CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The menace that had slithered into Knox’s voice made even her inner demon freeze as Harper watched him warily. He’d spoken so softly, so steadily. But the danger was there, sending a trickle of trepidation through her system. It was an instinctive reaction that she couldn’t escape, despite trusting that he wouldn’t exact that menace on her. He was the ultimate predator, and she could never overlook that.

“Aren’t you going to ask?” It was a dare that carried a taunt.

She swallowed, veiling her apprehension. “Not until you answer my question.”

“He punished anyone who wouldn’t give him the unquestioning devotion and submission that he demanded.”

Harper didn’t need to ask if Knox had rebelled. “Punished how?”

“Lots of ways.” Knox tangled a hand in her hair, watching as her jade green eyes swirled and changed into an entrancing cobalt blue. “He liked to keep people locked in a closet for a week or so. In that time, he wouldn’t let them eat, he wouldn’t let them sleep, and he’d beat them frequently.” His demon snarled at the memories. “Many of his followers helped. They got a taste for it, and they enjoyed it.”

Her apprehension was swiftly replaced by fury. “Then the bastards deserved whatever they got.”

“How can you be so sure when you don’t know what they got?”

“They hurt you, so I really don’t care.”

Her response warmed him and settled his demon. “I never said they hurt me. I said they punished people who refused to submit.”

“You refused.”

She was right. Knox and his demon had resisted Riordan’s control, refused to submit, no matter what he or his followers did. But the rage hadn’t really hit Knox until he left and got his freedom; that was when he’d realized what the outside world – one he’d been brought up to believe was bad and dangerous – was truly like, and he’d understood exactly what the bastards had stolen from him.

It had been difficult to adjust, but he’d worked hard to properly develop the sense of self that the bastards had tried to break down and take from him. In the sanctuary, he’d soaked up knowledge of every kind. When he left, he’d used that knowledge to gain all the things he’d been deprived of. And he’d vowed that he’d never again let anyone have any form of control over him.

“Didn’t your parents ever help you, ever try to stop him?”

“Not until the people who questioned or defied Riordan developed a habit of disappearing. That made them wary and suspicious. So when I was twelve, they tried to leave and take me with them.”

“He killed them,” she guessed. “You tried to protect them.”

“No, baby,” he said softly. “I avenged them.” Riordan had forced him to watch as he slit his parents’ throats. Knox had struck back, taken his vengeance out on everything around him. “You’ve seen what destruction I can cause. You can guess what I did. I warned the innocent ones to run, but most of them wouldn’t leave Riordan – they’d become too dependent on him, were utterly brainwashed. So they died with him. But I didn’t care. I was too eager to see him suffer.”

“Stop trying to scare me.”

“Scare you?” Knox cupped her chin and breezed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Baby, I’d never do that. But you have to understand that the answers you want to the many questions in your pretty little head will very often not be what you want to hear. They might shock you, they might disgust you, and they might even frighten you. I don’t want to scare you, but I won’t lie to you. Don’t ask for the truth unless you can deal with it.”

She could deal with it. So she asked the one question that might just have the potential to terrify her. “What are you?”

“You’re not ready for that answer yet.” And Knox wasn’t willing to tell her until he’d managed to make her so attached to him that she wouldn’t want to leave him, no matter what. It was ruthless, yes, but he was too determined to keep her to care about that.

Harper bristled. “I get to decide what I’m ready for.”

“No, you don’t.” He fisted his hand in the back of her hair, angled her head how he wanted it, and brought his mouth down on hers. Loving the taste of her, he plundered her mouth with his tongue, just as he wanted to plunder her body with his cock. He bit down hard on her lip, and she snapped her teeth at him.

“You think the answer will scare me so much I’ll leave,” Harper sensed.

Too. Damn. Astute. “I won’t let you leave.”

“If I wanted to go, I totally could.”

His demon chuckled, always entertained by the fire in her – its temperament went from grim to relaxed in an instant. Only she seemed able to do that. Knox was just as amused by her ‘spunk,’ as Tanner often referred to it.

“You’re not supposed to smile at me like I’m a little kitten that stupidly thinks it’s a jungle cat.” Secretly, she was happy she’d lifted his mood.

