Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 215(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
He found he couldn’t look at Clive as he drove. His naked body was coated with blood. The rage that had taken over him wasn’t a new one. He’d felt it before while fighting in wars, but this time, it had come from a pure place of absolute fury at Clive being hurt. He’d failed to keep him safe, and this sat heavy on his back, like a weight.
That shame built until it was nothing but a black cloud all around him as they arrived to find Alaric standing on the front porch. The elf ran to the car and immediately went to help Clive out of the car.
“What happened?”
“We were driven off the road and attacked.” He watched him lead Clive toward the house, then followed slowly, his steps heavy like he was dragging them through mud.
Then, inside, Clive finally looked at him, eyes wide with shock and still horror. He’d seen Bain rip a living creature apart with his bare hands. Those blue eyes darted over all the blood coating Bain, and he jerked his head, then cried out as he gingerly touched his nose.
“Heal him,” Bain ordered, staying to watch as Alaric gently cupped his hand over Clive’s broken nose. The elf closed his eyes and murmured under his breath, and when he lowered his hand, Clive’s nose was back in place and those wide eyes were now staring at Alaric in shock.
“Good as new,” Alaric said softly, smiling down at the man who’d stolen Bain’s heart. The man now making him hold his breath because he had no idea how Clive was feeling other than shock and horror.
But then…Clive shot him one, small glance, and it was Bain’s turn to feel horror because there was nothing in that glance other than fear.
Chapter Eighteen
Clive
A week passed and Clive spent most of that time feeling too many things to compartmentalize. Relief that the CEO of Bassinger Holdings was arrested and that he was safe again. Regret because of the way he’d handled Bain cleaning up those demons. But mostly anger because Bain had dressed, left, and never come back. Alaric had stayed with Clive throughout everything, and though he was nice—kind of stoic and quiet really—he wasn’t Bain.
Clive needed Bain.
They’d connected on a deep level Clive hadn’t known was even possible, and he knew in his heart they were meant to be together. He loved the basilisk and couldn’t care less that he wasn’t human.
Bain hadn’t even said goodbye. He’d just disappeared.
And Clive got the feeling it was because, for one split moment, he’d let the horror of their encounter with those demons get to him. He worried Bain had seen something in his expression because the man had stared hard at him, then just walked outside to get his bag out of the car.
But how could he just leave like that?
How?
The anger grew until he couldn’t concentrate at all. He tried to sink back into his schedule, his work. But after a week, his fury had grown so large, he could do nothing other than pace and curse.
How dare Bain just walk away from what they had? Without even a word of goodbye.
So he ignored his ordered little schedule and drove to Protective Solutions. He found the right floor and rode the elevator with a man who smiled at him, revealing sharp incisors. Just like that woman when he’d been five years old. Clive didn’t let on that he saw anything different, just smiled back before stepping into a huge open space filled with cubicles with desks.
It didn’t look like anyone who worked there was human, but for the first time, Clive felt no fear. He saw wings of different colors, including a massive pair of golden white ones that looked like they’d take up half the huge open room if they were extended. He saw another beak, this one black, on a woman who also had a set of folded wings on her back. There was one gigantic man who ducked quickly out of the room, but Clive was pretty sure he’d had horns.
But the big thing was…Clive still felt no fear.
No, only anger fueled his steps as he asked a woman with blue hair where Xavier’s office was. He was led into a beautiful, modern office decorated in gray, black, and white. Xavier was the only one he’d seen in the office who looked human, but there was a sense of power pouring off him that told Clive he certainly wasn’t. He had long, straight black hair that fell to his waist, even tied back as it was. But it was his nearly black eyes that set him apart. Something in them told Clive that nothing got past him.
So, he might as well go for broke. “I need to speak to Bain. Where is he?”
Xavier folded his hands on top of the open book on his desk and regarded Clive for several long, intense moments before he sighed. “I don’t know. He took some vacation time and said he’d return in a couple of weeks.”