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)
“How can you call that a life?” Susan mocks her baby brother. “You drink and go out with a new model every night. That isn’t a life. It’s a blood disease waiting to happen. I don’t even want to know where your fangs have been, brother.”
“Susan!” Donald Dellacourt’s voice booms through the great room as he enters. I try to hide my smile. My uncle is a bit larger than life. “Give your brother a break. He’s a young man finding his blood. So what if he’s a little wild? He’ll fall in love and settle down one of these days. You have to be patient with him.”
Dante’s green eyes are suspiciously innocent as he pours himself a Scotch. Vampires might not eat the way the Fae do, but they love to drink. “Father is right, Susie. I drown myself in booze and loose women to hide the pain in my heart from not finding true love. It could be that my tale ends tragically. I fell madly in love with a beautiful consort, and Beck stole her from me. I suppose I’ll have to find something that will make me feel better. Perhaps a Ferrari. It won’t fill the hole in my heart, but I have to make do.”
My uncle rolls his eyes and readjusts his Stetson. “Don’t push it, son. I’m not a fool. I started with next to nothing.”
Dante’s eyes glaze over. His mouth moves in time with his father’s. He’s obviously heard the tale about a million times, but then, so have I.
“All I had was a hundred head of cattle and a dream,” Don says as he pours himself a Scotch, too. “A dream to refine their blood into an easy-to-swallow nutritional pill that made storage problems a thing of the past.”
Susie is mouthing the familiar conversation as well. My uncle continues his story of building Dellacorp into a giant of the industry. Alana slides her arm around my shoulders as her husband lectures their children about how easy they have it.
“Come along. He’ll be at it for hours now.” Aunt Alana leads me onto the balcony. The air is cool and the night calm, though in a city as large as Dallas, it’s never quiet. “Tell me about your bride. How did she make it out of Tír na nÒg?”
“She didn’t.” I look out over the city, feeling the distance between me and Meg. It weighs heavily on me. Did I do the right thing? Should I have brought her with me? “She’s from the Earth plane.”
Alana steps up to the railing. She doesn’t seem to have the same problem with heights that I have. “I heard rumors the Planeswalkers were taking advantage of Torin closing Tír na nÒg. Humans are closely related to the Fae. Some historians believe we originated on their plane, after all. It follows that some would be suitable as bondmates, though I’ve heard that only human females have the ability to bond, and only a small percentage. She must have been terrified.”
“To say the least.” A vision of tears running down her pretty face when I left her at the cottage haunts me. She will never understand all the reasons I left. I could have put off this business trip for a few days until she settles in, but I fear what I would have done if I was alone with her. The night before was a close call. It’s sad that the one woman I will ever love is the one I can’t trust myself around. “Do you think she can ever be happy so far from her home?”
My aunt smiles brilliantly. “Of course she can. She’ll settle in. I was overwhelmed when I first came to this plane. Still, I love your uncle. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And your bride has two devoted men to make sure she’s happy.” A cloud passes over Alana’s face. “You can love her? I know some bondings come without it, but if you can’t love her, it would be better if you let Don and Susie try their plan.”
“No.” My voice is harsh, the answer quick enough to put a smile on my aunt’s face. “I don’t want anyone else.”
“Good,” Alana says. “I’m glad you’re happy with her.”
I wish my mother was alive so I could talk to her. My aunt is the next best thing. “I wish she was happy with me.”
“Give her time. She wasn’t prepared for this life. You have to make allowances.”
I feel my jaw firm as a part of me tries to stop the conversation right here and now. It should be easy. I should simply keep everything inside as I always have. But since bonding with Meg, I’ve discovered nothing is simple anymore. “I can’t control myself around her.”
Alana puts an affectionate hand on mine. “Of course you can’t. She’s yours. When I said you had to make allowances, I was talking about you, too. You have to change your mindset. I’ve read about the humans. I find them intriguing. They’re a passionate people. Sometimes not so smart, but passionate. You might discover she wants a different relationship than what you expect from a bondmate.”