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)
“I think they realized they require a new strategy with you, now that they comprehend you are capable of a rage-trance. I’m certain they’ll regroup soon. I only hope we reach Deco’s fortress before it happens.”
I didn’t mean to, I really didn’t, but I smiled. The thought of powerful shifters—the enemy—needing to redo their war-plan because of little ole me, well. Talk about a confidence boost! On the other hand…
“I don’t want to break again.” I despised not recalling what I’d done. The loss of control. The endless icy cold, where every thought died before my opponents.
“What you felt, that is what the shifters experience all the time. Or so the Valkara explained to me long ago.”
I grimaced. How terrible to live out immortality in such a way. Never satisfied. Never experiencing joy or peace or love. Always hungry for the misery of others.
Grrr. Was I seriously feeling sorry for the creatures who had attempted to murder me? I switched my focus. “Is Valkara still silent?”
“Ja.”
Good. “And how do you feel about that?”
“I am…unsure.”
Well, that was better than before, when he’d only welcomed her.
He slung his arm around my waist and helped me over a fallen log. “I’ve never required her aid more, but even apart from you, the fog remains thin now. It is the mist that carries her voice.”
“You hate the fog,” I reminded him. Hint hint. If the fog was awful, it stood to reason that Valkara was too.
“Ja,” he repeated, “but it serves a purpose. Just as the fog you experience does, which may come from her.”
I heaved a sigh. “Yeah, I’ve had the same suspicion.” But did that mean I should ignore my dream? Treat it as Valkara propaganda?
Tension exploded from him, as if he’d been hit with a bomb. “I think, perhaps, she hopes to convince you to accept death by my hand. What I don’t know is what she will do when I refuse.”
When, not if. The reassurance brought a cascade of warm honey over my soul. “I won’t ever accept that death is the answer,” I assured him. “Not even for the greater good.” So yes. I should ignore my dream. “The two ideas aren’t even compatible.”
“Agreed.”
I beamed up at him, and a sharp, electric awareness turned even the air I breathed into a caress. I noticed the confidence in his stride. The glint of sunlight against the bronze hues of his skin. How he flared and fisted his fingers, as if imagining all the ways he yearned to touch me.
He must have experienced a similar reaction. In unison, we increased our pace, attempting to escape the growing cognizance between us.
Nature’s romantic serenade didn’t help. Distant calls harmonized with the gentle rustling of leaves and the low rasp of our inhalations, creating a carnal chorus meant for lovers. We came across many of Deco’s traps, but Viktor sussed them out before we tripped one.
Without warning, he spun in front of me. I crashed into his big body, bouncing back. His powerful arms shot out, slinging around my waist to keep me close and upright. For balance, I flattened my hands against his pecs. His heart raced, and the heat of his skin radiated through his shirt.
“Is something wrong?” I trembled with anticipation as he backed me into a tree.
“Ja.” He planted his hands near my temples, caging me in. His attention slid down the curves displayed oh, so vividly in my barely-there pink ensemble. “I haven’t yet marked you. But I want to.”
My breath caught, trapping his incredible fragrance in my nose. My head. Mom had told me about a mark between berserker mates. A cut on each person’s palm, the mingling of their blood, a kiss, and an unbreakable bond no other warrior could deny. The greatest gift a sentinel could give his woman, forever protecting her from other immortals if ever they were parted.
“Let me,” he demanded, letting his lips hover over mine. “I sense no threat in our vicinity.”
“I…shouldn’t.” The refusal required every ounce of strength I possessed. Gliding my palms up his chest, I said, “Creating a permeant tie when we’ve only just met is foolish.”
Far from upset by my response, he set his beautiful mouth at my ear to whisper, “Why delay the inevitable?”
In that moment, he was kindling; I was flames. Heartbeat a storm of thunder and lightning, I tossed caution into the wind. Forget waiting for the right time to enjoy him. Danger smanger. “Kiss me and I’ll think about it.” And probably nothing else.
Understanding the assignment, he swooped down and melded his lips to mine. I opened without hesitation, welcoming the thrust of his tongue. His groan of pleasure filled the air around us.
We devoured each other. His taste transcended perfection, and I couldn’t get enough. As little mewls and growls erupted in my chest, sublime power pulsed from him.