Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
“What’s this?” I ask.
“This means I intend to claim you as my elita.”
My heart soars to the stars. He’s claiming me. It’s happening.
“No matter what happens to me, Fraternitas will recognize you as mine.”
My heart freezes. “Wait, what? No matter what happens to you? What does that mean?”
“If I die, you will still have the protection of my brothers.”
“Oh no.” I start shaking. “No, no.” I scratch at my neck, wanting to rip off the ribbon. He stops me, but I’m still shaking, emotion bursting out of me. I want to cry, laugh, scream. I’m hyperventilating.
They will protect you. This is exactly what my father said before he left me.
I wrench myself around to face Kaiser. I’m panting, leaning on him. I cling to him like he’s the only thing keeping me from drowning.
“No, you promised. You promised me.” I make the mistake of gazing into his ocean eyes. Suddenly, I’m drowning.
“Bella, shh.” He cups the side of my face, so tender. He’s so gentle with me. He doesn’t let anyone see this side of him, only me. “This is how I know you will be safe. Dominus won’t come after you. However the fight ends. Especially if he feels like he’s won.”
“But… the fight is to the death. You can’t lose. You’ll die. You have to win.”
“No, I don’t. I can do this for you. You won’t have to marry me. You’ll have upheld your end of the contract.” He searches my eyes, making sure I understand what he’s telling me.
And I do. It settles on me like a giant weight. The magnitude of what he’s offering takes my breath away.
He’s giving me a way out. He’s fighting for me and making sure I’m safe. From everyone, even him.
“You won’t have to marry me,” he says. “You’ll have everything you wanted. You will be free.”
He’s right. This is everything I once wanted. A way out. Kaiser knows his brothers will respect his claim. None of them will touch me, but they’ll protect me as someone precious to him. They would consider me his widow. They wouldn’t make me marry anyone else.
I won’t have to marry anyone. Everything I’ve fought for will be mine.
Because of him. His sacrifice.
But now, I don’t want freedom, not without Kaiser.
“You said you wouldn’t leave me,” I say. “You promised. You promised me years together! All the things we’re going to do together. You promised me, and I want them. I want those years, Kaiser. I want a lifetime.”
“You will have them,” he says.
I thump his chest. “I want them with you, damn you.”
“Bella, look at me.”
“I can’t,” I say, sniffling. “You’re too pretty. You’ll convince me to do anything with that big, dumb, beautiful face.”
“Hey. Come here, beautiful.” He tries to lift my face, but I set my jaw and close my eyes.
“You’re a butthead. I hate you. I hate you, and I want to marry you. I am going to marry you, dammit.”
“No,” he says. “This is your way out. I want you to be happy. And if I’m alive, you can’t be happy. So I’ll go.”
I lean into him and cry.
He holds me.
Then someone is standing over me. Jaeger.
“Keep her safe,” Kaiser says to his brother.
“What?” I wipe my eyes.
“No!” I scream. He wants a fight, I’ll give him one.
But they’re both too strong. Jaeger clamps his arms around me. I fight, screaming Kaiser’s name, but Jaeger carries me into the bedroom.
Elodie hovers by the bed, her hand over her mouth.
As soon as Jaeger puts me down, I race for the door. He beats me to it, holding it closed as I claw and pound on it. Then I turn on him. “You fucker,” I hiss. “I’ll poison you, don’t think I won’t.”
“Kaiser won’t like it.”
“Kaiser is an idiot!”
“I agree.” Jaeger’s solemn expression stops me. “This is madness. He should not fight. It’s not good for him, even if he does survive.” Jaeger shakes his head. “I offered to take his place in the ring, and he threatened to chop off both my legs. To save me, he said.”
That’s so beautiful, I could cry. “That’s so like him.”
“He would do it, too. He loves to sacrifice himself for the people he loves. I could kill him, but he’s my brother. What can I do?” He shrugs. Then, to my surprise, he opens the door.
I rush into the living room. The TV is still playing raw footage of old fights, and the crutches are leaning against the couch.
Kaiser is gone.
“He’ll go into hiding and start training. You’ll see him before the fight.”
“We have to stop this.”
“I don’t know how.” Jaeger’s head hangs down. Elodie comes to his side, and he clamps an arm around her, bowing his head and breathing in the scent of her hair.
“I’m sorry, Bella,” Elodie says. Tears are rolling down her cheeks, too.