Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Come on. I have to concentrate.
Yet, I missed the fire in her spirit, the way she could stand toe-to-toe with me, never backing down, even when the world demanded she should.
It was a cruel irony—how the very thing I needed to win this battle was also the thing that weakened me.
Love made me vulnerable.
Moni made me vulnerable.
And yet… I knew deep down that without her, I would never be whole again.
I didn’t just want her back—I needed her back.
She wasn’t just part of my life; she was the heart of it, the pulse that kept me going.
Did you want me to learn that lesson too, Father? That without my Mountain Mistress. . .I am no Mountain Master. . .I am just a man.
I stopped pacing and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply.
Imagining her beside me.
I knew it was foolish—holding onto memories when I should have been preparing for the battle—but I couldn’t help it.
I was a man used to taking what I wanted and bending the world to my will.
She’s more than love, more than mine. That’s what you wanted me to understand, Father? You cruel sick fuck of a man.
I sneered.
In this moment, I knew now more than ever that Moni wasn’t a prize I’d won or a possession to be kept.
She was my equal.
My partner.
My other half.
I wasn’t complete without her.
How did that happen so fast?
I raked my hands through my hair as frustration bubbled beneath my skin.
I can’t rule without her. I just. . .realized that right now. . .but. . .how did that happen?
In order to be the best Mountain Master for the East, I needed her.
I needed her laughter, her strength, her warmth—everything that made her Moni.
Shit!
I would do anything to get her back.
Burn the world to ashes.
Kill anyone who stood in my way.
Betray my blood.
None of it mattered as long as she was by my side again.
That was the paradox I lived with—the tension between rage and reason, between the duty of a leader and the desperation of a lover.
Alright. Alright. No more tears. No more prayer. You had your moment. Get it together. Get your head back in the fucking game.
I couldn’t afford to be reckless, not with Moni’s life on the line.
I exhaled, forcing myself to stand straight.
She said that I must get rest and then train in the morning so. . .that’s what I’ll do.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
One way or another, I’d her have back to me. And when I did, I wouldn’t let her go.
Not ever again.
Because Moni wasn’t just the love of my life—she was my life.
And without her, there was no version of this world I wanted to live in.
When this nightmare ends, I’ll spoil her every day—her favorite wine, a warm bath, silk sheets. A trip to any place on this planet she wants to go to. Anything she wants, anything that’ll remind her that she’s more than a survivor. She’s my Mountain Mistress. My queen, and I’ll make sure she feels like one. . .all the fucking time.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, dragging me out of my sorrowful haze.
I took it out fast, hoping for Moni, but instead, Dima’s name glared on the screen.
Maybe, he found her.
I answered on the first ring. “Dima?”
His voice came through cold and direct. “We picked up lots of movement on Mount Utopia.”
Every muscle in my body tightened. “What kind of movement?”
“Gunfire. Sporadic shots. It’s not a full-on firefight, but it’s enough to draw attention.” He paused briefly, as if gauging my reaction. “But there’s no confirmation that Moni was there. As sure as satellite feeds can be. There’s no visual of her. No sign of Leo either. Just some people moving around but we couldn’t get close enough to identify them.”
I began pacing the room. “She’s there.”
“How do you know?”
“Guns aren’t allowed on Mount Utopia unless my father or me bring them. No others could do it.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. He has her there but I don’t understand the gunfire.”
“I sent men.”
I gripped the phone tighter. “And?”
“I dispatched a team immediately. They drove that way and got within two miles of the mountain before they ran into trouble.”
My chest tightened. “What kind of trouble?”
“Men in blue. Armed monks.”
“They stopped your men?”
“At first, they just started following—tailed them on the highway, staying just close enough to let them know they were there. My guys kept going but then more cars showed up and boxed them in.”
“Boxed them in where?”
“Near the old interstate exit that leads into the valley. It was coordinated. Like they were waiting for us and had already planned moves to make.”
“He knew I would guess that they would be on Mount Utopia.” I pressed my hand to my forehead, the headache from earlier threatening to return. “You had your men turn around? Right?”
“Yes.”
“Good. My father’s men would have never let them get too close to Mount Utopia. We don’t need any more dead tonight.” I let out an exasperated breath. “They’re going to block us from getting closer to Mount Utopia until the battle tomorrow.”