Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Could it be that her own brother didn't want to look at her because she'd see the pity in his eyes?
Chapter Ten
Too many damn men. This had been Lysander's first thought when Fae informants came to report about Domenico being on the move - and with three dozen men accompanying him. And not just men, but Lyccans. It meant that these men most likely knew his wife long before he did. Might even know things about her that Lysander didn't, and both man and beast violently disliked this.
If they were foolish enough to even try taking Estrella away for whatever reason, they'd soon learn firsthand why legends often described Ammon as the most bloodthirsty beast to have walked the face of the earth.
The twins had tried to convince him to approach the matter at hand in a civilized manner, the way Faes were known to do. But Lysander's answer was to simply shift. They must learn to remember that he was no longer like them. He was a beast, and even worse, he was an extremely territorial beast that was on edge because he had yet to lay a claim on his mate's womanhood.
And it was getting worse by the second.
The uneasy standoff between Estrella's packmates and Lysander's men had been going on for sometime now, and he could only prowl impatiently as he waited for just one wolf to make the stupid mistake of attacking first.
A part of him knew that he was being unreasonably antagonistic, but it was not something he could change even if he wanted to. For as long as Estrella remained innocent, he might as well be a ticking bomb and any red-blooded male who so much as smiled at his wife's direction could be enough of a trigger.
When his mate suddenly came rushing out of the building, not even the anxious look she showed him was enough to dispel the aggression inside him, and he snarled and growled at her in frustration. She should've stayed inside, dammit. If she had just stayed fucking inside, then he would have no reason to worry about any man looking at her the wrong way and giving him ten thousand reasons to commit murder.
His breathing hissing out harshly, Lysander struggled to maintain control over his beast, which was now chomping at the bits in its crude desire to hear Lyccan bones break and shatter into pieces under its paws. And he had almost succeeded...until he saw Estrella walking towards the other side.
FUCK!
His beast nearly tore out of his control as Lysander found leaping into action, his territorial instincts taking over. It didn't matter that Domenico was her brother; at this point, the beast inside him no longer saw reason, and Lysander's old and complicated feelings of resentment against the older guy only made the beast feel more violent towards the Lyccan prince.
In a blink of an eye, Lysander had Estrella tucked safely behind him while all the other Lyccans had drawn their weapons out.
Everyone that is...except Misty.
All at once, he realized that she was the key to keeping him from losing control, and he deliberately focused his gaze on Estrella's sister-in-law. Because his beast didn't trust anyone with a dick, Misty alone was capable of keeping him from going on a rampage and start snapping necks and biting people's heads off.
So focused was he at keeping himself in check that it was only when they were walking back to the apartment building that Lysander belatedly became aware of his wife's growing distress. He was instantly agitated, and he growled for her attention inside her mind.
WHAT'S WRONG?
Estrella only shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. The moment she opened her mouth, she had a feeling she'd end up crying instead. It hurt. It just hurt.
Lysander's agitation grew. WHO...HURT...YOU?
Estrella bit back a sob. Oh God. She had forgotten he could read her thoughts. Again. And she couldn't afford to do that. Not now. Not about this.
WHAT ABOUT...NOW? WHAT...IS THIS?
But when Estrella didn't even turn to meet his eyes, Lysander didn't even think twice. He shifted out of his form in the next second, unwilling to accidentally hurt his wife with his claws.
A blast of icy wind was only her warning, and as her head jerked up in shock, she saw the elevator doors closing on the two of them just as Lysander shifted out of his current form.
In the next moment, he had her trapped between the wall and his naked body while his hands cupped her face. "What's...wrong?"
She shook her head even as her eyes started smarting.
"Tell...me." His voice came out in a roar. "Who...hurt...you!"
The irony of it wasn't lost on her, and she started to cry. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.
His snarl of frustration could've frightened away grown men and sent them scurrying, but his lips were tender and gentle as he kissed her cheeks and licked her tears away. "Tell...me. Can't...stand. Seeing...you...hurt."