Knox pulled her onto his lap to straddle him. “How can I not be a little entertained? You’re in the den of the big, bad wolf – caught and claimed – but you think you can take him on.”

“Hey, you might be a powerful bad ass, but I’m not helpless here. I could still hurt you if I wanted to. Why are you still smiling?You’re supposed to fear my mighty wrath.”

His shoulders shook with silent laughter. “In case you can’t tell, I’m petrified.”

“You will be if my mighty wrath is ever unleashed. Stop laughing!”

As the door of the studio closed behind Harper’s client, Raini made an exasperated sound. “If I have to hear another demon talking about how ‘cool’ Malden’s proposal is, I might just hurt them.”

Harper began tidying her station. “I had hoped they’d realize his promise of a voice is just bullshit.”

“A lot of people like Isla’s proposal,” Khloë told them, spinning in her chair. “Mostly because she promised to create a Force that would fight dark practitioners; that kind of thing would avenge demons who had died at the bastards’ hands.”

“According to Knox,” began Harper, “Dario’s proposal has appealed mostly to Primes, though the majority of them are still against having a Monarch.”

Raini leaned against the wall by Harper’s station. “When is Knox back from his business trip?”

“Tomorrow.” It had been a little weird being in the mansion without him for four days, but he’d occasionally pyroported there to see her – and fuck her like a guy possessed. But she didn’t tell her friends that, respecting his wish to remain mysterious about what abilities he had.

Khloë stilled her chair. “What’s he like to live with?”

“A lot easier than I expected. Although he’s very dominant and can be bossy at times, he’s not a dictatorial ‘I’m man of the house and you’ll live by my rules’ kind of guy. He gives me space when I need it, doesn’t treat me like a lodger. To him, it’s my home and I have free rein to do whatever I want to it or in it.” That had to be hard for any demon, since they were territorial creatures.

Raini smiled. “He makes you happy.”

“I guess he does.”

The door swung open, and Devon came waltzing in with four Starbucks coffees. Her cheeks were flushed with irritation. “Harper, you need to do something about that bodyguard of yours, because he’s getting on my goddamn last nerve.”

Glimpsing out of the window, Harper saw that Tanner’s arm was hanging out of the front window of the Bentley…and there was a cat collar dangling from his hand. It was pink and had a little bell. “At least it’s pretty.”

“My demon wants to claw his face off. Can’t you ask Knox to assign someone else?”

“Devon, don’t expect me to feel sorry for you – you’re just as bad as he is. For God’s sake, you brought him a bag of dog biscuits yesterday.”

Devon chuckled to herself. “Yeah, that was fun. Anyway, what are we talking about?”

Raini accepted the coffee cup that Devon handed her. “The fact that Knox makes Harper happy.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t see that placating Lucian when he finds out Knox is your mate,” said Devon, who took her own cup.

Harper sighed. “Me neither. He’ll go nuclear.”

Khloë frowned, crossing the room to grab her coffee. “Fuck Lucian. That negligent bastard doesn’t get to have a say in this.”

“Maybe he’ll fear Knox enough not to aggravate him,” suggested Raini, though she didn’t appear convinced.

“Lucian’s not smart enough to experience fear,” scoffed Khloë. Pausing, she took a swig of her coffee. “So…just how scary a breed is Knox? I’m not asking what he is, just how scary it is.”

Harper cleared her throat. “Well, um…”

Her cousin easily saw the truth. “He hasn’t told you what breed he is? Seriously?” She shook her head, perplexed. “Why aren’t you pissed? Doesn’t it bother you that you don’t know what your own mate is?”

“It bothers me, yes, but I get that it has to be hard for him to part with such a big secret.”

“That’s my point, though,” said Khloë. “There shouldn’t be secrets that big between mates.” Raini and Devon nodded in agreement.

“I’m sure he’ll tell me when he’s ready. I can wait. Why are you looking at me like that?”

Khloë stepped closer. “Want to know what I think?”

“No. I want you to answer the phone like you’re paid to do.”

Khloë waved a dismissive hand at the chiming phone. “I think the reason you’re not riled by him holding back something so important is that deep inside – maybe so deep you don’t even sense it – you’re not taking this relationship seriously, because you’re expecting him to leave you. Not because you don’t trust him or because you’re insecure. But because you’re used to people coming and going.”

