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)
Pleasure swept through her as she settled against the heated seat, letting the warmth surround her.
Vero climbed in next to her, the UTV rocking under his weight. Once inside, he turned to her, his intense gaze locking on hers. “How are you?”
How was she? That was a loaded question. She hesitated, unsure how to answer. “I’m fine,” she said finally.
His lips thinned. “I may not have been mated long, but I know ‘I’m fine’ isn’t a good sign. How sore are you?”
Her head jerked up, and she could almost feel fire flash from her eyes. “Well, my butt is very sore, thank you very much. You bruised me.”
“I spanked you,” he corrected, his voice firm but tinged with amusement. “It’s not supposed to feel good. Well…not too good, anyway.” A wicked grin lifted his lips.
Heat surged to her face, the blush actually painful. The things she had let him do to her the night before, she could barely believe. Yet it had been worth every second. She crossed her arms, glaring.
“Still.” His gaze softened. “Having you bruised isn’t ideal.”
His fangs dropped, glinting in the morning light.
She cringed back against the door. “What are you doing?”
He held out his wrist and slashed his fangs into it. Blood welled immediately. “Here. Take blood. We’re mated. It won’t hurt you—it’ll help you.”
“I’m not drinking your blood,” she snapped.
He sighed, clearly losing patience. Before she could react, he reached out, cradled the back of her head, and pressed his wrist against her lips.
She tried to fight him, but the liquid slid over her tongue, sparking like wildfire. Her eyes watered, but to her surprise, the taste wasn’t bad. In fact, it was…delicious. Spicy and dark, with a hint of sweetness she couldn’t quite place. Against her will, she swallowed several mouthfuls, warmth spreading from her belly to the rest of her body.
He finally pulled his wrist away. “We’re mated, so my blood should help you—won’t burn you any longer.”
She licked her lips, shaking her head slightly. “It’s like I just tasted something very spicy. But I like spicy food.”
The warmth continued to spread through her limbs, and she suddenly felt lighter. Stronger. Healed. She rolled her shoulders, shifting her weight on the seat experimentally. “That’s…amazing,” she breathed.
The soreness had vanished entirely. When was the last time she hadn’t experienced any pain? She looked at him, wide-eyed. “You feel like this all the time?”
He chuckled. “I’m usually getting punched in the face, but yeah, we feel like that when we’re not in battle.”
“Wow.” She leaned back, still marveling at the sensation. “Hey, as I become more immortal…how does that work? Once my chromosomal pairs combine, I mean…will I feel like this?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. Probably.”
“Wow,” she said again. This might be worth the occasional spanking. She pulled a wrapped candy out of her pocket. “I’ve been eating these all week, and they’re wrapped. No poison.” She unwrapped it and popped the chocolate morsel into her mouth. The instant the treat touched her tongue, her eyes widened. “Even this tastes better. Does food taste better to you?”
He put the UTV in drive, frowning slightly. “I don’t know. I don’t have anything to compare it to. But food tastes good, usually.”
“You don’t understand,” she said, savoring the deliciousness. “It’s like I can taste every molecule of this chocolate. The cocoa beans that created it. The sun that nourished the plants. The water that hydrated the soil.”
He cast her a quick glance, his brow furrowing as two soldiers stumbled past outside. “I just usually taste chocolate.”
“This is amazing.” She swallowed the candy and even her stomach warmed. No wonder Maeve seemed so content. The world tasted incredible. She paused mid-thought, watching the soldiers. “Are those soldiers drunk?”
“No. Looks like they’re sick. We need to figure out what everyone has eaten. I haven’t had anything yet today, either.” He turned his attention back to her, speeding up and driving out of the main hub of the territory. Trees surrounded them. “Are you sure you feel healthy?”
“I just told you. Incredible. Nothing hurts.”
His gaze raked her, head to toe. “Good. Tell me if that changes.”
Bossy.
A flash of green light seared the air, and Lyrica turned just as a laser tore through the UTV’s front window, striking Vero in the face. His head snapped back, blood spurted across the broken glass, and the vehicle screeched to a halt, the sudden stop throwing her against the dash. She gasped, pain ricocheting through her ribs as her door was wrenched open. Rough hands grabbed her, dragging her into the cold.
Her breath hitched as she twisted, trying to break free. “Vero!” she screamed, the word raw and desperate. He wasn’t moving. Fear coiled around her throat, threatening to choke her.
Coron, a soldier she recognized from camp, gripped her arm hard enough that tears sprang to her eyes. His face, once familiar, twisted into something cruel and foreign.