Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
When she settled, Carina reported, “I feel good. I can’t believe I fell asleep. I just woke up before I napped.”
“Your body needed the rest.”
Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on him. “Did you vamp me to sleep? You know, like use mind control?”
“I did not use any vampire skills to help you rest,” he told her honestly before stressing, “You needed your slumber.”
Yawning again, she nodded. “I did. I haven’t gotten much rest lately. Life has been crazy for weeks at my job. I bet you don’t have the slightest clue about what I do,” she said.
He didn’t need to read her mind to guess. “You work in a hospital’s finance department. Your specialty is reconciling the most twisted accounts. I was impressed by your annual reviews. You are obviously good at your job.”
“Oh, my God!” Her voice came to a complete stop after each word. “What did you do? Invade the hospital and break into HR to read the files with my name on it?”
“No, Carina. Bram sent me a report. He’s impressed with you too. That’s why Darius showed up to meet you. He’s reclusive. I go months without running into him.”
“I’ve seen him a couple of times. Why did he want to meet me?”
“Darius is the clan’s financial wizard. He appreciates those with minds that function as his does.”
Carina paused for a moment before whispering, “I couldn’t have made a good impression.”
Marcus laughed, remembering how she’d wrapped herself around him, more focused on kisses than mathematical computations. “You did. Darius believes in enjoyment balanced with work, although he doesn’t always practice that philosophy. He likes you. More than me, I would bet.”
Marcus wasn’t jealous or threatened by Darius. If anyone could challenge him in hand-to-hand competition, Darius would be the closest to Marcus’s strength. Like all vampires, Darius understood the power of the mate bond. Carina belonged to Marcus. As part of the clan, Darius would give his life to protect Carina without a second thought. Not only because she was a clan member’s mate, but her brain intrigued him.
“No way. Isn’t that weird?” Carina asked.
“The entire clan hasn’t lived in the same place for many years, Little girl. We reunited here with the goal of launching Nightfall.”
She settled against his chest. Marcus guessed she wanted to think about information he’d shared. After a couple of minutes, he told her, “Something special arrived while you slept. It’s on the porch. Would you like to go get it?”
Carina rocketed off his lap and got halfway to the door before she remembered she only wore a diaper. Whirling, she said, “I can’t go out there like this!”
Marcus stood and grabbed the soft throw he’d draped over her when she napped. He wrapped it around her like a toga and tucked the end secured in place. “Go grab it.”
In a flash, she was out the door. Carina came back with a beautiful box. “Look, Daddy. It has my name on it.”
“That means you should open it.”
She plopped down on her padded bottom and tore the lid off. “It’s a raccoon. He’s adorable.” Carina hugged him tightly before extending him at arm’s length so she could check him out. “I love his mask and his dark eyes. He’s laughing, Daddy. What do you think?”
“Definitely, he’s happy to be with you, Carina.” Marcus smiled at the stuffie’s expression when she turned him around. Good job, Alaric. He’d chosen the perfect stuffed animal for his Little girl.
Did you have doubts? Alaric’s amusement filled Marcus’s mind for a second before disappearing again.
To Marcus’s delight, she hugged the stuffie close before dotting kisses across the raccoon’s face.
“He’ll need a name,” Marcus suggested to her.
“Mischief,” Carina answered decisively.
“Mischief,” Marcus repeated, running his finger down the side of his chin to tug his beard a few times like he was considering her choice. “I like it.”
“Me too! So does Mischief. I can’t get in trouble anymore, Daddy. Mischief would have told me to do it.”
“I’ll be sure to punish Mischief as well if he’s bad or leads you astray.”
Her gasp of horror almost made him drop his serious expression. “You can’t spank my stuffie, Daddy.”
“Of course I can if he urges you to make poor choices. I guess you’ll have to help him learn right from wrong.”
“I can do that.” She rushed to assure him before wagging her finger at Mischief. “Be good. You don’t want a red bottom. Daddy has hard hands.”
Marcus controlled the urge to smile at her cute interaction with her stuffie. He drew his eyebrows together to create a menacing expression as Carina turned her stuffie to face him. Mischief quaked in her hands.
“He says he’ll behave,” Carina reported.
“I’m counting on it, Mischief.”
“What would the two of you like for breakfast?”
“Scrambled eggs?” Carina suggested.
“Of course. You rest here with Mischief while I whip some up for the two of you. Would you like to listen to music or watch a cartoon?”