“I don’t think he’ll leave.” Harper truly didn’t.

“But what we think and what we feel deep inside – not always the same. Life has conditioned you to believe that people don’t stick around. It’s sort of emotionally reflexive for you to subconsciously expect them to leave at some point.”

Devon and Raini nodded, as if it made perfect sense.

Harper snorted. “That’s just a load of psychological bullshit.”

Khloë straightened, affronted. “Well that’s not very nice.”

“Answer the damn phone.”

With an exasperated sigh, Khloë headed to the reception desk.

“Khloë has a point,” said Raini. “You do automatically assume everyone you meet will be a fleeting presence in your life. It makes you hold back from people.”

“I don’t hold back from Knox. Hell, I moved into his goddamn house.”

“Yes, but let’s be fair, moving into a new house is something you’ve done a million times throughout your life,” Raini pointed out. “On an emotional level, it’s not a huge thing for you. It doesn’t scream ‘permanence’ to someone with a past like yours. Be honest, did it feel huge?”

“No,” Harper confessed. “But I took him as my mate; that’s huge.”

“Sure it is. And it tells me that you really care about him. But if you – a person who doesn’t take bullshit from anyone – aren’t seriously hurt and pissed that your mate is holding back something so significant, it’s because you’re not expecting this to last. In your head, you’re still in a ‘we’ll see how it goes’ phase. You haven’t quite accepted that it’s permanent yet.”

“Psychological bullshit,” Harper repeated.

Devon patted her hand. “We’re not trying to needle you, we just want you to be aware of this, so you can deal with it in your head.”

The sound of the door opening was quickly followed by Khloë’s voice. “Sorry, kid, you’re too young.”

“I’m not here for a tattoo. I want to talk to her.”

Harper had only heard that voice once before, but she easily recognized it. Pivoting on the spot, she forced a smile for the teenager who also happened to be her half-brother. He was casting nervous glances at the other three she-demons, who were all staring at him. They obviously also recognized him. “If you’re looking for Knox…”

Kellen gave a fast shake of the head. “No, I…Can we talk in private?”

Harper faked nonchalance. “Is there a problem?”

“Maybe.” His eyes held a knowledge that could turn everything to shit.

Great, just fucking great. She gestured at the diner across the street. “Let’s talk over there. I won’t be long,” she told the girls before escorting him out. After informing Tanner – whose eyes sharpened at the sight of Kellen – that she’d be in the diner, she hurried over there. Only once the waitress had poured them each a coffee did Harper ask, “So…want to tell me what this is about?”

“I know who you are.” His expression was mutinous, daring her to deny the truth. What she didn’t know was just how much of the truth he knew.

She ripped open two packets of sugar, sprinkled the contents into her coffee, and stirred it with a spoon. “And who would that be?”

He didn’t appear to like her aloof act at all. “Don’t treat me like I’m stupid and delusional.”

She sighed at the determined glint in his eyes – he wasn’t going to let this go. “It’s Kellen, right? Kellen, there are some stories that are best not to hear.”

His eyes flashed demon for a brief moment. “You’re my sister. Don’t say you’re not.” He made a visible effort to calm himself. “I won’t tell anyone, I just want to know.”

“I’m your sister,” Harper acknowledged. She blew over the rim of her cup before taking a sip. “Carla won’t like you talking to me.”

“She doesn’t know.” He lifted his own cup. “She has a picture of you.”

Okay, well that almost caused Harper to spit her coffee all over the table. “A picture?” she asked disbelievingly.

“I found it in a box she keeps hidden in her closet.”

Harper smiled. “Let me guess…she keeps a stash of cash there.”

His cheeks reddened. “I just needed enough to—”

“I grew up with imps, I can’t judge.”

“In the photo, you’re in a graduation outfit.”

Carla was at her graduation? No fucking way.

“It’s not a close-up shot, you’re laughing with someone, but I know it was you.”

“Why would that make you think I’m your sister?”

“It didn’t. Sometimes, I know things when I touch stuff.” He frowned, looking a lot like his father in that moment. “It doesn’t always happen. And sometimes, it’s not very clear. But when I held the picture, I knew you were her kid, I knew she gave you up, and I knew she was scared of you.”

