Total pages in book: 202
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 193561 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 968(@200wpm)___ 774(@250wpm)___ 645(@300wpm)
***
“Try to run and I’ll end your miserable life tonight,” my brother warns as he fastens another rope around a decorative post that runs from the counter beside me to the ceiling of the camper. To be an extra big asshole, he loops a noose knot around my neck, which will mean I can’t move more than a couple inches without choking myself out.
“My life was miserable. But now it’s not. Because I’m mated to Greyson Blackwood,” I snottily retort.
He points the gun at me again and tries to intimidate me with it.
I just glare.
He snickers and shoves it into the inside pocket of his leather jacket and drops it on the kitchen counter before stepping out. He soon returns, carrying a still bound and gagged Sherry over his shoulder. He locks the door and turns out the light out on his way past the small bathroom door to the bed.
My eyes bounce between the shadows of the whisky bottle on the counter and my suitcase on the floor as I lie here on the loveseat while the Airstream rocks.
It’s raining and the rain would sound nice on the metal roof of the camper if this were a normal camping trip. Despite how loud the rain sounds, it does little to muffle my brother’s heavy breathing and occasional grunts. Those are loud and clear. So is Sherry’s crying. Wyatt didn’t even bother to pull the curtain over for privacy, not caring in the least that I’m here.
Despite his warnings, I know he won’t kill me tonight because the witch he’s bringing me to needs me for some unknown reason. What on earth could that reason be?
50
Grey
“He needs to be safe!” my father points at Erica, deadly serious.
“Graydon, get your finger the fuck out of my mate’s face,” Rye warns, voice equally lethal.
“Her magic has been suppressed,” Erica says, sounding confused. “And your son has demonstrated that his magic is very, very powerf–”
“Was my mate poisoned by magic?” Dad demands. “Why does she smell like Soleil Young?”
“Are you sure that’s who you’re smelling?” Rye asks.
“If you say–” Erica starts to reply.
“I’m fuckin’ sure,” he insists, thrusting his hand through his hair with frustration. “She was my fucking fated mate, of course I remember what she smells like.”
“Let her finish a goddamn sentence, Graydon. You’re really pissin’ me off here.”
“It’s okay,” she placates. “It’s okay, Riley.”
Dad growls in frustration.
“You’re all right? You feel okay?” I’m talking to my mom now.
“I… Yeah, I feel fine,” she replies looking disoriented. And her eyes keep pinging to my father. He’s upsetting her.
Dad already asked her a bunch of questions, but she has no idea how she got poisoned. She was in town today for a manicure and pedicure, but she didn’t get a takeout coffee or other drink or food anywhere.
The color has returned to her skin. I know I took all the poison from her and what I spat into that sink was vile. And there was a lot of it.
Dad is worried Soleil is going to do something to me, wants assurances from the coven that they’ve got me covered with magic.
Erica tried unsuccessfully to convince him I’m already showing I can hold my own with magic and that Soleil’s magic is suppressed. My father is certain it’s Soleil he’s smelling on Mom and worries she’ll come after me next, which I don’t get. Mom smells like the hospital and faintly like the poison I pulled from her, but I don’t smell anyone else. I just told him Soleil and I spoke the other day. And he’s livid about this. I’m trying to not lose my shit here and throw in his face that he hasn’t filled me in about her yet, and I’m hanging on by just a loose thread because Stacy is fucking missing.
“You got this?” I turn to ask Erica and Rye. “I need to go.”
It’s been less than five minutes since I found out my mate is gone and that’s as many minutes too long for me to be still standing here.
“Absolutely,” Erica states. “But I just got a text from Vivi. She wants you to take that ampule Dani gave you. Let’s set up a circle and then–”
“No time,” I deny.
She doesn’t try to reason with me. She seems to get that I need to move. I need to move right fucking now. I’d be gone already if it weren’t for the fact I knew, instinctively, that I was the one who needed to pull that poison from my mom.
“Okay. Call me if you need me. I’ll keep my phone with me.”
“We’ve got this. Stay in touch,” Rye says and claps my back.
“Stay at Riley’s until I get back,” I say to Mom and kiss her forehead. “You stay there, too. Be safe,” I say to my sister.
She nods.