Embrace Me At Dawn Read Online Free PDF

and Kari smiled.
    “ Better.” It wasn’t a total lie. In some ways, she had improved. The physical wounds had healed, though she’d been left with some scars. She’d managed not to cringe or panic every time a man touched her even casually or she climbed into bed with Shock for energy. But she was still desperately unhappy and tired of feeling useless. Vulnerable. Of replaying each and every one of the times Mathias had raped her over and over in her head. She shoved her memories of pleading with the monster aside. “You?”
    “ Great.” The woman frowned. “Don’t take this badly, but you don’t look better.”
    Anka smiled. “I will, starting tomorrow.”
    Kari sent her an inquisitive glance at that, but didn’t press her. “More?”
    With a glance at her empty glass, Anka shook her head. “Um…no. How about a bit of water? I’ll need to find a table and stay sober while I wait for Shock.”
    In moments, Kari poured a fresh glass of water and whisked the vodka away. Anka took it gratefully and ambled to a table in a dark corner. Hopefully, no one else would notice her. Or care. But a pair of human men in denim, work shirts, and discarded hard hats were already eyeing her in a manner that made her tremble. She looked away, using her magic to put off an unwelcoming vibe.
    As she sat with her back to the wall—another paranoid trick of Shock’s she’d picked up—she nursed her water, wondering exactly how she was going to ask him for the sort of sex she needed. In his perverse way, the more she wanted it, the more he withheld it—until it suited his purposes.
    This time, she had a weapon. She’d be unable to hide her purpose for visiting Bram for long, but Anka had no doubt Shock would be desperate to know by now. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d told Lucan that he’d fuck it out of her. Sex his way meant that she went to a mental place where she let go of all her worries, fears, and inadequacies. Shock took them, along with every thought running through her head. In return, he gave her permission to seek release and comfort. Anka had no illusions; he hadn’t liked what he’d found in her head recently. He was going to like today’s developments even less.
    The door opened, and with a steadying breath, she looked up. It wasn’t Shock, but a lovely brunette. Tall, lithe, with silky straight hair, a short skirt that flirted with indecent, perky breasts nearly falling out of a brief white shirt that flashed a lot of tanned cleavage. Her red stilettos didn’t say ‘fuck me’; they shouted it. A surrogate. Anka had seen the woman before, and her magical signature displayed not only her colors, but those of many others in a swirl more complicated than any prism.
    Kari got the woman a drink, and they chatted a bit. Once the barmaid walked away, the surrogate stared at the door, clearly waiting for a client.
    Sauntering Anka’s way with a tentative expression, Kari wrung her hands. “It’s about to get crowded in here. I’ll text you if Shock shows up.”
    The usually polite blonde was throwing her out? “You’re asking me to leave?”
    “ No, but I think you’ll want to.” Kari glanced the brunette’s way.
    “ She’s a surrogate.”
    “ Right. Not a prostitute, which Ronan has to remind me constantly. It’s so different for humans. I know surrogates provide sexual service, but since it’s medicinal for magickind…”
    “ Exactly. One of her kind is keeping Bram alive. He’s mated, but with his mate missing, he can’t shag someone else, so she’s helping him generate energy—”
    “ That isn’t who she’s here for tonight,” Kari cut in quietly. “Really, you’ll want to—damn, it’s too late.”
    Anka frowned and looked at the door when it opened again. Lucan strolled through and made his way directly to the surrogate with a smile. Suddenly, Anka couldn’t breathe, especially when Lucan dropped into the chair beside the woman and brushed a kiss across her lush, red