Harper blinked. “Scared?”

“Why is she scared of you?”

“I don’t know.” Harper doubted it was related to what happened when she was a toddler. Instead, it was likely that Carla wasn’t necessarily scared of Harper; she was scared of the truth getting out.

“Yes, you do.”

Harper had to smile. “Persistent little shit, aren’t you?”

He shrugged, returning her smile, though it was a little strained. “I just want to understand.”

“The only person who really understands it is Carla. All I know is that she didn’t want me, she handed me over to my paternal family, and she wants nothing to do with me.” Harper paused as they both sipped their coffee. “And I know she despises my father for leaving her.”

“She’s not…normal. She can be really nice, kind. And it’s not an act, it’s real. But the strangest things can make her angry. I think she finds her demon hard to control and it wears on her. Roan said she’s twisted up inside but that it’s not her fault. I don’t know what that means.”

“Maybe she had a shitty childhood or something.”

“She got angry when she heard you and Knox are mates.”

Ho, ho, ho, that was just fabulous. Her inner demon chuckled in delight, happy about anything that would rile the woman. “Did she?”

“She didn’t do or say anything, I could just tell.”

“I’m her dirty little secret, Kellen. It’s hard to pretend you don’t have a dirty little secret if it’s now the mate of your Prime,” Harper explained.

“My dad will be seriously mad when he finds out about this.”

“I have no intention of telling your dad or anyone else.”

Kellen seemed shocked. “You don’t want anyone to know? But what she did was wrong!”

“But if she could never have brought herself to care about me, giving me up was the best thing she did for me. I’m not bitter about what she did. If you ask me, holding bitterness inside will just destroy a person from the inside out.”

There was a long silence before he asked sheepishly, “Can I come see you sometimes? I mean, I want to know you.”

Harper smiled. “Okay. I’d like to know you too.”

“I don’t think it would be a good idea to tell Roan. He wouldn’t keep it from her. He does his best to please her all the time. He might as well be lodged up her a….butt.”

She almost laughed at his attempt not to curse in front of her. He’d soon learn she cursed like a drunken sailor. “Then it’s best if we keep it between us.” They talked for a little longer, discussing everyday things. When Kellen left, she crossed over the road to the studio.

Tanner poked his head out of the open window of the Bentley. “He knows, doesn’t he?”

“Only that Carla gave me up. He doesn’t know the rest, thankfully.” She gave him a quick rundown of everything Kellen said. “He’s smart enough to have kept it to himself so far, and he’s promised me he won’t tell anyone – not even his dad or brother.”

“Do you really think you two can have a relationship without Carla finding out?”

“I’ve no idea.” Entering the studio, she puffed out a long breath. “That was hard.”

“What happened?” asked Raini. “What did he say?”

“She has a picture of me.” Harper still couldn’t quite grasp that. “She went to my graduation, but she stayed out of sight. She took a picture while she was there.”

Khloë double-blinked. “I’m not understanding that.”

Harper sighed. “Me neither.”

Devon was the image of compassion. “What did he want?”

“To know what happened, why Carla did what she did. In his place, I’d want to know too.” Hearing the door open, Harper turned. And smiled as her nerve endings and her demon shot to life. “I didn’t expect you until tomorrow.”

Knox’s mouth curved as he stalked toward her, radiating a raw sexuality that always made her body hum. “I got back early.” Locking his arms around her, he pressed a lingering kiss to her mouth. But then he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just been a weird afternoon.”

“You can tell me about it in the car.”

They rode with Levi, since it seemed that Tanner had already taken off – apparently he had ‘something to get ready for,’ whatever the hell that meant.

Knox twisted to face her. “Tell me.”

So Harper did. He didn’t interrupt her. He just listened as he soothingly threaded his fingers through her hair.

Once she was done, he said, “Strange that she should have a picture of you.”

“I can’t even begin to make sense of that.”

“Then let’s not try.” He combed his fingers through her hair once more. “She isn’t important. You’re important. Forget about her, so you can enjoy yourself.”

That sounded interesting. “Enjoy myself how?”

