Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
I smile. “Something like that.”
“Call us next time you’re free, sweetheart.”
“I will.”
My dad kisses the top of my head. “Stay safe.”
Bonnie squeezes me one last time. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” I tell her, but when she tries to end the hug, I pull her closer to me. “You were right to be suspicious,” I whisper low and directly into her ear. “But I’m safe, okay? I’m safe. Just don’t ever let them talk you into being chosen.”
I lean back and meet her eyes. She searches my face and then pulls me into another hug. Her breath is hot as she whispers at my ear. “The guy who works for Damien looks an awful lot like your doll.”
I nod, my chin digging into her shoulder. “Yes. He does.”
When I pull back again, she offers a sage nod and reaches out to squeeze my hand one last time before I walk away. She’s smarter than me. She gets it now—without needing to be kidnapped or dragged through the same brutal convincing I was—there’s much more to the vampire world than our parents told us.
There’s more to the vampire world than either of us ever dreamed.
I can’t deny that leaving my family behind is hard, but it doesn’t even come close to what it felt like to be stuck in Damien’s penthouse, thinking I would never see Kane again.
I cross the clearing toward him, and once we’re out of sight, once we’re away from the park, he pauses to wrap his arms around me and hold me tight against his chest.
“You okay?” he whispers into my ear, and I nod.
Because I am.
I’m more than okay.
I’m whole. I’m alive. I’m his.
Kane
Blair sits curled on the couch beside Kylie, their heads bent together while they talk about something that makes them both laugh. The sound fills the room in a way I didn’t realize this place had been missing before. Peace. Actual fucking peace.
Cal sits at the kitchen table, messing around with brake calipers from an old timer that lives in the shed. And Rook leans against the far wall with his arms crossed, pretending not to listen but smirking anyway. Even my older, usually broody-as-fuck brother looks relaxed.
The day went better than any of us expected.
Blair saw her family without the elites catching wind, and I got her back to the cabin safely.
The bond between us hums softly in my chest now. It’s steady, it’s strong, and I know with certainty she’s mine.
I glance over at her, and when she catches me looking, she playfully rolls her eyes. She also smiles too.
My woman is a stubborn, strong-willed firecracker, and I fucking love her.
I’m about to walk over to her sassy ass, throw her over my shoulder, and take her to bed, but before I get three steps across the living room, I pause when I hear a knock at the door.
The sound lands hard against the cabin door, and everyone in the room freezes.
Rook lifts his head.
Cal stands.
And I head straight for the door.
No one knocks out here. Ever.
A second knock follows the first, but this one is slow in a way that feels intentional.
My instincts flare, all my senses focused on what’s on the other side of the door. But all my ears pick up is one set of footsteps.
I glance over my shoulder to make sure Blair is still on the couch with Kylie, and when her eyes meet mine, I see concern etched on her face.
Without hesitation, Rook and Cal step closer to the door with me. We don’t even talk about it.
We move, silently communicating to one another without words, the entire time ensuring we’re a shield to the women behind us.
All three of us know there’s no avoiding it. All three of us know the only option is to open the door.
Rook swings it open, and we come face-to-face with an older vampire who currently occupies the threshold of our front door.
He’s tall, dressed to showcase money, and his hair is pepper gray. He’s calm as his glowing green eyes look at all three of us.
For some reason, I recognize him, and it doesn’t take long for a memory to click into place. The preview event. The night I found Blair. He was there.
He’s elite.
“Hello, Rook. Kane.” His smile deepens as his eyes slide across all three of us. “Calloway.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Rook asks without hesitation.
The man laughs, a full, amused belly laugh that vibrates his chest. “Lucian,” he declares. “Lucian Wrath. Vice President of the Elite Council.”
Oh fuck. They found us.
Something strange flickers across Lucian’s face. It’s not hostility, but it’s not approval either. It’s something else. And fuck does it have me on edge.
I already know he’s a shield just like Holland. I can tell by the way his brain has created a steel fortress that I can’t break through to read his intentions. I’m sure Rook is in the same boat, telepathy not an option at all.