Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

Fire thundered to life in front of her. Harper looked up from the sofa, where she was embellishing her new jeans with rhinestones and diamantes. There was Knox; body stiff, shoulders square, dark stare fixed on her.

“So, you’re back,” she said, keeping her tone even and resisting the urge to ask if Drew was dead.

“It would seem so,” Knox said silkily, pouring himself a gin and tonic.

Choosing to ignore that snippy response, she took another rhinestone from the box at her side. When Knox had disappeared with Drew, she’d wanted to reach out and try to calm him, but she’d worried that if she showed any concern for Drew’s welfare it would only anger Knox further. While she couldn’t find it in her to give much of a rat’s ass about the hellcat after the shit he’d pulled, she couldn’t feel good about anything that would upset Devon.

Having glued the rhinestone onto the back pocket of her jeans, Harper reached for another. The box also contained crystals, gems, beads, sequins, sash, lace, and other appliques. She’d started personalizing her clothing when she lived with Lucian. They traveled light and weren’t always able to afford new clothes. At those times, Harper would simply revamp her old ones.

She’d decided to work on her new jeans because she’d needed a distraction. She’d needed to think about something other than whether she’d have to explain to her friend that her older brother was dead. Mostly, though, she’d needed something to stop her from stressing over what Drew had said about Asher. None of it could be true. None of it.

“The hellcat’s alive,” Knox told her, sensing she wanted to know. He’d dumped Clarke on Jolene’s doorstep; trembling, teeth chattering, sweat and blood gleaming on his back—and minus a series of memories, including the one of Knox’s ability to pyroport. And Knox felt absolutely no remorse for it.

He’d given Clarke enough warnings. The male’s sister had warned him. His own Prime had warned him. Still, Clarke had ignored them all. It wasn’t like the hellcat was unaware of Knox’s merciless nature. He’d known what he was risking. If he’d thought that Harper would save him from Knox, he’d thought wrong.

Hiding her relief in case he misinterpreted it as her caring for Drew, Harper said, “I’m guessing the tattoo is gone.”

“You guessed correctly.” Knox took a swig from his tumbler. He’d exorcised much of his anger when he “toyed” with the hellcat. But as he looked down at his calm and collected mate, who didn’t appear in the slightest bit remorseful, he felt that anger building once again. “You should have called for me when you realized that Jolene and Drew had played you. At the very least, you should have walked out of that bedroom.”

From the way he was glaring at her, looking all self-righteous, it was clear to Harper that he expected her to feel guilty. While he had reason to be upset, she refused to feel shamefaced when she’d only been trying to fix the complicated situation they were in. It wasn’t like she’d arranged some kind of secret meeting with Drew, was it?

She was betting there had been numerous times when Knox had been alone with women who coveted him. She hadn’t freaked out on him, and it pissed her off that he was looking at her like she’d cheated on him or something.

Feigning calm, Harper rummaged through her box in search of a tiny skull head. “I decided to hear him out because I wanted him gone. This whole thing isn’t just hurting you, Knox, it’s hurting Devon. I wanted to save you both that pain.”

“It didn’t work, did it?” Knox clipped. “Drew had no intention of leaving Vegas, Harper. He simply wanted an opportunity to convince you to leave me.”

“Well, I know that now. But I didn’t then.”

“Would you even have told me about it if Tanner hadn’t already done so?”

“Of course I would have told you—I had nothing to hide.” Putting her jeans aside, Harper crossed her legs and folded her arms. “I also have nothing to prove or justify, so you can stop looking at me like I somehow betrayed you.”

But that was exactly what Knox felt: betrayed. “I told you that I didn’t want you near him. I made that very clear. And what did you do? You had a private conversation with him in your old bedroom. I swear, Harper, if I ever hear that you’re alone with him again—”

“Don’t threaten me,” she hissed. Bristling, her inner demon unfurled and pushed against Harper’s skin, ready to jump in and defend her.

“I’m not threatening you,” he said, voice low. “I’m making the situation abundantly clear, since it seems that you haven’t listened to a single word I fucking said on this. I didn’t kill Clarke just now for the simple reason that I don’t want him on your mind or to impact your life. But I only have so much restraint in me. If he tries to get you alone again, I will kill him.”

“You don’t think you’re overreacting just a little?”

“Overreacting?” Knox’s hands curled. “He wants to take you from me.”

“Just like Alethea and plenty of other women wanted to take you from me.”

“If you’d wanted to kill them for it, you would have had every right. An ‘overreaction’ is the very last thing I would have called it. You chose to deal with it in a different way—I respected that decision, even though I hated what their actions did to you.”

“But you didn’t order them to stay away from you, did you?” Raising her chin in challenge, Harper rose from the sofa. “You expect me to stay clear of Drew, but I’m sure there were times when Isla or Alethea or other women that wanted to get in your pants went to see you at one of your offices. I’ll bet you didn’t tell them to fuck off and keep their distance. Am I right?” He didn’t respond, but she knew she was right. “Thought so. You certainly never called out to me, so why the fuck would you expect me to call out to you? It’s not like Drew’s a physical threat to me.”

