Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“I don’t trust anyone Octavia introduces me to.”
“Are you past lovers?”
“Interesting.” Xander frowned. “She didn’t tell you what we are to each other. I don’t know if I should be relieved or worried.”
A few feet ahead of us, a pregnant human woman sat on the ground.
I gazed at her in shock.
Raw red bites decorated her neck and cleavage. She wore tattered clothes. A breeze blew through her disheveled brown hair.
Xander stopped us, dug in his pocket, pulled out a few pocks, and handed it to her.
She gave him a weak smile. “I can give you blood, sir. Feel free to bite me.”
What?
“No need.” He waved her away. “Get something to eat for you and your child.”
“Please.” Her fingers shook as she held the money and licked her lips.
She yanked the top of her dress down and exposed two erect pink nipples. Bites spread across each breast. “I’m quite tasty, sir.”
A growl expelled from Xander’s throat.
She leaped up and scurried away.
She is addicted to vampire bites?
Xander dragged me off, but I continued to gaze at the fleeing woman.
We turned the corner and journeyed down a darkened street where no lamplights existed, just concrete huts stacked on top of each other.
Now where are we?
No one walked the street.
Someone cleared their throat to my right. Glowing silver eyes peaked from the shadows, but I couldn’t see who the eyes belonged to.
“Good night for the hunt, Xander?” the mystery person said.
“Indeed.” Xander guided me to the other side of him. “Any trouble this evening?”
“I’m the only trouble in these parts.” The shadow’s deep voice delivered shivers up my spine. The eyes disappeared.
A woman screamed farther up.
Figures raced away out of the darkness ahead with something on their shoulders. It may have been the woman.
Trembling, I stopped walking. “What was that—?”
“You don’t want to know. Just stick with me.” Xander tugged me forward.
I glanced behind me.
Ty continued to trail behind us, whistling and smiling as if he had no care in the world.
I looked ahead of us. “I’ve never been in this area of Capitol City. Where are we?”
“The Bottom.”
“Where is that?”
“Where we are.”
I sighed.
Minutes later, three large figures approached the front of us. I couldn’t make out their faces.
“Keep your head down,” Xander whispered with his gaze still fastened on me. “Three castle guards are heading our way.”
No! They will take me back!
My fingers shivered within his heated hand. Bile swirled around in my stomach, threatening to escape through my mouth.
I trembled. “Maybe I should run.”
“I doubt they discovered a maid’s disappearance so soon and that wouldn’t warrant three guards.” Xander guided me behind him and whistled the same tune Ty had been whistling. “Relax, little maid. I’m signaling Ty. You’ll be fine. You paid for the best.”
I hope so.
Fast, Ty materialized at my side.
Xander’s hand went to the center of my back. “Please stop shaking. Everything will be fine.”
I bit my lip and bobbed my head up and down.
What will the king do to me when he finds out I tried to escape?
My mind flashed back to the dead dominas hanging outside the back of the castle.
My maid had explained the group of women were accused of conspiring together, but no one knew what they planned to do or if they’d even been plotting in the first place.
Please. I can’t go back.
The three guards stomped our way. Their footsteps sounded like a battered drumroll, announcing my death. Brown leather draped their scarred frames. They waved huge swords with wooden blades.
One of the guards stopped in front of us and looked directly at me. “Where are you going?”
I swallowed.
Xander stepped right between the guard and me. “She’s with us.”
“Today the domina’s official color is teal.” The guard on my right raised his sword, targeting Xander’s head. “She wears a teal robe under the shawl.”
“Come on guys.” Ty held out his sides. “She’s just a domina maid having a little fun with us tonight. There’s no problem here.”
The guards waited for a few seconds as if processing the information. It was a fifty-fifty chance they would believe us. Some domina maids did wear the official colors of the day.
The guards liked us to all dress alike so we were easy to herd around and watch.
The second guard stepped forward. “Take off that shawl.”
My heartbeats sped up.
Moisture appeared under my arms and around my forehead.
People outside of the Royal Court were ignorant to domina robing, day colors, or even the embroidery symbols. Even some of the guards didn’t quite understand it.
But, if these guards knew to check the top of my robe, then they understood the intricate details of castle procedure.
They’ll realize I’m untouched.
The guard bared his fangs at me. “Go ahead. Take off the shawl before I get mad.”
“Okay.” I swallowed down my fear.
Inch-by-inch I raised my hands to my shawl, searching the dimly lit street with my eyes and trying to decide which way I could run.