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 shivered. “I promise, I won’t say anything.”
“Dawn is approaching. I’m too pretty to burn.” Ty whistled. “Let’s go and discuss this later.”
“No,” Xander barked.
Ty whistled a tune and peeked around the corner. “Dead castle guards aren’t a great scene to be around. These guys are Night Watch. They march around the city making sure dominas haven’t strayed off to forbidden places. The guys will be expected to return to their post.”
Xander remained quiet. The gold in his pupils flared to a brighter shade.
“I can give you more of my blood.” I gritted.
Xander leaned his head to the side. “And has Octavia requested you give me something more?”
“No.” I wrinkled my forehead.
What is he talking about?
“Those vials of Camille’s blood could buy my Victoria a house and me several top brand horses.” Ty returned to us. “I’ll take her myself if you’re worried.”
“No.” Xander shook his head. “She belongs to me until she’s in Zumaya.”
“I don’t belong to anybody.”
Xander scowled. “I should have never listened to Octavia.”
“And all I need you to do is get me out of Capitol City. I can find my way to Zumaya on my own.”
“But you won’t.” Xander’s eyes remained on mine. “Not if I have anything to say about it. Now take off your robe.”
“What?”
“Now.” Xander snatched off his coat, threw it to the ground, and pulled off the black shirt he had on under it.
I tensed.
His waist rippled with sculpted muscles. His chest and shoulders bulged and spoke of great strength. It was one thing to assume he had a big frame, another to have it confirmed within the moons’ light.
Claw marks decorated his shoulder. Vampires could heal most wounds quickly. I wondered what beast scratched him to the point that the injury could not heal.
“Wear my shirt so we won’t have any more guards bothering us.” He slung the shirt at me.
I caught it. “Please turn around.”
Ty faced away from me.
I waited for Xander to turn, but he simply flashed a wicked grin. “Go ahead and take off the robe.”
“Please.”
“I’m not interested, and after your lies, I won’t be putting my back to you.”
Whatever.
Slowly, I slipped out of my robe. The chiffon slid down my trembling skin and fell to the ground.
The moons’ light shone on my teal undergarments, but I didn’t flinch or cover myself.
As a domina, I had to undress in front of guards, castle doctors, and unknown inspectors at least five times a day. They always checked my body for unpermitted bite marks.
I swallowed a large gulp of anxiety.
His gaze drifted down to my neck and then to the curve of my cleavage as it pushed out of my satin bra.
I shivered. “I can give you more blood, as much as you want, as long as it doesn’t kill me.”
“I don’t want your blood. I’m no king,” he whispered, yet his fangs extended farther down from the top of his lip. His hand went to my breast.
I jumped as his fingertips touched my locket.
“This will be your payment.” He traced the silver locket’s edge with his thumb. Once again, my blood reacted, rushing to the center of my chest.
I pressed myself further into the wall. “No.”
“You dare tell me no?”
“The locket has no value.” I removed it from his hands. “The robe cost three times more than this trinket.”
“But the locket means something to you, so I want it.” Xander snatched it away. The chain snapped in half. A few of the links fell down my chest, rolled over my breasts, and dropped to the ground.
I gritted my teeth until my gums ached. “Can I at least have the picture in there?”
“Is it a picture of your king?”
“No. It’s a picture of my husband and girls back in Zumaya. You can have the locket, but the picture is mine. Just in case I don’t make it home, I want to see my family’s faces before I die.”
Xander averted his eyes. A low groan escaped his lips. He handed the locket back to me. “Never mind. The vials are enough.”
I placed it in my bra and tucked it near my right breast.
Ty giggled into his hand. “See. Xander is a big softy. He only plays the bully for people who don’t know him well.”
Xander scowled.
I put on Xander’s shirt, pulling it over my face.
His sweet aroma drifted from the thin material and reminded me of the purple herbs my mother used for creating her popular scented candles.
She had died three years ago with the food shortage from the drought.
I inhaled the shirt, sucking the fragrance through my nose like it would make my home or mother appear.
“Enough.” Xander slowly backed away. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry.” I dropped the material from my nose. “Your shirt smells sweet like tenna herbs.”
“Don’t you worry about what I smell like.” Xander ran his fingers through his blond-and-black strands.