Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
“Wedding planning! I’ll make sure you have something blue!”
“Thank you,” I say to Mabel and force a smile, so damn curious about how she ended up here. I finish my meal in relative silence, and then quickly excuse myself, taking my plate into the kitchen.
“We have staff to do that,” Devon tells me, and I try to play it off as if I’m being helpful. Really, I need to take a look at what herbs are in the kitchen. At the very least, I need a bay leaf or two so I can appear in Antonio’s dream and tell him to get me the fuck out of here.
I can trust him…I think?
Vivian and Marco betrayed me. I don’t want to believe my brothers knew this whole time. But there’s a big part of me that’s terrified that even if they didn’t know, they do now. And they would rather I be her than their actual sister.
The kitchen has been cleaned by the staff in the time it took us to eat dinner. I put my plate in the sink, startling the chef who comes out of the pantry, carrying ingredients to make some sort of pastry.
“Oh, thank you, but that’s not necessary,” he tells me.
“It’s no problem,” I say. “I wouldn’t mind washing dishes in a kitchen like this."
He laughs and sets the ingredients on the counter. “It’s one of the nicest kitchens I’ve worked in.” His eyes light up when he smiles, looking around excitedly. He’s probably about my age and a good half a foot shorter than me. “Do you like brownies? Or would you prefer something else?”
“Homemade brownies?”
“Yeah. You will never eat anything that comes out of a box here.”
“Or a blood bag,” I add in a loud whisper and the chef laughs.
“It’s nice having someone else to cook for.”
“I bet.”
“Let me know some of your favorite dishes, and I’ll make sure to prepare them for you, Miss.”
“Call me Wren.” I give him a polite smile.
“Wren,” he repeats and takes a step forward, holding out his hand for me to shake. “I’m Alan. You are different from the others. In a good way, I promise. Which is why I don’t understand why you’d get yourself tangled up in this—” All of a sudden, he’s cut off as he’s thrust across the room, moving so fast it’s just a blur.
Xavier has him pinned up against the wall, hand on his throat.
“Don’t!” I yell, but it doesn’t matter. Xavier flashes his fangs and sinks them down on Alan’s neck.
CHAPTER 10
I don’t think, just react, and I summon a ball of energy and throw it at Xavier’s back. It hits him right between his muscular shoulders and he tenses, shocked more by the fact that I attacked him than by the pain.
All at once, he releases Alan and rounds on me. Blood is on his face as he takes my arms and brings me close to his body. His skin is cool, yet heat comes off him in waves.
“You are my wife,” he says in a low growl. “No one talks to my wife like that and gets away with it.”
I open my mouth only to close it again. The insult was there, just barely. You are different from the others. In a good way, I promise. Which is why I don’t understand why you’d get yourself tangled up in this—Alan didn’t need to finish what he was saying for me to know how he feels about humans getting personally involved with vampires. Which is kinda fucking ironic for someone employed by them, but that’s not the point.
Xavier’s hands slowly move down my arms, stopping when his fingers get to my hands. There’s something delicate in his touch despite the fact that he could close his fists and crush every bone in my wrist without breaking a sweat.
“I’m not your wife,” I say, hating how breathy and small my voice comes out. “Not yet.”
“You will be before midnight tonight.”
I inhale slowly, looking right into his dark blue eyes. “I don’t even know you.”
“That doesn’t matter,” he replies gently. “Besides, you can get to know me.”
“True, though dealing with a dead employee might put a damper on it.”
Xavier’s fingers sweep down my hand and I can’t help but notice how large his hands are. I blink and the image of his hands on my body flashes before my eyes. Sex with a vampire is supposed to be an incredible experience…or so I’ve heard.
And a vampire as old as Xavier has had centuries of experience and practice. A man like this—tall, muscular, and powerful—is sure to break your back…and then your heart. I look him dead in the eyes and make a promise to myself: I will not fall in love with this man.
This monster.
“He’ll be fine.” Xavier steps back and turns, locking eyes with Alan. “Clean yourself up. And if you ever feel like flirting with my wife again—”