Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 104842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“When I made that change in you, I had to give you much of my own blood, and that included…I don’t know what. Markers, genetic material—my essence, if you will—which altered your DNA at a cellular level.”
“Oh dear God, you made it so we can’t ever get divorced,” I said, going for aghast, hoping that was coming through.
Silence on the other end. Then, “what did you say to me?”
He was absolutely incensed, and I was enjoying that.
“We will never”—he was sputtering—“you will never be parted from—”
“Not that we’re married now,” I added. “It would be nice to be married before I get on a plane to Greenland, but you know, you have to find Alrek, so—”
“Jason!”
Imagining his face, all indignant and pissed off, made me laugh. I couldn’t help it. Varic was so careful with everyone outside his closest circle, and the most honest with me, letting me see under his unflappable, contained facade. He was kind to everyone and proper and calm at the same time. People who didn’t know him couldn’t see that for the mask it was. No one really knew him, not even his father, except for those of us who lived with him. Only we heard his husky laugh, saw his warm smile, and understood how big his heart was.
“Why are you—”
“I love you so much,” I said with a sigh.
His breath caught.
“C’mon, you know I do.”
“Yes, I…”
“Just tell me you’re sorry.”
“Oh, Jason, I’m so sorry. I made a terrible mistake by not calling and telling you what you were going through, and worse, even, by not calling only to hear your sweet voice.”
“See?” I teased him. “You’re good at this.”
“I missed you,” he barely got out, his voice cracking at the end.
“Good. Okay. I missed you too, love. Now tell me what’s happening.”
Seconds ticked by.
“Varic?”
“You’re not angry with me?”
I chuckled. “Why? Did you do something else?”
“No, I… But why—why aren’t you raging at—”
“You changed the way my body works so I can live longer and have more time with you, right? That’s why you made the change to my blood and to my heart.”
“Yes,” he husked.
“And now I understand that along with that comes this extra piece which made it so we shouldn’t be separated. That’s actually a good thing. If I wasn’t a matan, my own blood wouldn’t be trying to kill me. Basically, you left me with all this blood to give and nowhere for it to go since opening a vein for anyone else is a no-no.”
He was suddenly breathing heavily. “You cannot give your most precious blood to—”
“Yes, dear, I know,” I said playfully. “But really, if I weren’t a matan, I wouldn’t be feeling like this. Other vampyrs feed royals, like your mother, like Nerilla did, and don’t have these shitty side effects.”
“No.”
“And can I tell you that this explanation you just gave me, for everything I’ve been going through, has helped me so much. I’ve been feeling so weak and not at all like myself, and I thought, how useless I’ve become. I’m letting down everyone around me because I need a fuckin’ vacation? I mean, Varic, you’ve tilted my world back into alignment. There’s a real, tangible reason for why I’ve been feeling like I have no energy, like my brain is in a fog, like I’m not the man I thought I was.”
“Oh God, I should have—”
“Yes, you should have. Or you should have come home and, I dunno, recharged my battery or whatever, which sounds a bit pervy,” I said with a chuckle, “but it’s okay now. Knowing the reason makes every fuckin’ thing better. Thank you so much.”
“Truly?”
“Yes, truly. I mean, fuck, I can stop drinking ginseng every morning and gallons of green tea and—I think Dae-Jung thought I was dying.”
“Did he. Funny. That’s so funny.”
But it didn’t sound like it was. “Honey? Are you all right?”
“No. No, I’m not all right at all.”
“Where are you?”
“Where am I? Well, I’m on my private jet, with Alrek, Tiago, Hadrian, and all the rest of my guard, on the way home.”
“You could have started with that,” I told him, unable to stop smiling. My heart felt like it was growing in my chest.
“I could have,” he concurred.
“Oh,” I said, my voice cracking, thinking I would have to keep missing him for a bit longer. “I wonder if I can ask the king to let me wait and see you before—”
“Of course you’re going to wait,” he snarled. “I forbid you to go anywhere without me, and why the king believes he can send my consort—mine—down the street without your guards is beyond all—” He stopped talking, and I could hear his roar—again, nowhere near my ear, but loud enough that, since he was on a plane, it had to be uncomfortable for the others.
“No!” I heard Hadrian yell. “My prince, you cannot shift here on the plane. You will kill us all!”