“I haven’t spent any real time with you in four days. Before that, things were intense with fucking politics. So tonight, we’re going to the Underground to wind down and have time together.” Knox licked over her bottom lip. He loved her mouth. Loved the sensual shape of it. Loved the feel of it wrapped around his cock. Loved knowing that it was his.

Knox kissed her again. He would have done a whole lot more if Levi wasn’t in the car. Knox had been hard since the moment her eyes met his in the studio. Although he’d had fleeting moments with her over the past few days, it hadn’t been enough for him. He’d learned that he wasn’t just addicted to her body, but her mind, her laugh, her unpredictability, her ever-changing eyes, and the way she teased him. Every time someone had jumped to obey him in the past few days, he’d thought of the way Harper snorted at his orders. He’d…missed her.

His demon, too, had missed her. She probably had no idea just how deeply attached the demon was to her. She was its sole source of satisfaction; the only person that entertained, impressed, and delighted it. It had been bored out of its mind without her, which had made it intolerant of everyone around it.

“Yeah? Wind down how?” she asked.

“You’ll see. And you’ll get to see Tanner run, too.”

Her brow crinkled. “I don’t know what that means.”

“You will soon.”

A little while later, Harper was gaping through the protective glass of a VIP box in a hound racing stadium in the Underground. And Knox’s words made sense. She spun to face him. “Please tell me Tanner isn’t going to race here.”

Knox arched a brow. “You didn’t know hellhounds liked to race?”

Well, yes, she’d known about it. The tracks were located near the casinos, and as Harper wasn’t much into gambling, she hadn’t visited them. It looked like any normal dog racing stadium. There was a spectator area, grandstands, and private boxes that all gave a perfect view of the oval track. “I’ve heard it can be pretty brutal.”

“It can be,” he confirmed. “Almost as brutal as the hellhorses.”

That was bad, Harper knew. Normal horses could be sweet and placid. Hellhorses? Not so much. They were not only as predatory as every other demon, they were fucking wild. You didn’t ride a hellhorse unless you were crazy. “How often does Tanner do this?”

“Pretty often. Just as Levi likes the combat circle, Tanner likes the track.”

She was about to ask what Larkin and Keenan liked to do when a bell rang and eight hellhounds slowly prowled onto the track. The crowd cheered, their excitement evident. She was a little too nervous for Tanner’s demon to share in their excitement. Yes, it was most likely ironic that she was protective of the demon who protected her.

She recognized Tanner’s hound by the scar on its muzzle. It was more powerfully built than the others, but she was worried all that bulkiness would slow it down. Each of the hellhounds got into position, growling and snarling at each other…and then things turned fucking weird. Oily pits, small fires, and puddles of bubbling, boiling water abruptly appeared in random places on the track. “Well, fuck.”

Knox chuckled. “Don’t be so nervous. He’ll be fine.”

A bell rang a second time, and the hellhounds bolted – Tanner’s hound instantly fell into sixth place. Damn, they were fast as they leaped over the obstacles. Tanner’s hound was totally focused, and its pace was steady and swift, but she had the feeling it was holding back a little.

It was no shock to discover that the hounds had no problem with cheating. They liked biting, clawing, and body slamming their competitors in an effort to take the lead. One locked its jaws around the back leg of another hound and spun it off the track – a move that lost it time as other hounds raced ahead of it. One howled as it was knocked into a puddle of boiling water by another hound.

Within fifty seconds, Tanner’s demon was in third place. A competitor bit it into its flank – bad decision. Tanner’s hound slammed it into a pit; the oil kept the hound stuck in place.

The crowd was going crazy – yelling names, words of encouragement, and also some threats. Every time a hound was taken out of the equation, people who’d clearly bet on them began stamping and cursing and even turned on their friends.

Tanner’s hound soon shot into second place. All was looking good until…“Someone just shot him with a fucking orb of hellfire!”

Knox locked his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck. “The spectators are allowed to do that in the last section of the track.”

“What?”

“That’s why the race is pretty much anyone’s race. It doesn’t matter how fast a hound is, they can be hurt and slowed down in the last section if they’re hit too many times.”

“Tanner’s hound must be pissed.” She worried her lower lip as another hound came close. “Come on, faster!” Hearing Knox chuckle again, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “I’m aware that it can’t hear me. That doesn’t mean I can’t offer moral support.”

