Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88048 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Then the scene faded as they left it behind, the moving walkway taking them deeper into the mountain.
“That’s beautiful,” Miri murmured, looking at her guys. “And you just knew you were supposed to be together?”
“We knew.” Lynx nodded.
“No doubt in our minds,” Saxon growled. “We knew we were meant to complete each other…and find a mate together,” he added in a lower tone.
As he spoke, new figures coalesced out of the mist. It was Saxon and Lynx as they looked now—only somewhat younger, Miri thought. And the expressions on their faces were terribly unhappy.
“She’s gone!” Lynx’s voice cracked, his golden eyes welling with tears. “Gods, Saxon—I can’t believe she’s gone! Our Kara…”
He broke down and wept but Saxon just stood there, a stoic look on his face, his eyes dry.
“It was our fault,” he said roughly. “We never should have—”
“Don’t talk about the guilt now,” Lynx begged, his voice broken with anguish. “Just grieve with me. I need you now, Brother—you’re all I have left! And I’m all you have left.”
Saxon put one long, muscular arm around his Bond-Brother. But while Lynx grieved, letting out the terrible pain inside, Saxon said nothing and never shed a tear. He just stood there with a grim look on his face, his wintry eyes completely dry.
Keeping it all bottled up inside, Miri thought, as she watched the scene play out.
She cast a sidelong glance at the two big Monstrum and saw the same grim look on Saxon’s face as the version of him in the mist. Lynx looked sad but more accepting. He had grieved through the death of their mate, Miri thought, but Saxon never had. He had never let himself get over the festering pain and guilt. It was probably why he was so closed up inside.
“Why the fuck is the mist showing us this?” he growled, glaring as the images faded. “It’s ancient history.”
“Maybe it’s history I needed to see,” Miri murmured, looking at both of them. “I’m so sorry for your loss, Saxon.”
The big Monstrum shook his head.
“What’s done is done. It was a long time ago.”
“But you’re still hanging onto the pain,” Miri pointed out.
“Our Lady is right,” Lynx purred gently. “You never let go of the hurt and guilt you felt for our mate’s death.”
“Some things shouldn’t be let go of,” Saxon growled. “I just want to know why the mist is showing everything about the two of us and nothing about Mirabella.”
As he spoke, it seemed like the mist listened. Because a moment later, a new image began to form—it was Miri when she was younger and her mother was there too. Her mother’s lovely green eyes—eyes Miri had inherited—were filled with tears.
“Your father…” she whispered as the younger Miri looked at her uncertainly.
“Where is he? Where’s Papa?” she demanded. “Why isn’t he home from his trading trip yet?”
“His ship…” Her mother was clearly trying to control herself. “It was attacked…taken.”
“So he was captured? But we can still get him back, can’t we? We can go find him and buy him—the way you did when you first saw him at the auction—right, Momma?” the younger Miri demanded.
But her mother shook her head.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart but his ship was taken by the Skulls.”
Even at that age, Miri had known what that meant.
Miri watched as her younger self’s eyes filled with tears. She and her mother hugged each other, sobbing, knowing that her father was never, ever coming home…
“My Lady, are you all right?”
Lynx’s hand on her back was gentle and he leaned down to look into her eyes anxiously.
Miri realized she was crying. She sat up from her hands and knees position and swiped at her eyes, trying to stop the tears.
“I’m sorry. It’s just…that’s a hard moment in my life to relive.”
“I don’t know why this fucking mist is showing us this shit,” Saxon growled angrily. “It doesn’t do anybody any good to relive the fucking past!”
“The attendant did say we shouldn’t pay attention to anything it showed us,” Lynx said doubtfully.
“Well, it’s pretty hard to ignore when what it’s showing is the most devastating and awful experiences of your life!” Miri said, swiping at her eyes again. “I mean, what’s it going to show next? The way I lost my virginity to Odex Chambling?”
To her horror, it was as though the mist was listening to her. Because the next moment, new figures appeared—it was Miri laying on the bed with a young man a few years older than her on top of her. He had blond, curly hair and an intense look on his face.
The two of them were covered by blankets but it was clear what they were up to.
“Ung…ung!” Mist-Odex was grunting and puffing. Mist-Miri was just lying under him with a look of discomfort.
“Oh, no!” Miri moaned, putting her hands to her burning cheeks. “Oh my Goddess, no! I didn’t mean for it to really show us that!”