Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“What?” Paxton removed the earplugs. “Oh, no. Course not. Sprites are harmless—big or small. I rushed you away because their singing is terrible. Poor things can’t find a tune with binoculars and a microscope.”
I gaped at me. “That—that wailing is singing!?”
He shrugged. “They’ll start dancing in a minute. Bet that will really scare those arrogant bastards.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Right on cue, the floors heaved and rolled under the merry glee of two stomping giants. The screams in the detention room ratcheted up to deafening. But all I could do was goggle at Paxton.
“You were amazing in there. I’ve seen a water wolf take down two or three enemies at once, but not two dozen of them, and then have enough strength left over afterward to summon a tidal wave and blast a grown wolf out the window.” I raked him up and down. “You’re not even winded. You haven’t broken a sweat, despite both our wolves being sick right now.”
Grinning lopsidedly, he shot me a wink. “Yeah, baby, I’m that good.”
A jolt rocked my core, tightening my lower belly and almost dropping me on my knees.
Alphas were considered the top dogs in our society, so many people tried to jump on their backs and ride them to the top. But then there were others who attached themselves to the wolves with the strongest powers—power groupies.
I never saw the point of doing either. As someone raised knowing I’d never be able to choose my partners, and that I’d have to accept whoever Luame chose for me, I couldn’t understand why people would push real love aside and date someone for superficial reasons.
But I thought that because I’d never seen Paxton and his full elemental power in action. Power groupies weren’t attracted to the power itself, they were panting over how hot that wolf looked while wielding it.
It was law-of-the-jungle attraction, baby—plain and simple.
“But you threatened them,” I pressed. “You said you’d kill them? Drown them where they stood, all for disrespecting me. Would you really have done it?”
Another shrug. “Without losing a wink of sleep.”
I nodded, humming. “I’m not a power groupie, okay? And I’m not a psycho who gets off on murder, and I’m also not a hypocrite who says one thing and does another.”
“Uhh...” His brows crumpled, confusion written all over his face. “Okay, I believe you. But why are you telling me this?”
“Because what I’m about to do next is going to make you think otherwise.”
“What are you about to—?”
I pounced on him, smashing my lips on his and swallowing his cry of surprise.
I walked him back to the nearest door and together we burst in, tumbling over the threshold. A quick glance told me we stumbled into the martial arts room—a room bursting with soft, springy mats.
I hooked Paxton around the ankle and shoved him.
“Fucking hell!” he cried, falling flat on his backside.
I jumped on him, giving him no time to recover. One claw and a hard rip, and his shirt was gone and flung across the room where it belonged.
“Gods’ teeth, woman.” Paxton watched his pants go flying too. “Far be it for me to question a miracle, but what brought this on?”
“I thought you were another fame whore, attaching yourself to the high priestess because of the status I could give you.” I dropped down on him, straddling him as I ran my hands down his hard, rippling pecs—something I’d been wanting to do for a long time. “And I still thought that up until... an hour ago.”
“Ouch.”
I giggled. “You can’t blame me. Everyone has used me or wanted something from me my entire life. The only person who didn’t...” Castor’s smile floated through my mind. “...is gone. Other than my parents, he was the only person I trusted, and I just didn’t know how to trust anyone else.
“That’s until I found out you’ve spent all week solving a problem for me that I’d given up on. That’s until you proved you’re on my side and will back me—violently if needed—no matter what problem I’m up against—big or small.
“I don’t know how other people do this trust thing, but for me, that’s a good place to start.”
“Hmm. In that case—”
The room spun. I suddenly found myself on my back, blinking up at the ceiling.
“—I’m no one’s bottom, baby. I’ll take it from here.”
My lips parted to say something that was quickly lost with his lips capturing mine.
It was like our first kiss, except better in every way. That kiss was confused and weird and heavy under too much pressure and expectations. This one was exactly what it was supposed to be—hot, passionate, and borne from bursting, exploding attraction.
Paxton cupped the back of my head, lifting me off the mat. I clung to him—the only thing keeping me up. Anchoring me to everything.
His lips were soft and warm—somehow softer and warmer than the first time, although that could’ve been the lust-haze talking. Whatever it was banishing the hate, anger, fear, and righteous fury in my heart, it occurred to me that’s how you’re supposed to feel... when you’re in the arms of someone you trust. Nothing else existed in this room except me and Paxton.