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)
He stilled. “It’s here,” he murmured, his voice rough and almost reverent. “There’s a perfect marking that matches mine. Right here.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “What?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Before she could turn, his lips pressed against her skin, his touch both searing and electric. Pleasure and shock tore through her, making her knees wobble.
“Wait a minute,” she gasped, yanking her pants back up and spinning to face him. Her voice rose, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. “You mean…we’re mated?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
After a night of sleeping way too peacefully next to Vero, who might be her mate, Lyrica sat at her desk and forced herself to concentrate on the computer screen in front of her. They’d decided to just get some sleep and tackle the mating issue after their brains kicked back in.
Updates to the satellite service had arrived and been installed early that morning, and she clicked several buttons, waiting patiently. She watched with anticipation as her computer linked to several Kurjan satellites at once this time. Wow.
Finally, the full power of the internet lay at her fingertips. More than she’d ever had before.
Freedom surged through her. Should she shop? Instead, she quickly devoured all the current news she could find, desperate to reconnect with the world. It had been exhausting to live unplugged for so long. Then, on a whim, she conducted a search on demon mates and Kurjan mates. One click led to another, and before she knew it, she was spiraling down a rabbit hole of monster-romance novels—anything to avoid dwelling on the fact that she’d mated Vero.
What did that even mean? He’d talked about courting her, but this was forever. Taking a deep breath, she entered an address into the updated system and tapped a few buttons. A soft ringing sounded through the computer and the screen morphed, Hope’s face materializing.
“Lyrica, how are you?” Hope asked, her bright smile lighting up the screen.
“You don’t seem surprised that I just video-conferenced you,” Lyrica said, sinking into her chair.
Hope laughed. “Paxton and Vero already talked earlier.”
“Oh.” Lyrica pursed her lips. “I thought I was the first to get my computer updated.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Hope teased, her tone light. “But you’re probably second.”
That tracked. “I’m not sure where females rank in this nation.”
Hope threw up a hand. “It’s the same in the Realm. The males are all overprotective and over-the-top, but we’re the ones who really run things. Trust me, you’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“When are you coming back?” Lyrica asked, taking a sip of her coffee.
Hope’s expression sobered. “I’d like to return now, and so would Paxton, but Vero’s fighting us on it. Apparently, things are more dangerous than ever.”
Lyrica’s fingers tightened around her mug. “Oh, really? How so?”
“Three dead female bodies, a bombing, and a rush attack,” Hope said simply.
“I figured that was a normal week for the Kurjans.” The breath Lyrica had been holding rushed out. “I need to talk to you,” she said quickly, setting her coffee aside.
“Then talk.” Hope leaned closer to the screen, her expression curious. “What’s going on?”
Lyrica’s stomach twisted. “Vero and I mated,” she said, the words tumbling out.
Hope’s jaw dropped. “Holy crap. Seriously? I figured you’d gone on a date, but mating?”
“We didn’t mean to,” Lyrica admitted, rubbing her temple. “It just happened.”
Hope cocked her head, her gaze curious. “Huh. I didn’t think Kurjans could mate accidentally. How does that even work?”
“They bite to the bone and leave permanent marks,” Lyrica explained, waving a hand. “Apparently, that’s their thing.”
Hope’s brow furrowed. “Interesting. I didn’t know that. I mean, vampires do something similar, but still… Kurjans have been keeping that secret for a while, huh?”
“Seems like no secret lasts forever,” Lyrica murmured. Her stomach twisted again with the weight of what she hadn’t shared. Vero’s lineage—his demon blood—wasn’t hers to reveal. It was his truth, and she wouldn’t betray that trust. Still, doubt gnawed at her. “Is there…a way out of this whole mating thing?”
Hope’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you want out?”
Lyrica hesitated, her throat tightening. She wasn’t sure. Infatuation wasn’t love, but what she felt for Vero went deeper than anything she’d ever known. “I don’t know,” she admitted softly.
Hope’s tone gentled. “Then give it time. You care about him, don’t you? He cares about you. That’s not something to run from—it’s something to fight for.”
Lyrica took a deep breath. She needed to know all her options so she could make an informed decision. Plus, she would let Vero know. Though, if she were being honest, he probably knew a lot more than she did.
On the screen, Hope rolled her eyes, her expression both exasperated and amused. “All right, so there’s this thing called Virus 27. It was created by the Kurjans to kill vampires.”
“What?” Lyrica shook her head, confused. “What are you talking about?”