Bookish Mumma

Woke up feeling like I was hit by a truck, so I’m taking it easy today. And what better way to take it easy than with my current favourite 3 vampire book boyfriends! Honestly could take or leave Malachi, but for the sake of a good opening paragraph here, I’ll take him! Chapter 8 was very spoiler-y, that’s why it’s so short, but regardless, let’s jump into it!.

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If you’d like to follow alone or read the gaps between quotes, you can get the book here.

Chapter 8

Every prey instinct I have demands I go still and silent and hope the predator that just entered the room moves on without noticing me

Here’s my question here. Mina is half-ish human which explains the ‘prey instincts’, but she’s also half-ish vampire. Where are your predatory instincts, woman?!

Later, I’ll have a mental breakdown about the fact that there is apparently more than one realm. Right now, compartmentalizing is the name of the game.

Can’t have our heroine falling apart at the seams and needing to be committed now, can we? Although, I don’t think she’s far off. Such is the life of a martyr

Chapter 9

He topples me back onto the couch and settles between my thighs. “Ah, this brings back memories.”
From the first time we met. I try to glare, but it’s half-hearted at best. “You mean when you held me down and drank my blood a few minutes after meeting me?”
Wolf chuckles. “You mean when Malachi extended guest privileges and it infuriated you so much, you welcomed my bite and the ensuing orgasm?”

Spite bite.

Malachi and Rylan are almost to the house, which is almost enough to distract me from how this conversation has gone off the rails. “Why shouldn’t I learn to shield, Wolf?”
“Oh. That.” He palms my breasts. “It’s a protective measure.”
“Excuse me?”
“When you have strong emotional spikes, all three of us feel it. Knowing when you’re afraid or angry is incredibly useful on that note.”

It’s rare, but Wolf does make a good point here. If they can tell when she’s scared, they’ll come and save her in a second. After all, she only has prey instincts, she needs her big, brave men to save her.

“You’re about to take a non-consensual nap, and you just said we need to run.” I glance at Rylan. “Please put him on the couch.”

I’d also like to take a non-consensual nap. For a couple hours. Or days, I’m not picky. I’m so tired.

Chapter 10

For once, Wolf shuts his fucking mouth.

A feat in and of itself. I think Rylan deserves a medal for it.

As much as I crave being an equal part of this foursome, the reality is that for all my supposed power, I’m still doing the equivalent of learning how to walk.

Then stop being so damn scared of it and explore it. Or be so scared of losing control that your determination not to, overrules it.

“How deep are we?” I look at the ceiling, but it looks like any other ceiling in a nice, if expensive home. There’s no sensation to suggest the press of earth, the weight of the mountain over the top of us.
“Deep enough that we don’t have to worry about someone trying to burrow here. It’s pure rock around us, so short of dynamite, it’s impenetrable. And we’ll hear the dynamite before they ever get close enough to be a danger.”
It really is a bunker.

I’ve always wondered how deep bunkers and buildings that are actually built into mountain and cilff faces are done without the whole thing collapsing on them. Obviously there’s a logical explanation, but I’m not an architect, a builder or curious enough to go down that rabbit hole.

Rylan surprises me, though. I half expected him to have a suit on, but he’s got lounge pants and a knitted sweater.

Mhm yep, definitely my type. Thank yooooou Katee!

Chapter 11

“I swear to fuck, Mina-”

My go-to swear/threat when I’m pissed at someone and their potential actions.

“Or will you continue to play the martyr and whine about how you didn’t want this?”

Oooo called out! Honestly, everyone but Wolf likes to be a martyr in this book to varying degrees.

I don’t care if Rylan and I have fucked three times in the last three days. I’m not going to compel him to participate in this race to conception. The bond is bad enough; having a child together when he’s not fully on board is a particularly nightmarish scenario.

Don’t baby trap people, essentially, it’s bad!

“Things change, Rylan. How I feel about you hasn’t, not in all this time. But it was never going to be just the two of us for eternity. I’m not built like that.”
Rylan shudders out a sight. “I understand that now.” He glances at me again. “I suppose it’s not a bad thing to have an abundance of love.”
Love.
Love.
He’s not in love with me. He barely likes me. I can’t argue something’s changed in the last couple of days, but it’s not love. I would know. Wouldn’t I?

All you’ve known in the past is manipulation, abuse in all it’s forms and torture, so no, you wouldn’t know. I do love this exchange though, it shows a really tender moment for Malachi and Rylan which is a big departure from Rylan’s usually cold exterior.

As if he can sense the direction of my thoughts, he growls. “You might have the bond, little dhampir, but we do, too. You’re ours as much as we’re yours.”

That was both sexy and endearing

Conclusion

This block of chapters was pretty spoiler-y, but the interactions between Mina and Rylan as well as between Malachi and Rylan have been a highlight. I definitely think that Rylan was a favourite of Katee’s when she was writing this just simply because of how fleshed out he is in comparison to the others. We’re nearing the end of Act 2 now and we haven’t had all that much movement in terms of the actual threat of her father, so I’m keen to see how that develops.

As always, if you want to follow along or read the gaps between quotes, you can get the book here.