Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34989 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Thankfully, a groggy Fox had answered the phone and seemed to snap awake the second Sky blurted out that Nolan had been kidnapped and he was likely in the hands of Christoph Sandor.
After a series of frantic phone calls and some careful planning, Skylar found himself parked outside of the Varik manor with his hands balled into fists and his throat sore from holding in screams of frustration. His mind kept conjuring up horrible tortures for Nolan at the hands of Christoph. The fucking bloodsucker had to be furious that Sky outsmarted him. Would he take that anger out on Nolan?
God, please no.
A knock on his window ripped a scream from Sky’s lips. He jumped in his seat, his head jerking to see Moon standing outside with a worried smile.
“Oh, thank fuck,” Sky muttered as he threw himself out of the car and into his friend’s waiting arms.
“Breathe, Sky. You need to take some deep breaths and calm down,” Moon murmured in his ear as he hugged him.
Right now, that was all Sky could do—hold on to his friend and breathe. He leaned nearly all his weight on the man as his fingers twisted in his jacket. The ever-present scent of lemongrass and laundry detergent drifted past Sky’s nose and it was almost as soothing as the deep breathing.
After he’d gotten things settled with Winter, he’d immediately called Moon. If shit went sideways and the Variks couldn’t save Nolan from Christoph, he was going to need some backup. And when it came to facing vampires, there was no one else he wanted in his corner more than Moon.
“I’m so sorry to drag you into this,” Sky mumbled into his friend’s shoulder.
“Idiot.” Moon tugged on a lock of his hair and Sky lifted his head to meet his gaze. “Do you think I would miss out on this? Of course I’m here.” He lifted a fist and rapped his knuckle on the center of Sky’s forehead. “And you need to stop blaming yourself for this happening.”
“But—”
“You are, and this isn’t your fault. You warned Nolan not to leave the house, but he did. Plus, it was daylight. Anyone would have thought he was safe. Let it go. If we’re taking on vampires—particularly a freaking vampire clan leader—we need to be focused.”
Sky blinked at him for a second. That was really astute for Moon. He didn’t mean any offense, but Moon was flighty and very unfocused.
Moon smirked. “I talked to Mad on the way over here.”
That explained it. Maddox always seemed to know what each of them was thinking, even though he vehemently denied using a spell or an artifact for that skill.
“Have you tried calling Nolan recently?” Moon inquired.
Sky shook his head. “I tried once on the drive over, but it went directly to voice mail. That bastard could have turned off Nolan’s phone or possibly even destroyed it to keep him from contacting anyone for help.”
Moon placed a hand on his slumped shoulder and squeezed. “You’re in good with Winter Varik, right? That’ll convince the king to help you. All the vampires have to obey their king. You’re going to get Nolan back.”
It wasn’t just about getting Nolan back. He didn’t want his sweet, grumpy human to suffer anymore. And he definitely didn’t want him changed into a vampire. Not that he would suddenly stop caring for him. Nolan didn’t seem to want to be a vampire. It wasn’t right to force that on anyone.
“We should head in. Winter told me someone would be expecting us as soon as the sun set.” Sky led the way to wide stone stairs bathed in warm lamplight. Several lights had popped on in the various windows of the massive house. How many people were in there?
No, how many vampires were living within those walls?
Bits of gravel crunched under his shoes as they walked toward the stairs. As they climbed, another car whipped up the long drive and parked with a squeal of tires next to Sky’s car. He cringed, waiting for the sound of crunching metal, but it never came. The driver behind the dark windows of the SUV smoothly pulled it into an open spot without hitting his car.
The vehicle had barely come to a complete stop when Fox jumped out of the passenger seat and jogged over to him.
“Sky!” he shouted, drawing Sky’s lips into a smile while some relief coursed through tense muscles. It helped to know he wasn’t facing this King Aiden without at least one familiar face there to support him. From the driver’s seat, Winter slid out and ambled over to them.
“This is fucking bullshit!” Fox exploded the second he was standing in front of him and Moon. “There’s no way Aiden is going to let this stand. We’re getting Nolan free of this asshole.”
“Be careful, babe. Don’t go putting words in my father’s mouth,” Winter called out. Fox turned to glare at his boyfriend, his entire body so tense he was practically vibrating. The vampire didn’t seem perturbed as he continued. “Sandor isn’t going to make this easy, and you know it. He’s older than me by a few decades, and you don’t live that long without learning to be sneaky.”