Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
However, he hiked.
He climbed.
He fished.
He cycled.
He ran trails.
Although I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy seeing the many pics of him engaged in these activities, I did none of those things.
I also had no interest in doing any of those things.
In fact, I’d had dates where the male suggested we do something like that, and I not only declined, I also made excuses to end it with them because I didn’t want some male trying to drag me onto a bike, or worse, some nature trail somewhere to look at birds or whatever.
I shuddered at the thought.
But learning this was excellent.
I knew in my soul we didn’t suit, and this was proof of it.
So all my fancy, warm gear was the fancy and warm you’d use while, say, lazing by a fire in a chilly cabin, reading. Or sitting on a balcony, drinking hot-buttered rum while watching snow fall. Not the fancy, warm gear you’d use while sitting on the back of a sled while dogs ran you through a snow-tufted forest.
However, that was the only goodness to come out of the last three days.
First, my father had not contacted me, but Mom had apologized for him no less than five times and asked me to dinner three.
I declined those invites too, sharing I’d see them after the trial, which made Mom openly anxious, and I felt bad about that, but I was nowhere near close to letting go of my grudge against Dad.
And in all that was happening, I forgot that Bash told me he had something on with his buds this weekend, but he was thrilled for me to be at his house when he returned home late that very afternoon.
I really wanted to warn him not to be thrilled, but I also didn’t want to break up with him over a comm, and I further didn’t want to give him any idea bad news was coming his way, which might mess up his weekend fun with his buds.
So I’d been waiting for him at his place when he returned, and I knew he thought he was going to get welcome-home sex then we’d go out to dinner or something.
But instead, I had to explain my father arranged my marriage (I didn’t tell him to whom), my compatibility trial was the next weekend, and therefore, even if I didn’t want to, I had to end things with him.
Bash was full demon as well, so this descended into a shouting match, because somehow, I was at fault for arranging a marriage I didn’t want, and no matter how often I shared this with him, he refused to believe my father acted alone.
As such, our breakup was strident, ugly, and so damaging, even if I managed to put Tanyn off, I would not be returning to Bash.
And that hurt because I’d liked him.
This was my thought when my Palm chimed.
Excellent.
I was in the perfect mood for this comm from Tanyn.
“Engage audio and video,” I spat at it, taking my arm away so I could hold the display to my face.
“Fucking hell, that bad?” Tanyn asked when he appeared.
Color me shocked there would be a time I was okay knowing I looked awful.
But I was oh-so okay looking awful right now.
“Somehow, your lot made the rules. A member of your lot, that being my father, tied me up in this muddle. And he is a member of your lot. But to Bash it was me who was to blame.”
“By my lot, you mean…?”
“Males,” I hissed.
“This is indicative of this particular male not being worth your time, if he doesn’t understand this is your duty to your family.”
“I liked him,” I pointed out.
“You’ll get over it,” he returned.
“I have no choice, thank you so very much,” I shot back sarcastically.
“Very true. And you’re welcome for me saving you from someone like that.”
This damned male.
“Okay, so I’ve confirmed it’s done,” I stated. “Can we stop talking now?”
“Catla—” he started consolingly.
I was in no mood to be consoled by him or anyone, but especially him.
To that end, I sat up and snapped. “Duty to my family?”
“It’s the way it’s been done for millennia. Especially in families like ours.”
“Too true. However, I do believe it’s been proven repeatedly that females can think for themselves.”
“You’re going to be queen.”
“Has it occurred to anyone to ask if I want to be queen?” I demanded.
“No. It hasn’t. Because it isn’t about what you want. It’s about what our realm needs.”
I shut up, because…
What was he talking about?
I didn’t have to verbalize my question. He told me.
“My brother launched an unprovoked attack on a foreign realm. Beings died. Others were maimed. Dozens, if not hundreds, will experience trauma remembering that night, doing this likely for the rest of their lives. For decades, during my father’s reign, my beings experienced the feeble rule of a weak king. That being, he didn’t rule. Tatra did.”