Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
“Jupiter would prefer to be here with his momma than be alone in your flat without you. Jupiter would also be happier his momma continues breathing while agents work to uncover whatever plot is unfolding than having to be rehomed because you are no longer of this earth. I cannot claim to understand the feline mind, but my guess would be, he wants you safe, like I do, and is content to do what he must to make that so.”
The ultimate in sucky.
But definitely accurate.
I asked the question that was most important last.
“Do you know how soon benzos wear off?”
His face softened, his eyes twinkled with pinprick stars, and he whispered warmly, “No. But we’ll ask Dr. Fearsome. However, I must warn you, what I do know is that, after long-term dosage, it does take a while for the sedatives to fully leave the system.”
“A while as in a day or an hour?” I pressed.
“Several days, bissi. Maybe even a week,” he told me, making it clear he wished he didn’t have to share that bad news.
“I miss her,” I whispered my colossal understatement.
Those pinprick stars shone brighter as his affection for me was taken over by his anger on my behalf. “I can’t even imagine. I don’t want to. And we will get down to why that was done to you, Laura. I vow it. And those who did it will be punished to the farthest extent the law will allow. I vow that too.”
I believed him.
With that look on his face, I believed him.
He cupped my head and pulled my cheek to his chest, tightening his other arm around me.
There was a whole bunch up in the air, but even so, this felt good.
It felt very good.
He heard something I didn’t and murmured, “The doctor is here.”
Excellent.
Answers.
And…
Hope.
At last.
Chapter 15
Target
I lay on my back on Aleksei’s bed.
Aleksei stood beside it, arms crossed on his massive chest, watching everything Dr. Fearsome was doing in a manner, if the half-demon, half-fae doc did something he didn’t like, he’d tear his head off.
Dr. Fearsome—young, midnight skin, fae-built tall, solid body, demon-crafted elegant features—was someone I might have to introduce Catla to (if she was still speaking to me after tonight, that was).
Totally unaffected by Aleksei’s menacing glower, he just got on with it.
He’d taken my blood first and entered it into a machine he’d set on one of Aleksei’s nightstands. The vial instantly unloaded so I could see my red blood flowing to what appeared to be eighteen separate sections. I heard the unit lock down and a soft whir as it got on doing whatever it was it did.
That was when Dr. Fearsome instructed me to tell him everything that happened.
I didn’t get too deep into the assault part, because Aleksei’s energy was growing more and more stifling as I spoke, and if I got into certain bits of it (the parts where they threatened to rape me), I knew he’d go batcrap crazy.
So I gave the doc an abbreviated version that included all I thought he’d need to know.
I didn’t miss the hardening of his features, the red glow that heated the depth of his eyes, or the furious glance he exchanged with Aleksei when I told them about Dr. Buildlore and Nurse Fitzgerald pushing me to allow them to cut my beast out of me.
But, weirdly, it felt nice to be under the care of a doctor who would never do such an ugly thing to a shifter.
He then pulled out his long, narrow, porta-ano-scanner and switched it on.
The blue light shone down on me, causing some heat, some tingles, as, starting from my now-bare feet, he very slowly floated it over my body, his attention riveted to whatever was showing on the monitor at the top of the scanner as it moved.
I got a little freaked when he went back over my torso three times, before he finalized the exam by moving it over my head.
He shut it off and looked down at me.
“You can sit up, Mistress Laura.”
I didn’t sit up.
Like I was an invalid, Aleksei moved in and helped me up.
Then he went further by arranging me with my bottom half curled on a hip, whereupon he threw a silvery cashmere throw around me, tucked it tight and sat next to me, tugging me deep into his side by clamping an arm around me.
Okay.
I was losing the will to be pissed at him for being such a dick earlier.
At that time, he didn’t know I’d been attacked and I thought my beast was dead.
And I had to admit, it was kind of unhinged I’d throw myself in front of a weapon to save the life of the fiercest dragon in the realm.
“I’m sorry, your highness,” the doctor said diffidently to Aleksei. “Patient confidentiality demands I—”
“He knows everything,” I told the doc.