Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
I guess it doesn’t matter. Either way, I need help. And he’s the only person who understands the power I now have.
Dagon asked me to meet him here. That must count for something.
Even if he is late.
I force my knee to stop bouncing, smoothing my hand up and down my thigh and relishing the leather that covers it. Edgemont is always cold in December, snowing almost daily. These fur-lined leggings are a godsend, especially when the residence is never warm enough, in my opinion. Vintage stonework is beautiful and captivating, but sometimes it feels like it leeches all the heat from the air.
The cream sweater I wear is oversized and cozy, hanging past my hips, the sleeves almost encompassing my hands. I’d tried on three different outfits before settling on this one. The first two had been formal attire, something my mother would likely advise I wear when taking lessons from an esteemed hunter, but I opted for comfort. After all, he’s already seen me naked and totally out of my depth, so who cares what he thinks of me now?
Footsteps sound outside the door, and I hold my breath. He’s being loud on purpose. Likely so he doesn’t startle me. I’ve seen him around the residence enough to know he doesn’t make a sound if he doesn’t want to. None of the hunters do.
Seconds later, the door to the dining room swings open, and Dagon walks through it. The light from the hallway casts a golden glow that falls over him like it’s desperate to highlight all of his better features. It spills over his dark blond hair that hangs just below his ears in this perfectly messy way. A rough goatee lines his strong jaw, and the sharp blue of his eyes is so striking they’ve made me forget to breathe a time or two. He wears hunters’ gear—dark, sturdy jeans, a black long-sleeved henley, and a leather jacket. A harness strapped with guns he doesn’t really need thanks to the elemental powers he controls and sturdy black boots round out his modern-day badass look. You’d never know he’s ancient by just looking at him. He and the rest of his hunter brothers adjusted to modern times so quickly mainly due to Ajax’s time-control powers. I’d be impressed, if he wasn’t such an arrogant prick.
“Annika,” he says by way of greeting, his tongue wrapping around my name in a way that’s both affectionate and annoyed, if that’s possible. Likely one of his hunter skills—to be both disarming and intimidating in one move.
Heat spirals through my body, a fiery cascade that makes me flush. It happens every time I lay eyes on the bastard. It’s a shame such a cocky male resides in all that gorgeous packaging.
“You’re late,” I say boldly, and mentally applaud myself when my voice doesn’t crack.
“Had to get training supplies for our first lesson,” he says smoothly, holding up a crystal glass filled with water. He sets it down in front of me. “Show me what you can do.” He takes a seat three down from me, propping his booted feet on the table, his strong arms folded over his chest as he studies me.
“What?” I ask, eying the glass of water, then him. “You’re not serious.”
His eyebrows raise, an amused grin shaping those full, delicious lips.
No, not delicious. Devious. Prickish lips.
“What did you expect?” he asks. “That I’d assign you a few chapters from How to Wield Your Newfound Elemental Power and we’d be done for the night?”
I scrunch my brow. “That’s not a thing,” I say. “Is it?”
He chuckles as he shakes his head. “No, it isn’t.”
My lips part. “I thought you’d take me to Edgemont River, at the very least.”
Dagon’s grin widens. I hate the way it lights up his eyes. “You’re not ready for the river.”
Ouch.
I mean, he’s not wrong. But, ouch.
“Water,” he says, nodding to the glass. “Move it.”
“How?” I ask after staring at the water for a few seconds.
“How do you breathe?”
I glare at him.
“How do you blink or stretch or run?”
“How do you?” I throw the asinine question back at him.
He tosses an incredulous look right back at me. “I know you’re used to having everything done for you, being a Sorokin female and all, but I can’t use your powers for you.”
I gape at him. “Is that why you’re a prick to me? Because of who my family is?”
Dagon shrugs. “I’m a prick by nature,” he explains. “Your family has nothing to do with it. I just know how rich, noble vampires can be when forced to do anything themselves—”
“First off,” I snap, standing up so fast the chair tips over behind me. “You don’t know anything about me.”
He smirks.
The infuriating grin has white-hot anger bubbling in my chest. The sensation spreads throughout my insides as I move to tower over him.