Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 124077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 414(@300wpm)
Terra gave him an exasperated look.
“Of course I’m certain. I drove it here, didn’t I?”
Taurex walked around the front of the vehicle, studying the interior through the windshield.
“I do not believe I will fit.”
“You’ll fit,” she said confidently.
“I do not think that statement is supported by the available evidence,” Taurex protested.
Despite everything, Terra made a small choking sound that might have been a laugh.
“Look, just get in.”
Taurex opened the passenger door and attempted to comply. His first problem was his legs—which were too long for the cramped space. His second problem was his shoulders, which were too broad. His third, and most serious problem, was the nearly five-foot span of his horns.
He managed to lower himself halfway into the passenger seat before the left horn struck the doorframe with a solid thunk. Then he stopped.
“Oh, my!”
Terra pressed her lips together and her eyes crinkled at the corners.
“You may laugh,” he told her darkly. “But it is no laughing matter to me.”
“I’m not laughing,” she protested.
“You are,” he accused.
“I am absolutely not,” she said firmly. But then her shoulders began to shake and something suspiciously like a snicker escaped her.
Taurex gave her a flat look.
“Oh, come on.” Terra finally surrendered and laughed outright. “You have to admit, this is kind of funny.”
“I have recently been arrested for four homicides and am now attempting to fold myself into a transport apparently designed for a child. I fail to see the humor,” Taurex said stiffly.
But for some reason, that only made her laugh harder.
To his surprise, Taurex found the sound did something painful and strangely wonderful to his chest. He had missed her laughter.
He looked away before she could see the longing in his face.
“All right,” Terra said, still smiling as she came around to the passenger side. “Move back.”
“I cannot move back. The seat is preventing me,” Taurex pointed out.
“No, I mean let me move the seat back.”
She reached beneath the front of it, found a lever, and pushed the passenger seat as far toward the rear as it would go. That at least gave Taurex enough room to get both knees inside. But his horns remained a considerable obstacle until Terra lowered the passenger window completely.
“Try turning your head,” she suggested.
Taurex did. One horn slid through the open window. He stared at her and Terra stared back.
“Well,” she said, “Technically you’re in.”
“My horn is outside the vehicle,” he pointed out.
“But your body is inside and that’s what counts,” she said firmly.
Taurex sighed but decided not to fight about it. It wasn’t so bad, being crammed into a tight space with the woman he loved…even if she didn’t love him anymore. The last few weeks had been terribly lonely.
A few minutes later they were pulling out of the parking garage with Taurex wedged uncomfortably into the passenger seat, one horn protruding through the open window, and his knees crammed against the dashboard.
Terra seemed to find the entire arrangement tremendously amusing, but Taurex was too preoccupied to care. He waited until they had turned onto the street and were well away from the police station before looking at her again.
“Now will you explain?”
Terra kept her eyes on the road.
“Explain what?”
“What the detective meant when she wished us good luck on our marriage,” he said. “Where did she get the idea that we were getting Joined?”
“Oh.” Her fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel. “That.”
“Yes. That.” Taurex frowned at her.
She was silent for several seconds. Then she drew in a deep breath and looked at him.
“I told her you were my mate.”
Taurex just stared at her.
“You told her what?”
“That you were my mate. Well…” She made a vague gesture with one hand. “That we were fated mates. Just like you said.”
For a moment Taurex wondered whether he had misunderstood the human language despite being nearly fluent in it.
“You told the authorities that you are my mate?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Terra glanced at him.
“Because there’s apparently some law called the Kindred Rage-Killing Act.”
“I am aware of the law.” He nodded as well as he could with one horn out the window.
“You are?” Terra looked at him in surprise.
“Of course.” He shrugged.
“Then why didn’t you tell them we were mates?” she demanded.
“Because you are not my mate.”
The words hurt far more than Taurex expected. He wished with all his heart that she was.
Terra’s head snapped toward him.
“Yes, I am.”
“No.” Taurex forced himself to remain calm. “You are my fated mate. There is a difference between that and an actual mate. The Goddess chose you for me, but you chose not to accept me. Therefore, I had no right to claim protection under a law intended for males defending an acknowledged mate or family.”
“But you were protecting my family!” she protested.
“Yes.” He nodded. “But your family is not mine.”
“I don’t care. The law should still count,” she said stubbornly. “Detective Ramirez seemed to think it counted.”