Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 61523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Cal, it’s okay. I can feel you. I’m okay. I’m still just in my room, alone. You can relax, I promise. I’ll tell you if something’s wrong.
The sudden intrusion in my brain is shocking and settling at once. It’s Romy, talking to me like I can talk to Rook. I don’t know how it’s happening, but I don’t fight it. Instead, I open myself up to it more.
My brothers notice the stillness, but I hold up a hand when Kane opens his mouth to speak.
Romy, I whisper her name in mind.
Oh God, you can hear me, her voice fills my head. Thank God. I’ve been feeling you freak out since the moment you left. I didn’t know what to do. I knew you’d hear me if I spoke, but I heard Lucian outside my door talking to the guard. I didn’t want to chance it, even at a whisper.
Lucian? I growl, the relief I feel from the connection with her waning temporarily as my anger fires up. That’s who was in the fucking hall?
It’s okay. They talked and he left. Didn’t even knock or anything. I got the idea to talk to you with thoughts, and well, I guess it worked. I really wanted it to work, so that’s good.
Are you okay? I ask, knowing this is the only thing that might actually have any legs in the effort to calm me down.
Yes, she affirms. I’m good. I promise. Better than I’ve ever been. I wish I were with you, but I don’t know, I guess my body understands why I’m not.
That’s good. I wish like hell I could say the same.
I know, she replies. I can feel you. It’s different than if it were happening directly to me, but intense all the same. I don’t know how to explain it. Your suffering is like writing on my skin.
We’re connected, I explain simply. Bonded. It makes sense that we’d be this in tune. I just didn’t expect it.
Neither did I. Well, to be honest, I didn’t expect any of this. But Cal…you need to trust me to handle myself for now. I’m scared, but I’m ready. When you were talking about the greater purpose of helping all these women tonight, something inside me clicked. It’s why I’m here. Why I couldn’t connect with you earlier. Why the universe sent you back to me. I always felt like I was meant for something bigger than what my parents said I was, like a career or an invention, or I don’t know, something. I never pictured this, but it makes so much sense. I’ll handle myself, be ready to handle the women. You just focus on the vampires.
For the first time since I left Romy’s room to sneak my way over here an hour ago, my body relaxes. She’s so fucking smart and brave and beautiful. I can’t believe the universe promised her to me.
God, I love you, Romy. And thank you. For being so fucking great I have no choice but to succeed. I will get you out of this. I will get all of us out of this. I swear to the end of the world and back again.
It’s the craziest fucking thing, but I swear I can hear her smile—feel it in the marrow of my bones.
I love you too, Cal. And good. Now I’m going to try to get some sleep. Unlike you, I need it.
I can even hear her fucking cute-ass giggle in my head.
When my shoulders relax and my eyes unhaze, my brothers are standing in front of me, shaking their heads.
“Mind sharing what the fuck that was?” Rook asks when my gaze meets his.
For as fucked up as I was when I came in here, I still find it somewhere inside myself to laugh. “You should recognize it well. I was doing what you do. Talking in my freaking head. Romy…she and I can…talk to each other.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Kane laughs. “These bonds sure do work quickly.”
Rook smiles at that. “And I suppose we can assume all is well with the way your body has stopped freaking the fuck out?”
I nod. “Well, not well. But tolerable. I still hate like fuck to be apart, but she’s safe. She’s in good spirits. She’s…so fucking brave it’s ridiculous. So, yeah, I’m feeling better.”
“Good,” Kane teases. “Because it’s going to be hard to take down a vampire empire tomorrow if you suddenly need water and air and shit.”
I shake my head on a snort. “It’s still going to be hard. But we’re going to do it anyway. And I’m ninety-nine percent sure our dear old uncle Lucian is the key.”
They nod in agreement, and I sit down at the counter to get to work.
“I’ve got a plan,” I say. “But it’s going to take all six of us to make it happen.”