Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 117510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Concern lighting his eyes, Tanner said, “Consider it done.”
Knox unfroze the rest of the café and then pyroported his mate to the walk-in closet of their bedroom. Although he wanted to put her straight into a hot bath, he knew he needed to slowly increase her core body temperature first.
Snatching a fleecy blanket from a top shelf in the closet, he stalked over to the bed and lay her down. He then quickly shed their clothes, which wasn’t easy when her jeans were stiff with cold. Her eyes fluttered open. She tried to talk through blue lips that were dry and bleeding.
“No, baby, don’t talk. Just get warm.” Lifting her, he held her tight, sharing more of his body heat even though her icy skin made him flinch. As he pulled the fleecy blanket around her, she huddled inside it, chin dropped down to her chest.
Flipping back the coverlet, Knox settled in bed with her tucked close to his body and then dragged the coverlet over them both. She burrowed into him, placing her hands on his chest as if to greedily absorb more of his warmth. Her hands and feet were like blocks of ice.
Under the blanket, he rubbed at her skin, hoping the friction would warm her. Inside him, his demon roared and raged. Knox’s own fury was tangible. The fucking incorporeal had tried to kill her. Tried to freeze her from the inside out. Tried to take from him the very thing that had brought life to his existence.
He’d known she’d taken a hit from the incorporeal, but he hadn’t known it was fatal, assuming Harper would have told him if it were. But she hadn’t. And she’d almost died right in fucking front of him and his demon but, so focused on toying with the incorporeal, they’d been completely oblivious to just how seriously hurt she’d been.
He didn’t need to ponder why Harper hadn’t drawn attention to her condition. But he already knew the answer to that: she’d sooner die along with the incorporeal than have it be free to harm Asher. His demon wanted to spank her pretty ass for being so ready to sacrifice herself. Knox wasn’t at all averse to the idea.
He telepathically reached out to Keenan. Harper and I are home, but I need you to keep Asher downstairs. He gave the sentinel a brief summary of what had happened at the café.
Son of a bitch, spat Keenan. Will she be okay?
Yes, she will. Knox wouldn’t have it any other way. Reach out to Levi and explain what happened. Knox’s focus needed to be on Harper. Breaking the connection with his sentinel, he touched his housekeeper’s mind and said, Meg, I need hot water bottles for Harper. She was attacked, and she’s ice-cold. Bring them to the master bedroom.
I’ll be as quick as I can, replied Meg, sounding frantic.
Just as frantic, Knox stared down at Harper. His mate never looked weak. But right then, huddled into a tight ball, she looked so delicate it made Knox’s chest tighten. Every rough breath sounded like it was sawing at her throat. Being upset with her, letting her sleep alone and then leaving before she woke—it all seemed so stupid now. Stupid and petty and beneath him. She’d deserved none of it.
He kissed her hair. “I’m sorry I was a shit, baby,” he said, unsure if she was even properly aware of where she was or who she was with.
One by one, the other sentinels telepathed him questions, wanting to be sure that Harper was fine. He answered their queries but was far too furious to sound reassuring.
Meg bustled into the room with a hot water bottle that was wearing a chunky knitted cover. “I could only find one,” she said, anxiously. “Here, put it near one of her major arteries.”
Satisfied that it wasn’t so hot it would burn her skin, Knox tucked the water bottle under Harper’s armpit and then pulled her blanket tighter around her, hoping to trap the heat and hot air inside it.
Twisting her fingers, Meg asked, “Should I make her a hot chocolate?”
“I don’t think she could drink it, Meg. She’s shaking too badly.”
“Watch out for chilblains and frostbite. Can she get those things if she hasn’t really been out in the cold?”
“I don’t know.” He gently touched her dry mouth. “Get her some lip balm or something,” he ordered, and Meg swiftly disappeared. He should have felt like a bastard for being so gruff, but he didn’t have tact in him right then. Not when he was so worried for Harper. He didn’t like how slow and shallow her breaths were. Didn’t like how weak her pulse was or how her muscles kept spasming.
“Baby, I need you to be okay,” he whispered, breezing his fingers over her cheekbone. Like her lips, the skin on her cheeks and forehead had cracked. “You hear me? You have to be okay.”