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)
Lyrica scooted back and pulled the covers over her legs against the chill in the room. She needed thicker yoga pants. “It helps to talk about it. I used to have nightmares. The more you talk about it, the more you rewrite them in your brain.” Plus, she wanted to understand. What would make a warrior like Vero throw her across the room?
“Was it that bad?” Paxton asked. “I still have nightmares from my childhood.”
Vero’s eyebrows rose.
Lyrica looked at the Kurjan leader, surprised that he’d shared that much.
“It was stupid,” Vero said. “I told you about Karma, right?”
Lyrica nodded, her mind spinning and her stomach suddenly cramping. “You said she acted as a mother figure to you.”
“Yes. Her mate had died a century or more earlier, and she did her best to look after many of the children.” Vero shook his head. “But when I was younger, maybe around, I don’t know, ten years old, my uncle wanted her. He often tortured her by yanking on her skirts or threatening to hurt me if she didn’t follow his orders.”
The anger in his eyes sprang awareness through Lyrica’s body. Like any prey would feel when a predator stood nearby. For the first time, she could actually see the warrior Jonathan had warned her about. “What happened?” she whispered.
Vero’s blue eyes went flat. Dead. Empty. “My uncle couldn’t touch her because she’d been mated, but I think he planned for her to take the virus that might negate the mating bond. Well, before a soldier from the Realm kidnapped her.”
Paxton’s dark brows drew down. “That soldier saved Karma. Since her mate had died centuries ago, she took the virus and negated the bond. It worked for her. She’s now happily mated to a vampire-demon hybrid, Vero. I think they have their third or fourth kid on the way.”
“So you say. But you never really know, do you? I remember when Benjamin Reese kidnapped her, after my uncles had tortured him for days. If you ask me, he let them capture him just so he could get ahold of her,” Vero muttered. “At least he came back for the twin human girls she’d adopted. I hope they’re safe. The Kurjans get a bad rap, but the vampires and demons have kidnapped just as many females through the years as we have.”
“So, the nightmare?” Paxton asked softly, obviously not rising to the bait.
Vero shrugged. “My uncle was harassing Karma as she served us dinner one night, and I got between them and told him to knock it off. He was twice my size, so he purposely shoved me into her, and we went down. Her arms were bare and so were mine, and the mating rash immediately sprang up. I pushed her away, but he had stuck his boot at the small of her back, keeping her in place. We touched for long enough that the rash burned us both and remained for several weeks.”
“What a dick,” Lyrica said.
Vero chuckled, and his shoulders relaxed. “Yeah, he was. Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing for myself that Karma’s all right.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Paxton said. “No promises. She mated Benjamin Reese, and he lives by his own rules.”
“What does that mean?” Vero asked curtly.
Paxton watched his brother carefully. “Benny’s a good guy, but some people think he’s insane.”
“What?” Vero burst out.
Paxton held up a large hand. “No, he isn’t. He’s actually quite brilliant, and he adores Karma. He doesn’t live within the Realm confines, though.” He relaxed again and leaned against the doorjamb. “I’m sure I could track him down. Well, maybe, if Benny wants to be tracked down.”
Lyrica gulped as her feet started to warm up.
“So,” Paxton said awkwardly, straightening and once again backing out of the room. “I’m sorry to have interrupted.”
“You didn’t,” Lyrica said. Darn it. Why did she keep protesting? She didn’t care what the Kurjan leader thought.
Vero’s shoulders went back. “I apologize and won’t let it happen again.” He gave her a shallow nod of his head. “There’s no excuse for my behavior, and I hope I didn’t frighten you too badly.”
Why did he always sound so formal? Well, most of the Kurjans did, actually. Lyrica cleared her throat. “You caught me before I could get hurt, and it’s all right. We all understand nightmares, and that sounds like a bad one.” How fast were his reflexes, anyway?
Paxton looked from Lyrica to Vero, an unidentifiable light in his sharp eyes. “I was hoping the speed dating had been a success.”
“Good night, brother,” Vero said firmly.
“Okey doke.” Paxton shut the door, and his heavy footsteps sounded down the hallway.
Vero crossed his arms, the sinewed strength beneath his skin tightening like coiled steel, a quiet display of power just below the surface. “I assure you this lodge is as safe as can be. I have all entrances and exits covered with an additional set of guards rotating at irregular intervals. You should be able to sleep well.”