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)
No one said anything, but the tension ratcheted up even higher.
“I know this is hard and confusing,” my father said. “But it’s for the best, lass.”
“I need to talk to him.” I had my hands curled around the edge of the seat, my nails digging into the leather. I pleaded to my father.
“Absolutely fooking no’,” he said in a nearly uncontrolled voice.
“Da,” I croaked out. “H—He’s my mate. It’s not right keeping me from him.” I looked at my mother, then my two brothers sitting in the back with us. “This isn’t right,” I cried out. There was this uncontrollable need to go to him, as if my soul recognized his. My body knew I belonged to him as he belonged to me.
My Lycan and vampire genetics may’ve been weaker because of the interspecies mixture, but I knew my mate. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. And I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to get to know him.
Because in that moment, I felt like I’d left my future back with that Lycan.
5
Luca
It all happened in slow motion. She was all but ripped away from me, those fucking males taking my mate, protecting her like she had anything to fear from me.
She was the safest creature in this room... in this world. I’d rip my own heart out and give it to her in offering before I hurt a hair on her head.
But anyone standing in the way of me getting to her? They’d get my full wrath.
I was very aware of others coming closer, their unease over me cloaking the room. They could sense how unstable I was at this moment, and I’d think they’d be smarter than to approach me.
They’d soon find out how wrong that move truly was.
I felt all of the Otherworld males moving in even closer, making this barricade around me.
I didn’t want to take my gaze from my mate, but these fuckers needed to fully understand what they were up against.
I swung my head back and forth, eyeing every single male that thought they could restrain me. Vampires, Lycans, demons, warlocks, even a few other shifters were banding together.
They were strong.
I was stronger.
The commotion in Ren’s banquet hall was deafening, but my need and purpose to get to her was even louder. Stronger.
And then her scent was gone, lingering before fading. They’d gotten her away from me by diverting some of my attention.
I growled low, the sound growing in intensity the longer I did it.
Ren stepped into my line of vision, and I narrowed my eyes, shaking my head slowly, a silent warning before baring my teeth when he didn’t heed my aggression.
“Step away, brother.” I wasn’t even quite sure he fully heard me, understood me through the distorted timbre of my Lycan voice.
“This isn’t the time nor place, Luca,” Ren said low.
I tipped my head back and scented the air as I kept my focus on my brother. My mate was no longer in the estate, and it seemed he took his female out as well.
“Afraid of me?” I hissed, my eyes glowing so brightly right now it cast a sheen of light over Ren.
“All the females have been taken out. It’s just to make sure things stay controlled.”
I bared my teeth and looked around again. Only the males were left in the room, all of them surrounding me, as if they feared I was so unstable I’d ever hurt a female.
I heard the hiss come from a male vampire right before he lunged at me. I reached out and curled my fingers around his throat, knowing I could’ve crushed his larynx in that moment. His species was strong, but right now, no one was as powerful as I was.
I gathered my control and brought his face close to mine, baring my canines, letting him see exactly who and what he was going up against. I had to give him credit. He didn’t cower. I tossed him aside just as the rest of the Otherworld males came at me like gnats, easily swatted away.
Nothing on this planet would keep me from my goal.
“Luca!” Ren shouted loud enough the room seemed to still, his voice reverberating in the large room.
It seemed the other commotion stopped until all I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears, the air moving in and out of my lungs. I was facing the exit of the banquet hall and cut a look over my shoulder at my brother. I curled my lip, pissed that he thought to detain me. The longer I was here dealing with this shit, the farther away my mate was being taken from me.
“You need to calm down, Luca,” he said evenly and low, his voice controlled. “You need to think about this. You’ll frighten her, possibly hurt her.”
I snapped my fangs at what he just said. He crossed a fucking line, brother or not. I’d go fist-to-fist with him. Wolf-to-wolf.