Bookish Mumma

I think we’re now halfway through the book, or at least that’s how it seems when I see my bookmark in it. And by bookmark, I mean piece of paper. Getting lots of Rylan now that he has entered the picture, but I’m not upset about it, I’m all for seeing more of him!

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If you’d like to follow along or fill in the gaps. you can get the book here

Chapter 4

The list of what I don’t know only seems to grow longer with time instead of shorter.

Okay, so ask some questions! You keep claiming that you’re not a child, so act like it!

Wolf is as wild as his namesake and ten times as unpredictable.

Well, considering that wolves are pack animals with well documented patterns of behaviour, I don’t think it’s hard to be ten times as unpredictable.

I glance at the doorway that the other two left through. “I hope Wolf’s able to find that demon he was talking about. It could be the solution we need.”
Malachi goes tense beneath me. “Are you really that eager to be rid of me?”

He’s so eager to make himself the victim sometimes. Just because Mina wants a solution to their situation, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a million variations of what that looks like. Take a chill pill, ask her what she wants and you’ll be okay, you little cinnamon roll.

Chapter 5

I should just let him sweep me away with sex like he has every other time my stress winds me too tightly. I frown. “You were never this good at reading me before.”

Girl, he has known you for a MONTH at this point. He barely knows who you are let alone how to read you, you’ll be fine.

“Malachi.” I match his censoring tone. “I am not a child, and if you hide things from me, I’m going to resent it. Tell me the truth.”

Would you look at that, Mina found her big girl pants!

He might have enjoyed sex before we were forcibly bonded when my powers emerged, but if last night proved anything, it’s that now he doesn’t have a choice. Neither of us do. “It is when the alternative is death.”

Obvious consent issues aside because this is romantic fantasy, I don’t think I’d particularly enjoy the idea of being a fuckable blood bag or dying and those being my only choices either.

The growl he makes has me whimpering. “So fucking perfect.” It almost sounds like he’s speaking to himself rather than to me.

If there are any men reading this, say this to your partner as you’re doing foreplay, you can thank me later. I don’t have to tell the women because they’re probably already doing it!

Chapter 6

The men might be able to hold out indefinitely, but if I have to choose between keeping them alive or doing something really unforgivable, I already know what I’ll choose.

Thank you Mina! NOW you’re being realistic with what you would do in situations like these; what anyone would do in situations like these

My violent , manipulative father. My ghost of a mother. How does someone come from such trauma without perpetuating the cycle?

It’s extremely difficult and you over-compensate with love and feel bad when you can’t give them everything. It hurts when you see how loved the children are when you know that that wasn’t chosen for you and you’ll cry and scream about it in private, but you actively choose to do better every day.

Even humans manage to fuck up their kids in astronomical numbers, and most of them are attempting to marry and procreate because of love rather than politics. The odds are not in our favor.

Every parent will hurt their kids in one way or another, what matters is how you choose to react to that when they tell you. You can either stay hurt and deny it or you can hurt, say okay and ask how you can help them now.

“I respect your ability to make decisions for yourself enough to stand by while Wolf courts a demon, even though I don’t agree with it. Give me the courtesy of returning the favor.”

Ooo Malachi is getting spicy! I like that he’s standing up for himself, though. It’s important for every character, not just the female lead.

Chapter 7

“You’re not fun, old friend.” Wolf hops off the counter. “But you know what would make it more fun?”
Malachi’s sigh is fond. “We don’t have time for that.”
“There’s always time for that.”

Yes! I am absolutely here for more casual flirting between any and all of the characters! There isn’t enough of it so far.

He seems to give me his full attention. “It doesn’t bother you that they’re intimate when you’re not around.”
“Why would it? Their relationship predates me.” I pause. “So does yours.”

The more Rylan is in the story, the more I can see that he is likely the most insecure of the bunch and the people pleaser in me wants to wrap him up in bubble wrap and tell him that he’s wonderful until he believes it.

Finally, he releases me. When I don’t immediately step back, his lips curl into something that’s almost a smile. “If you’re not apposed to the idea, I think it’d be wise to ensure the bond doesn’t get to the point of desperation again.”
“So formal.” I tilt my head to the side. “You’re saying you want to have sex again.”
“Yes.” The word is almost a sigh.
“Okay.”
Rylan blinks, “Okay?”

Ask and ye shall receive! Surprise!

He takes a step towards me, and some lingering prey instinct has me backing up. Rylan stalks me across the kitchen, his eyes bleeding silver, his movements going nearly feline, A bolt of heat goes through me when I remember his claws sinking into my skin. I liked that. I liked it a lot. “Rylan.”

Malachi the knight in shining armour, Wolf the wild child… Rylan the predator. Yes, I also like this a lot!

“More.” I grab his wrists and he lets me pry his hands off the counter and put them on my hips. “I like your marks on me.”

Hickeys get a bad rep and even though this isn’t a hickey, seeing marks after a round can be VERY sexy, so I’m into this and I love the way it’s written.

It’s only when I’m buttoning up the front of it that I realize that Rylan is still watching me. “What?”
“Nothing.” He doesn’t turn away, though. “I keep waiting for this attraction to wear off, but it only seems to be getting stronger. it’s damned inconvenient.”

Yeah, that’s not how attraction, works buddy! Once you’re in, you’re in… until you find an ick about someone, but I doubt that’s going to happen here. It is romantic fantasy after all!

Conclusion

I really enjoyed the highlighting of Rylan in these chapters and I think he’s the most 3D of the boys. There hasn’t been enough of Wolf to know much about him and Malachi feels like a carboard cut out of a vampire. The person who gave me the book said that ‘Malachi is bae, I would die for Wolf and Ryland frustrates me’. She and I have VERY different takes on these characters, but then, she is 15 and I am 31!
As always, if you’d like to read along or fill in the gaping holes between what I have shared, feel free to get it here