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)
Maeve turned away from the door. “There’s no need to spend yer valuable time with me, Prince. I’m worried for Ralstad and just want to know he’s all right.”
“He’s fine, Maeve. I need to ask him a few questions, then I’ll send him home to you.” Vero didn’t want to force the female inside if she didn’t want to go. He pulled a picture of the newest human victim from his pocket. “Do you recognize this female?”
Maeve ducked her head and studied the picture carefully. “I’m sorry. I do not know her.”
He slipped the picture back into his pocket and drew out the one of the circle-and-slash symbol. “What about this symbol?”
Her expression remained open and curious. “No, I’ve never seen that before. What is it, then?”
“I don’t know.” The wind whipped up, and he pivoted, placing his body between the wind and the female. “Does Ralstad have anything like this on his body?”
Her eyebrows rose, and she glanced up at him. “Of course not. He heals every injury he gets during battle. Ralstad would never allow a mark to stay on his body, he wouldn’t.”
Vero couldn’t discern any falsehood. Maeve seemed reluctant to enter the lodge, so he remained in place. “Three of the males who arrived with you attacked me last night.” Surprise altered her facial expression, and she took a step back from him. “I have Geoff in custody. The other two were named Shelton and Rogerie. How well did you know them?”
“Did know them?” she whispered, her nose turning red from the cold.
“Yes. Those two are dead.” Vero didn’t know how to soften the truth so he didn’t try. “Anybody who attacks us dies.” A warning for the entire camp. Plus, Lyrica could’ve been killed.
Maeve gulped. “Over the last two decades, we’ve had members come and go from our clan. There are ten couples who’ve been together for centuries.” She pushed a wayward curl off her face. “We currently have five unmated members. Geoff, Shelton, and Rogerie arrived together about six months ago.”
“Just the three of them?”
“Aye. In fact, it had been Geoff’s idea for us to rejoin the Kurjan nation.”
Interesting. “What about the other two unmated males?”
She squinted her eyes as if trying to remember. “They arrived separately in different seasons over the last few decades.”
“Would you like to come inside for sparkling water? We just replenished the kitchen.” If Lyrica saw Maeve inside, maybe she wouldn’t figure out he already drank three of the stockpiled crates.
“No. My worry was for my mate.”
Vero tried to read her expression and saw only concern. “Ralstad is fine. I need to interview him about these men, then I’ll let him know you asked about him.”
“No.” She held up both green mittens. “Don’t tell him I’m worried.”
Vero frowned and studied the female. “Why not?”
She backed away. “Ralstad is very, ah, protective? Please don’t tell him I sought you out.”
Perhaps Lyrica had a point about Maeve and Ralstad. “All right, but I do want you to meet with Lyrica sometime this afternoon.” He’d kept her up all morning, so hopefully she was managing to catch up on sleep. “That’s nonnegotiable.”
“Of course, Prince.” Maeve curtsied and hurried away toward a snowmobile waiting on the side of the main trail. She and Ralstad had requisitioned one since they lived on the outskirts of the property.
He watched her go. Hopefully Lyrica would know how to help her.
His chest feeling hot, he opened the lodge door, noting the coolness of the doorknob on his aching palm. What was wrong with him? He looked down at his hand and stilled. Shaking his head, he willed his eyes to clear. He had to be seeing things. There, on his right palm, was a clear marking of the letter C with barbed vines all around it.
The entire world tunneled in loudly, abusing his eardrums and narrowing his eyesight. He was a Kurjan. Full blooded. What was on his hand?
A fucking demon mark?
Impossible.
Another thought had him nearly swaying and then turning away from the lodge right now. If that was a mating mark, had he transferred it to Lyrica that morning?
Was he mated?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lyrica felt…off this morning. Sure, she’d been fighting a cold all week, but today her head seemed cloudy and her body tender. The previous night with Vero would’ve made anybody sore. Could five orgasms count as multiple, or was there a special designation after four? Had anybody not having sex with a Kurjan ever asked that question?
Her muscles ached—some she hadn’t realized she had. She shifted on her desk chair and winced as her butt cheek protested. Had he bruised her the night before? Not that the incredible sex hadn’t been worth a couple of bruises, because it definitely had. The satellite phone always on her desk trilled, and she picked it up. “Hello?” She’d been ordered to answer it like any home phone, just in case. In case of what, she had no clue.