Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
There was no way in hell I was going to bite Grace.
Taste, my instincts demanded. Whiny bastard.
“You know, we have these things called peelers now, to prevent that from happening,” Lyric said from across the kitchen island, pure concern in her eyes as she reached for a muffin.
My eyebrows rose and my brothers around me stilled. Even Saint stiffened.
“Love,” Alek said softly, wrapping his arms around his mate from behind. “It’s considered an insult to a warrior to even imply he should give up his dagger.”
Lyric’s eyes widened. “Oh. I didn’t mean to suggest…” She shook her head. “It’s just that we have all these modern tools now and—” She slammed her eyes shut. “I’m not helping, am I?”
“No,” Alek replied, smothering his laugh in her neck.
Lyric met my gaze. “Please accept my apology.”
I nodded and let my smile slip. “No apology needed, my queen.”
“You’ve never lectured me when I handed you a peeler.” Lyric narrowed her eyes at her mate.
“Because I love you,” Alek said, reaching around Lyric for a muffin. The baked goods were super popular around here. “And I’m not ancient with an outdated code of what I find insulting.” He flashed a teasing smile at Zachariah.
“You say ancient, I say experienced. As I recall, it was you who woke us up looking for help, and not the other way around, my king.” Zachariah took a bite of his blueberry muffin, totally losing the badass edge to his comment.
“Right.” A corner of Alek’s mouth rose. “Well, speaking of that, don’t forget that we’re meeting in five minutes.”
We all nodded.
“At least we didn’t have to eat evening repast with the nobles,” Talon said with a visible shudder. “This generation of aristocrats is…cringe.”
“First simp, then cringe?” I finished peeling my apple and shot some side-eye at Talon. “No more modern slang for you.”
“Can we just get this meeting over with already?” Saint checked his watch. “We’re wasting time.”
“Is that your sunny way of telling us you’ve found no signs of Samuel?” I asked, then bit a slice of apple off my knife.
He looked at me like he was contemplating taking my life there on the marble countertop, and I simply took another bite, holding his seething stare. Saint didn’t scare me and he needed to know that. There was nothing my brother could do that would push me to fear him. Now, fearing for him was an entirely different story. The pink tinge of a circle around his dark irises told me he still walked the edge of bloodmadness.
I could only hope that finding Samuel and bringing him to justice would ease Saint’s sanity back toward the light.
“Because I fucking said so,” Dagon said over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen, tucking his dark-blonde hair behind his ears.
“That’s not a good enough reason,” Olivia argued, following him into the kitchen.
“Hey! You’re out of bed!” Lyric said with a wide grin for the female.
“She shouldn’t be,” Ransom flat-out growled from behind his mate. Guy looked like he seriously needed a meal and about three weeks of sleep. “She should be in bed.”
“Fuck off, honey,” Olivia snapped back at Ransom. “You’re driving me up the wall. I’m pregnant, not dying. Was I tired at first? Of course, but I’m not going to live the next months in bed.”
I smothered a laugh. “See?” I whispered at Zachariah. “Imagine missing all of this if we lived away from court.”
“Sign me up,” Talon grumbled.
“And I’m not done with you!” Olivia damn-near shouted at Dagon, who rolled his eyes and took a muffin. “I’m not asking for hours of your precious hunter time. I just want you to test my niece because I’m pretty sure she is showing elemental affinities.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re not asking for hours, because then I’d have to tell you no. Again.” Dagon leaned back against the counter. “Just like I told you no when you asked me last night, and again this morning, and again when you followed me into the Domum to feed.”
“Watch it,” Ransom warned, spearing his hand through his dark hair like he was struggling for control.
It was widely known that warriors were most dangerous at two stages in our long lives: the time it took us to accept our mating bond and seal it, and whenever our mates were pregnant. I had the ultimate sympathy for Ransom, I really did. But there was something slightly amusing about watching the king’s master of combat lose his shit because the women in this century refused to be controlled.
“Watch what?” Dagon fired back. “If your mate’s niece is showing—”
“Hey, I’m right here. Talk to me.” Olivia stepped toward Dagon. “Look, if it’s about rank or whatever, then you should know that she comes from one of the best families—”
“I know what family she comes from,” Dagon retorted. “It was your family we entrusted our lives to for centuries while we slept.”