Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
He grabs my arm. “Did Ronan bring you here?”
Raiden’s brassed-off expression tells me he knows the answer, and he’s not pleased.
“Isn’t this where he brings every stupid girl he shags?”
Raiden pauses. “Yes.”
I feared that, but hearing the truth still hurts. “I’m presuming all the others made their way out of this fancy maze. Care to tell me the secret?”
Another hesitation. Then he snaps his fingers. The towel around his waist disappears, replaced in a blink by denim, a black jumper, and trainers. He sighs as he wraps his arm around my waist.
“Don’t touch me! I may have been empty-headed enough to bed down with one of you, but that hardly makes me eager to shag you both.”
He presses his lips together. “Keep your voice down. I can’t teleport you to your flat if I don’t have a firm grip on you. Otherwise, you could disintegrate into a million pieces, never to reform. Painless way to die, but what would become of the Brew?”
Is he lying? I have no idea. But Ronan did hold me very tightly while bringing me here.
“All right. Do what you must.”
Raiden settles an arm around me again. “Ready?”
No, but I need to go. Waking to realize that I mean no more to Ronan than any other woman bruised my fragile heart. Avoiding that ugly reality is impossible, but it will be easier after I’ve showered him away, cried, and processed my reckless rush into his bed.
Still, something stupidly hopeful inside me doesn’t want to give up on Ronan.
“Wait! Is it true that a wizard knows his mate after a taste and uses ritual words to attach his woman to him?”
Raiden’s face closes up. “That is customary.”
“Does that usually happen…right away?”
“If you’re hoping Ronan will speak the Call to you, stop. My brother will never take a mate. I promise you that.”
Someone waits at the pub’s door as I open for business that evening. Tall, large boots, a hulking shadow through the window. My stomach flips. Did Ronan come for me after all?
Full of ridiculous hope, I fling open the door with a smile. It falls when I catch sight of Tynan. Quickly, I recover and paste on a welcoming expression. “Come on in.”
“I’m sorry you’re not more pleased to see me.”
I wish I was. Someday, I suspect Tynan will recover from Auropha’s horrific loss and devote his whole heart and soul to a lucky someone. On one level, I wouldn’t hate being that woman. He’ll never cheat, like Edward. He’ll never seduce another woman under my nose, like Ronan.
But Tynan and I… There’s no spark. Besides, he’s still grieving, and I’ve lost interest in every male except Ronan.
“It’s not you. I’m tired.”
As I step back to admit him and flip my sign to Open, Tynan shuffles in and studies me. “Tired, is it? Did lack of sleep give you those whisker burns on your neck?”
I flush hot and ignore his question. “You’re here early.”
He accepts my change of subject with a wry smile. “Celebrating. Since I can’t tell anyone else, I’ll let you in on another secret. I shouldn’t say anything to a human, but my family won’t understand and I’m bursting to tell someone…”
“You know me. Mum’s the word…”
“Indeed. I discovered recently that a group of magical warriors has banded together to fight Mathias. They’re calling themselves the Doomsday Brethren, and one of the Council members, Bram Rion, is secretly helming the group. I bullied my way into joining last night.”
“They didn’t want you?”
“They assumed my loyalties lie with my grandfather, who is also a Council member, and that I would be opposed to Bram’s vigilante justice.”
“So you blackmailed them?”
He dishes me a grim smile. “Indeed. They’ll learn soon enough that I’m loyal to anyone determined to kill Mathias.”
“It sounds dangerous, but I hope that brings you peace.” I squeeze his hands.
When Tynan opens his mouth to reply, the bell above the door trills. In walks the biggest, baddest leather-clad man I’ve ever seen. He’s got long, midnight hair and a bad attitude. Black sunglasses shield his eyes, but it’s clear he’s zeroed in on Tynan. “You O’Shea?”
Tynan shifts, putting me behind him. He looks braced for a fight. “What do you want?”
The other man slouches with a practiced air I don’t believe for a second. “Shock Denzell.”
“Denzell?” Tynan’s tone thickens with distrust. “You followed me here?”
“I hear you don’t like me.”
Tynan tenses. “I doubt you’re here because we won’t be best friends.”
Shock crosses his arms over his massive chest, his smile dark. “You interested in playing the hero or do you have another agenda?”
“Answering that question may be hazardous to my health. Despite the fact you’re supposedly one of the Doomsday Brethren, you Denzells have a long history of supporting Mathias.”
The scary stranger raises a brow. “Verbal diarrhea in front of the human?”
“She knows.”
Denzell flicks his disapproving gaze my way before ignoring me like lint on his sleeve. “So you don’t trust me because of my family. Do you always blame a son for his father’s sins?”