Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Vero kicked back the chair and sat, heat rolling off him. “Having a good time?” His voice was more of a growl.
“Yes. I hadn’t planned on participating,” she admitted, which probably wasn’t fair.
His gaze swept her light-yellow dress and pinned-back hair. “You look lovely.”
She jolted. “Thank you. I like to see you dressed casually.” He wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt and faded jeans with combat boots. His black hair had been swept back from his face and his eyes glittered a dangerous and chilling blue. His face was all planes and angles, and unlike most Kurjans, he looked like he nearly had a tan. Truth be told, he was probably the most handsome male she’d ever seen, which made his chilly attitude all the more unbearable. “Have you found your mate?”
He stared at her, not moving an inch. Appearing relaxed and lazy—when she knew he was neither. “No. Have you?”
“No. I’m not here to find a mate.”
“Neither am I,” he rumbled. “Yet, you seemed to force us all into this.”
Genevieve bustled toward them, delivering two bottles of sparkling water from a tray laden with them. “We opened the new shipment of supplies. Enjoy.” She moved to the next table.
Vero kept Lyrica’s gaze as he twisted open the bottle and took a deep drink. His eyes widened. He held out the bottle and looked at it, then lifted it to his mouth again, drinking half of it down. “This is incredible.”
Lyrica cocked her head. “You’ve never had sparkling water?”
“No.” He finished the drink. “It’s magic.”
Amusement filtered through her. She glanced over to where Jonathan was waving at Sasha even from a different table. “We might have a love match happening right now.”
Vero sighed, looking big and broad across from her, a restless energy vibrating from him. “This is a waste of time. If somebody’s interested in dating, they can go about it themselves. We aren’t humans.”
“I know you’re not humans, but you might want to take a lesson from how we do things. You can’t just kidnap your future mate,” she spit out.
“Yet we did.” He looked around at all the tables. “All these females are here trying to touch immortality.” The male had a point. Plus, even though the Kurjans were pale and a little too tall, they had a dangerous predatory vibe that many found sexy.
She could see the draw. Lyrica crossed her arms, feeling vulnerable in the pale dress. She liked to deal with Vero while wearing more clothing. Worse yet, her body hummed with an energy she couldn’t pin down. Her breasts felt heavy beneath the corset, and her heartbeat thrummed between her legs. For him. “Exactly how do you think you’re going to meet your mate?” she muttered.
He carelessly lifted one powerful shoulder. “I don’t know if I’ll live long enough to mate. But if by some miracle I do, when I see her, I’ll take her.”
She blinked and ignored the fact that her traitorous body wanted him. Perhaps humans were stupid. “That behavior is what we’re trying to unlearn here.”
“Maybe, but my mate will know her place and it’ll be easy.”
She might actually have to hit him.
Chapter Seven
The smell of juniper berries was slowly driving Vero insane. His clothes felt too tight. He had already met with three of the females, and he had spoken more words in the last half hour than he had the entire past two years. He had to get out of this room. This was ridiculous.
“What?” Lyrica asked, her eyes spitting mad.
He had heard Jonathan refer to her eyes as warm chocolate, and he disagreed with that assessment. Her eyes were more of a dark, burnt honey with a depth that tempted him too much. Somehow they reflected hints of gold, chestnut, and earth tones, turning her into a female of mystery. Those eyes held secrets…and sadness. Both drew him, and that irritated him more than anything else.
He heard the back door open, and then one of his soldiers peered around the corner from the kitchen. The relief that filtered through him would embarrass him later. “Come.” He stood and grasped Lyrica’s arm, pulling her up.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m not leaving you sitting at the table alone.” He might not be a gentleman or anything close to it, but even he knew that much. Plus, he had tired of her speaking with other males.
She looked around, then gathered her skirts, falling into step beside him. Apparently he wasn’t the only one wanting to flee the stupid speed dating.
Jonathan waved to her and she waved back.
Vero looked down at her pert nose. “He’s our burliest and strongest soldier, it’s true. However, he was kicked in the head by a horse, you know.”
“I heard,” she murmured.
“His IQ is only around two hundred at the very most,” Vero muttered, pulling her along. “The injury occurred when he was young enough to affect him for the rest of his life.” They reached the kitchen. “Silas,” Vero said quietly.