Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
He nodded his confirmation. “I spent much time alone at a marble fountain in the royal gardens. I enjoyed it, at least. The sculptures were intricate, each telling a different story of the kingdom’s past.”
I pet him, loving when he released a pff of breath. Something else we had in common—an interest in history that stemmed from the uncertainty of our own. “Tell me more.”
“One day, a group of older boys came up behind me and pushed me into the water. Two held me down.” He puffed his chest, seeming to seek deeper contact with me. “The others cheered them on as I drown.”
I sank my nails into his skin, as if I meant to pull him from the water even now. “They tried to kill you?”
“Probably only to scare me. To remind me of my place,” he said. To my surprise, he clasped my hand, brought it to his mouth, and traced my index finger around his lips. “But as I’ve learned through my beast, feeding an urge like that only strengthens it, especially in the heat of the moment.”
I ached to comfort the boy he’d been and praise the man he’d become. Oh, how I hated our no making a move rule. Because I wanted so badly to replace that finger with my mouth. “Then what happened?” I asked, desperate to know.
“Deco arrived, shoved them off me, and helped me out of the water. That’s how he used to be. A protector. Fair. Noble. A future king his men followed without hesitation. When he was crowned, I was his most loyal soldier. He trusted only me at his back. Together, we conquered kingdoms. Then he sent me to scout out the Starfire to discover why it drew warriors from across the globe. I did so and returned months later as the turul king. Stronger. Volatile. Unstoppable.”
He released my hand and clasped my knee, forcing it higher. Higher still, until I had no doubt he enjoyed this contact as much as I did.
Not attracted to me? Ha! He absolutely was.
I should respond to his words. Say something in turn. Anything. But I could only pant.
“He wanted to be like me, an immortal berserker,” Viktor continued, shifting closer. His gaze met mine, the gold flecks mesmerizing. “The Valkara told me what to do, how to change him, and I did it. It marked the beginning of the end for us. I was created by the Starfire itself. He was not. My authority cannot be surpassed and over time, resentment ruled him.”
“Sweet Viktor,” I rasped. My focus dipped to his lips. Those beautiful, beautiful lips. “Without his best friend.”
Agonizing seconds stretched between us.
“You want my kiss, Clover?” He rasped his words, too.
I did. Very, very much. I’d make him forget all about the Valkara. “Maybe.”
“Ask me for it, and I’ll grant your wish.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. Ask him? Yes. I would. Except. Hmm. Why insist on a plea when he could give… unless he intended to use the request against me, asserting the very authority he’d just celebrated. Do what I tell you, and I’ll give you another.
I stiffened. Was this why he’d offered to share a story from his past? To lead me to this moment?
“You ask me for a kiss, Mr. Only The Valkara Will Do,” I grated.
Viktor narrowed his eyes and returned his stare to the ceiling. The rain tapered to a soft drizzle, then quit. “Sleep more. It’s almost time to rise. We will set out early and reach the traveling stones before nightfall.”
My stomach roiled as I deciphered his meaning. By the end of the day, we would enter turul-shifter territory. A treacherous domain filled with shifters determined to trap and kill us. I needed him in ways he didn’t need me.
But I’d be one step closer to reaching my twin, so that was okay. There was no way I’d turn back. I’d be careful. Would guard Viktor with my life, because Juniper’s depended on his. But I wouldn’t consider kissing him again.
I absolutely, positively would not.
Chapter
Eight
When Packing For Travel, Snacks Are As Important As Swords
–HOW TO TRAIN YOUR BERSERKER
By Elizabeth “Elle” Darcy-Bruce
Okay, so, I pondered kissing Viktor as we lay in silence. As we rose and readied for travel. As we mounted Fekete Ló and abandoned our campsite. Whatever. I’d get over it sooner or later.
We rode for hours, keeping the same arduous pace as yesterday, doing the same exact things. In other words, we stopped to rest only twice and ate jerky on the road. Despite my obsession with our nonexistent lip-lock, everything felt different between us. Maybe because I had a better understanding of my companion and a new appreciation for his plight.
Loving someone who hated you invited all kinds of hurt. Though I’d adored my adopted family, I had wondered about my birth parents constantly. Were they alive? Could they have taken care of me but just hadn’t wanted to? Even with such a devastating possibility, I’d still craved a relationship. Hoped, every day, that they would reach out. The longer that hope had gone unfulfilled, the faster it had soured, infecting other things, fueling emotions I didn’t like.