Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
The bed dipped. My right arm warmed. Heat radiated off his body, and I felt his heartbeat. It…echoed mine. That was strange and—
Fingers glided across my cheek, sending a jolt of panic and indescribable yearning through me. The dual emotions ignited a burst of energy, striking every nerve. Power emanated from his fingertips, pulsing with it. The essence in me surged, responding to his. Driven by instinct, I harnessed the power to force open my eyes.
Everything was blurry.
Blinking several times, my surroundings came into focus. Sunlight illuminated ivory walls with gilded trim—walls with thin cracks running from the floor to the arched ceiling.
“Poppy.”
At the rough whisper, I reacted without thought, jerking upward. My legs tangled in the sheet, causing me to land knee-first on the bed as my head snapped up.
I saw him.
Time seemed to slow and then stop. Neither of us moved.
He was strikingly tall, even though he was bent at the waist, one knee resting on the mattress as if he had been in the process of lying down when I sat up.
The black breeches he wore were perfectly molded to muscular legs, and the top clasps had been left undone so they hung low on his hips, revealing a fine dusting of hair that traveled south from his navel, and lower stomach muscles that tapered into distinct, angular lines.
His chest and broad shoulders were bare, and while his body was all lean, chiseled muscle, it wasn’t flawless. Knicks and slashes were scattered across the tightly rolled muscles of his stomach and chest, having long since faded to a shade lighter than his sandy-hued flesh. One scar stood out, its raw, uneven edges a faint pink.
An image—or maybe a feeling—flashed through me, one of such inexplicable pain and heartbreak that it stole my breath. It had been my pain and…his heartbreak. That was all I knew.
I forced my stare from the scar. Tendons stood out starkly on his neck, and a shadow of stubble covered the curve of his hard, proud jawline. His lips were lush and slightly parted as if he had just taken a deep breath and couldn’t catch another one. The rest of his features were just as perfectly sculpted as his mouth, like he’d been crafted and molded by the hands of the Goddess of Love herself. Deep, rich-black hair tumbled over his forehead, brushing equally dark brows and curling against his high, angular cheekbones.
And those eyes…
Framed by a heavy fringe of coal-black lashes, they resembled twin pools of liquid gold.
I…I remembered those eyes. I always thought…
I couldn’t remember, but he was simply the most exquisitely beautiful man I’d ever seen, and he was…
Mine.
His chest rose sharply, and I tasted the thick tanginess of anguish and concern again. It was so heavy I wondered how he could bear its enormous weight.
Pressure clamped down on my temples— He shifted toward me, and the hunger returned, seizing my muscles and clamping down on my bones.
I needed to feed.
Something akin to understanding flashed across his striking features. “I know what you need,” he said in a low, soothing voice. Slowly, as if afraid to startle me, he sat on the bed and faced me.
“Come to me, my Queen.” He extended his arm.
Tension gathered in my legs as my gaze dropped to his hand. My chest clenched when I saw that his pointer finger was missing, but I couldn’t remember why it hurt me to see that. There was also a mark on his left hand—a golden swirl on the palm. My gaze flicked back to his.
An innate sense warned me to keep my distance. I knew I was powerful, but…so was he. I could sense the eather coursing through his veins. It reminded me of mine, but there was more to it. My head cocked as I inhaled deeply. His scent was amazing. Like pine, spice, citrusy snow, and power. There was also something wild and animalistic, but also something else. An element that had been in generations of those who carried his blood. Something old. Something infinite. I needed to be careful.
I was weak.
Muscles tensed as the aura pulsed and expanded until streaks of eather pierced his irises. Silvery bolts of essence laced with…crimson.
Death.
The eather within me rose swiftly, responding to the power stirring in his eyes and flowing through his veins. Deeply buried, ancient instinct seized me.
I launched myself backward, landing in a low crouch. My fingers brushed the floor, my chin lowering and lips peeling back. A low rumble came from my chest. I rose on legs that felt like they were made of jelly. A wave of dizziness swept over me, causing the chamber to tilt before steadying itself. My thoughts whirled in maddening circles as my gaze swept the chamber. For a moment, I thought I knew where I was.
My head jerked toward the sound of movement.