Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
She managed to pull herself onto all fours and peer around at her surroundings. It was so quiet. She didn’t scent anyone either, not even her abductor.
This wasn’t a room. It was a cave. It was damp and cold. She had no way of knowing where she might be. The mountains surrounding her valley had many caves, but she’d only ever been in a few and never alone.
She had no recollection of anything. Her last thought was the masked man putting a cloth over her face.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “What’s he going to do with me? Where is he?” Her legs and arms were shaking so badly that she curled up on her side in a tight ball, hugging her knees up to her chest.
Tears fell. Today was supposed to have been her claiming day. Bile rose in her throat at the thought of her mate arriving at the government center and finding out she was not there. Would he think she’d gotten scared and run away from home?
She shook that thought from her mind. He would know.
Would he find her? Was that even possible? Maybe he wouldn’t be able to scent her deep inside this cave. Perhaps that’s why her abductor brought her here.
And what if he did find her? Or anyone else for that matter? She was ruined now. Another man had touched her. She shuddered at the thought that she had no idea what that man might have done to her.
She squeezed her legs together, trying to figure out if he’d touched her there. He could have taken her virginity while she’d been unconscious. She held her breath as she decided there was no indication she’d been molested or raped.
Not that it mattered. She would still be ruined in her mate’s eyes.
Sobs wracked her body. Her life was over. Who was this man who’d taken what was not his? She hadn’t recognized him, but with the mask, he could have been anyone. She hadn’t been able to scent him, but it had all happened so fast.
Scared, cold, and hungry, Suzette let the tears fall. She cried for everything she’d undoubtedly lost today. She cried for the life she’d never have. She cried so hard that she didn’t notice anyone approaching until they loomed over the cage.
“I’m here, Little doll.” The voice was deep and filled with concern.
When she inhaled, she drew in the scent she knew well from the past fourteen mornings. It was true. This was her mate, and he had come to her every day for two weeks.
“Scoot as far as you can to the edge of the cage, Little doll,” he instructed. His voice was controlled. Fury hung on the edge of it, but he was forcing himself to keep from scaring her. She knew that as clearly as she knew her own name.
The fact that he’d called her Little doll sent a warm soothing feeling all over her as she did as he’d told her and scooted as close to the rear of the kennel as possible. Instinctively she knew she could trust this man.
He was huge. Her mate? This was her mate, right? He had dark hair and eyes, and his arms were bigger than any man she’d ever met. He used one hand to brace the side of the cage and the other to yank the door completely off as if it had been made of kindling.
After tossing the mangled frame to the side, he reached into the kennel. “Come, Little one. Take my hand.”
She shook violently as she lifted her hand to his and let him slide her out of the cage.
In a flash, she was in his arms. He lifted her off the ground and rose to his feet, cradling her against him. “Are you hurt, Little one?” He leaned her back and let his gaze roam all over her.
Her lip trembled as more tears came to the surface. Was she dreaming, or was he really here?
His brow was furrowed as he gently cupped her face and tipped it back and forth, scrutinizing her with narrowed eyes. How could he see well enough to know if she was hurt?
Sobs escaped. Relief. Concern. Lingering fear. What would he do with her now? “Are…you…going to…” she kept crying, “take me…home?” Would he be so kind as to return her to her family? Then what would become of her?
He rolled her tight against his chest and rocked her as his hand came to the back of her head, cradling her so gently, his fingers tangling in her long hair. “Yes, Little doll, I’m going to take you home.”
He carried her out of the cave. As soon as they stepped into the sunlight, she tucked her face deeper into his chest and covered her eyes with one hand.
“Does the light hurt, Little one?”