’ll be damned,” Adryan said and started chuckling.
That pissed me off more, and I took a step toward him. He lifted an eyebrow, and a grin formed across his lips.
“Look at you,” he murmured with almost... pride in his voice, his eyes glowing that supernatural coloring that all vampires exhibited when their emotions ran high. “Finding yourself and shifting for the first time.” He glanced over at Luca.
I could hear my mate rising and shaking off his confusion and pain, sensing his strength flowing back into him. He moved toward me, and I scented him before I actually saw him. My wolf felt warm and safe at the fact that her wolfen half was beside her.
And my human side felt the most powerful and intense love for this male. My male. Luca stilled beside me, and I tipped my head up to look into my mate’s face, seeing him through my animal’s eyes for the first time. He’d been beautiful in his beastly form before, but seeing him now, so big and powerful, his eyes glowing, had a low sound of need leaving me.
He lowered his head and gently butted it up against me, nuzzling me in the process, but only for a second, because then he was straightening and moving in front of me. He took on a very protective stance, using his body as a shield.
Although I felt strong in my own right, I didn’t want to try to push dominance when it would only divert Luca’s attention and make him worry. Besides, I didn’t want to kill my uncle if it could be helped—as if I had that kind of power anyway. And I wasn’t so foolish to think I had a chance of even overpowering him, let alone Kane and Sebastian… who, as if drawn by my thoughts, stepped out from the trees and made their presence known.
They didn’t move any farther than the tree line, but their presence was just as ominous as Adryan’s.
My uncle chuckled, and I felt myself bristle.
“Can’t say I’m surprised you finally shifted, little Ainslee.”
I was curious on what he meant.