Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Dante’s eyes go wide, but Meg moves between us. “Beck, Dante is not challenging you. No one is challenging you anymore. They’re all running away. You scared the crap out of them.”
I bare my teeth when I realize she’s correct. They’re running. They’re getting away. I take a step and make to follow when her soft hand finds the middle of my chest. She doesn’t seem to notice I’m covered in blood.
“Meg, he’s too far gone,” Dante says in a soft tone. “You’ll have to…”
“I heard you in the stands.” Meg places her other hand on my chest and stands very close. So close her delicate scent washes over me. She smells sweet, nothing like death. Meg smells of flowers and some womanly scent I can’t name. She smells of life. “Beck, I’m yours. Are you going to leave me alone to chase after the others? Shouldn’t you take care of me?”
“Not going to work.” Dante continues to back up. “Meg, if you can’t handle it, then I need for you to run. Run to the stands. I’ll distract him.”
“Shut up,” I yell at the vampire. Jealousy is a roiling pain in my gut. “You don’t talk to my mate.”
Meg huffs Dante’s way. “Fine, but you better be right. If I find out this was a stupid joke, I’ll stake you myself.”
I try to move her out of the way. She doesn’t understand that they could still harm her.
She throws her arms around me, going on her tiptoes to press her mouth against mine. “Please, Your Highness, I am yours. You have to take care of me.”
My sword falls to the side as another type of need blazes through my body.
I worry she’s awakened the darkest beast inside me, and I pray I don’t hurt her.
Chapter Six
Meg
Terror sparks through me as the second horn blows and the vampires charge Beck. “They didn’t get in a circle.”
I hate the fact that he’s out there and so completely outnumbered. I can’t see any possible way he wins.
“No, they seem to have figured out that won’t go well for them.” Dante’s sunglasses cover his eyes, but there’s concern in his tone that wasn’t there moments before.
“Is he in trouble?” A stupid question. He’s one man versus a whole bunch of vampires. Panic threatens to take over, and it doesn’t make a lick of sense. I barely know the man.
And if he dies, you’ll get sent off with one of those vampires. Wouldn’t it be better to end up with the man you feel something for?
“No, not from the vampires,” Dante says, not taking his eyes off the fight.
Beck seems buried under the group of vamps.
“It looks like he’s in trouble to me.” The thought sends a wave of nausea through me. Will I have to watch the gnomes take his big, gorgeous body away? Will they drag him across the sand and declare one of the vampires the winner?
Dante finally turns my way. “Yes, he’s in trouble, but not in the way you think. You remember I explained about the symbiotic twins thing?”
I nod. “Yes, he needs a bondmate because his brother is dying.”
“It’s beyond that. Beck is the warrior half of unbonded symbiotic twins. He needs Cian to balance him,” Dante explains, leaning in so I can hear. “Cian gets lost in his thoughts. He’s the intellectual half of the man. Beck gets lost in something else.”
My stomach turns as there’s suddenly blood all over the sand. Not Beck’s. He’s knee deep in bodies and blood, but he seems to simply keep going. Almost as though he’s enjoying it. I suddenly understand the danger he’s in.
“He can’t control his rage.” He was so controlled with me only hours before. He took what he needed and nothing for himself. I would have let him have me in that moment, but he walked away.
Now there is no mercy or kindness in the man who might be king.
One of the vampires tosses down his weapon and seems to be trying to talk to Beck. “Isn’t this the part where he backs down?”
It’s easy to see the vampire is trying to surrender, but Beck isn’t listening.
“Shit.” Dante looks down at the railing, seeming to be judge the distance to the floor of the arena. He looks back and takes my shoulders in his hands. “Okay, sweetheart, I’ve got two choices here. I can pray that Beck gets his shit under control or I can ask you to take one for the team. Actually, there are three, but I can’t accept choice number three.”
The crowd roars around us. Beck begins to prowl toward the vampire who keeps pleading. The gnomes start to creep out, and they have weapons in their hands.
“They’re going to go after Beck, aren’t they?” I ask the question despite the fact that I know the answer.