Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
“What are you doing, Shy?” Rhys stands in the rain, his dark, longish hair slicked back after he runs a hand through it.
It does not make him any less sexy. The rain simply drenches the tunic he’s wearing, plastering it to his perfectly cut chest.
Yeah, I watch this man a lot. I watch him when he’s training. I watch him when he chops firewood. I watch him when he swims in the pond, but always find a way to avert my eyes when he starts to walk out. I don’t have that right. But I want it.
It’s kind of nice to not have his grandfather inside my head trying desperately not to vomit because he can somehow feel what I feel.
Don’t you think for a second you aren’t worthy of him. He’s my grandson and I love him, but I know your soul. You make sure he’s worthy of you.
Sometimes I still hear Harry like he’s here. Like he’s still the strong ground I stand on.
But he’s not and I’m alone, and the only way I’ll ever figure out if there’s more to me is to meet with this Arawn person.
“I’m doing what everyone in the supernatural world needs me to do.” It’s good. I can get it over with and then we’ll know. Then he’ll know if I’m his goddess or not. He’ll see that I can’t ever keep up with him sexually because I don’t know how good I’ll be at it. I don’t know if I’ll like it. I think about it, but how will I know?
When he kissed me earlier… I liked that. Maybe I can get through the rest of it if he’ll kiss me. I love it when he wraps his arms around me and holds me until I fall asleep. When he stands in front of me even though he can’t see the ghost or spirit that frightens me. When his hand holds mine and the world seems warm…
But since he ascended there’s an intensity to him I don’t understand. A need to control me.
All I know is I love this man and he needs me, and after this I’m putting my foot down and he better be reasonable enough to understand that I am going to Faery.
Rhys stares at me for a moment and thunder cracks right before he reaches out and hauls me close. The hound growls, but I hold out a hand as Rhys leans over and hauls me high against his chest. He strides through the muddying yard toward the road that leads through the center of town.
“My place is closer,” I say as he keeps walking. He moved to a cabin on the edge of town when his parents returned. He stays there with his brother and Fen, who claim they can’t handle all the fertility magic that flows whenever the royals get it on. Which they do a lot. Only Evan is still staying at the big house.
“Your house is full of witches,” he says, not looking down at me, though I note there’s only a light drizzle now. “Everyone who might be at mine is currently in Hell. I really should have gone with them.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I glance around, and there are a whole bunch of townsfolk out trying to figure out why it’s raining.
The minute they see Rhys, the pointing begins. Then it looks like they have some questions about the hounds trotting behind us.
Rhys really is getting a bad reputation, and while it wouldn’t bother Lee at all, it will upset him. Rhys has played the peacemaker over and over again. Rhys loves these people and enjoys when they come to him with their problems. The benevolent god.
“It means if I’d gone to the Hell plane with Fen and my siblings, I wouldn’t be in this position,” he mutters. “I wouldn’t be fighting with you. I hate fighting with you.”
We never fight, but now I wonder if that’s healthy. Rhys and I formed a friendship at a tender age that quickly became a romantic attachment. But the years have rolled by, the war keeping us apart at times, my own unique circumstances at others. We’ve never been a normal couple. We’ve leaned on each other, supported each other, been awkward around each other. We’ve never simply been.
“Well, get used to it if you intend to be this overly possessive asshole you seem determined on becoming.” Despite my harsh words, I don’t move my arm from its position around his broad shoulders. I don’t struggle to be released.
“I am trying to protect you as I always have,” he insists as his long legs take us to the edge of town and his small cabin.
He takes the steps quickly and closes and locks the door behind us.
“No, you are trying to control me.” My feet find the floor as he sets me down and stares at me, his eyes bleeding out to full emeralds.