“Of course it doesn’t.”

“Shit, it’s slowing down…and that fucker just raced ahead of it.” She cursed. “And now it’s been hit again.” This time on the leg. “Oh God, they’re nearly at the finish line. Well, third place is pretty—” She gasped as Tanner’s hound put on an impressive burst of speed. It shot straight into first place and right over the finish line. She found herself bouncing up and down in Knox’s arms. “Tanner’s hound won!”

“I see that.”

“Okay, it’s a little exciting,” she allowed. “And I might have enjoyed it. Can we eat now? I’m starving.”

“Not yet.” Knox bit her earlobe before sucking on it. “Put your hands on the glass.”

She stilled at the dominance and authority that rung in his voice. She knew exactly what that tone meant. Her body knew what it meant, began to melt and ready itself for him. Harper’s knees buckled as an ice-cold finger slid through her folds right as Knox snaked his hand beneath her shirt to cup one breast. “Shit.Tell me no one can see me.”

“No one can see you…unless I flick that switch on the wall over there.”

“Don’t.”

“Why? Don’t you want them to see me taking you? Don’t you want them to know you’re mine, that every inch of you belongs to me?” He whipped off her t-shirt and bra. “Shoes.”

She kicked them off while he quickly unbuttoned her fly and shoved down her jeans. Her panties went with a snap just as two icy fingers drove into her. The first cold thrust was always a shock, but the heat emanating from the fingers made her pussy blaze and spasm.

At his urging, she stepped out of her jeans. That was when his psychic fingers began pumping into her, making her body melt against him. Anticipation sent a tremor down her spine as she heard his zip slowly lowering. The bastard was dragging it out on purpose. The psychic fingers dissolved, leaving behind a flaming ache that was all too familiar.

“Hands on the glass, Harper. That’s my good girl.” Knox grabbed her hips, angled them just right, and slammed home. Her hot, slick pussy squeezed his cock almost to the point of pain. Too. Fucking. Good. Clutching the breast his demon had branded, Knox powered into her. “This is what I need.”

Harper’s back arched like a bow as he pounded into her, his fingers digging so hard into her breast and hip that she knew she’d have bruises. She caught his reflection in the glass. Eyes hooded, mouth set in a harsh line, there was savage need stamped into his features.

Hand bunched in her hair, Knox yanked her head back so he could suckle and bite her neck. Her taste and scent assaulted his senses, making his cock swell even further. Nothing felt better than her tight muscles greedily clamping around him, as if trying to hold him deep in her body. He growled low in her ear. “Do you know how hot it is to see the reflection of the brand on your pussy?” It stroked the possessive streak in him that came violently alive around Harper. “Every time you see it, do you remember how it felt when my demon put it there? Do you remember that it means I own you?”

She gasped as his fist tugged her hair hard, bringing her face to his. He didn’t kiss her mouth. He devastated it. Biting on it, licking at it, and softly sucking on her tongue. The kiss repeatedly alternated between hard and rough to teasing and sensual. She felt off balance, couldn’t think. She only knew she needed to come so bad it hurt.

Feeling her pussy begin to tighten around him, Knox knew her orgasm was close. “You know you can’t come until I tell you, baby.”

“I can’t help it,” she hissed.

“Yes, you can. You will.” Releasing her hair, he collared her throat as he hammered into her at a feverish pace that dared her to defy him. She didn’t, just like he knew she wouldn’t. “Beg me to let you come.”

Motherfucking asshole. Knowing better than to curse him out loud and risk him stopping – he’d done it a few times before – she begrudgingly ground out, “Please.”

“Good girl.” He slid his other hand down to tug on her clit. “Come, Harper.” A scream tore from her throat as her pussy quaked and squeezed his cock. Biting out a harsh curse, he exploded in her, his hand tightening around her throat. Forcing himself to loosen the hold, he stroked her neck as she slowly came down from her high.

“How can you still be hard?”

Knox ever so slowly withdrew, causing her pussy to close around his cock and try to suck him back in. “Don’t worry, baby, I’m not done yet.” He drove deep with a grunt. “This time, scream my name for me.”