“Those situations were different.”

Her inner demon curled its upper lip in disgust. “Really? How? You knew the women wanted you; you knew they wanted me out of the picture, but you didn’t call out to me or send them on their way immediately. No, you knew you could deal with those situations alone, so you did. How is that any different from what I did?”

“For one thing, I didn’t have them in my old fucking bedroom.”

“Like them being in your office makes much of a difference. You fucked me in there not long ago so, yeah, you don’t get to use that one.”

He advanced on her, closing the distance between them, and pushed into her personal space. “How many times did you imagine those women touching me or vice versa, Harper? Hurt, didn’t it? You didn’t want those pictures in your head, but your imagination went wild on you. What if those pictures hadn’t simply been your imagination at work? What if they had been actual memories that belonged to those women and you knew exactly what I did to them and what they did to me? How well would you have dealt with that?”

Not well at all. Harper would have hated having that shit in her head, but she’d like to think that she wouldn’t have made Knox suffer for it. “Look, I’m sorry you have Drew’s memories—”

“They’re no longer his memories.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I erased them. He no longer remembers what you taste like, how your pussy feels around his fingers, how your breasts felt in his hands, or what you look and sound like when you come.” Knox had thoroughly enjoyed snipping each thread of memory. Drew also had no memory of his reservations about Asher. As long as the hellcat didn’t come into contact with Asher again, Drew never would. “That drunken encounter no longer has a place in his mind.”

It kind of scared Harper that he could completely erase an event from a person’s mind. It made her extremely grateful that she had tough psychic shields that he couldn’t penetrate without shredding his own psyche.

“If Jolene has any sense, she’ll put him on a plane tomorrow and he’ll be gone. But maybe you’re not relieved by that. Maybe you like the attention he gives you. Maybe you even want him.”

Her head jerked back. For a moment, words failed Harper. “Repeat that.” It was a dare. Although he didn’t repeat it, he gave her a look that said he meant every fucking word. An angry flush heated her cheeks. “You son of a bitch.”

“Why else would you willingly be alone with him?”

“I already told you why, so stop with this crap. I won’t pay for your pointless jealousy. I’ve given you no reason not to trust me.”

“Except that you were in a bedroom with another man.”

“Fully dressed. Arguing, because he’d called our son ‘unnatural’ and claimed that he wasn’t a sphinx. I’m assuming he said the same thing to you, since you don’t look surprised by that.”

“Yes, he did. But we’re not talking about Asher, we’re talking about you.”

Harper froze. There had been a brief flash of something in his eyes just then that made a tingling sensation creep up her neck and face. “You were always careful about what you said whenever I mentioned how relieved the Primes were that Asher was a sphinx. You never once referred to him as a sphinx. And whenever Jolene made jokes about how much trouble baby sphinxes were, you never said a word. Just smiled absently or changed the subject.”

Knox said nothing. Just casually tossed back the rest of his gin and tonic.

“You suspect that Asher might not be a sphinx, don’t you? You motherfucker, you do. And you said nothing.” Her demon bared her teeth in the same fury that bubbled through Harper’s veins. It lunged to the surface and glared at him. “You had no right to keep such a thing from us. It’s time you got off your high horse and stopped trying to make her hurt as you hurt. I will put you through a world of pain if you do not.”

If the entity glaring at him had lived within anyone other than his mate, Knox probably would have laughed. No one had ever taken him on and lived to tell the tale, but he would never retaliate against Harper or her demon; he’d never hurt them. In that sense, they had the upper hand. They wouldn’t even need to engage him in a fight—one touch would have him writhing in soul-deep agony. And while he didn’t believe Harper could stomach harming Knox any more than he could stomach harming her, he didn’t doubt that her fierce and protective inner demon would do whatever it took to shield or avenge Harper—even cause him pain.

As if satisfied that its warning had been heard loud and clear, the entity subsided. Then Harper was once again sneering at him. “You don’t even see anything wrong with the fact that you didn’t share this with me, do you?”

“We’re not done talking about Clarke.”

“Oh, we’re done with that,” Harper said, knowing he was stalling for time. “We’re totally done with it. Unless it’s more important to you than our son?”

He didn’t answer. He returned to the small bar and refilled his glass.

“How long, Knox? How long have you suspected Asher isn’t a sphinx?”

“A while. As you know, each demonic breed has an ‘air’ to it. A sort of psychic scent which makes it possible for people to sense what breed of demon they’re facing. That doesn’t mean that all hellhounds smell the same, of course. Similar, yes, but not the same because each person’s psychic scent is that little bit different. Yours is very subtle and elusive, so it’s not simple to ‘read’. It took me a good few minutes to detect that you were a sphinx.” Glass full once again, Knox turned to face her. “Like you, Asher has the air of a sphinx. Like yours, that air isn’t so easy to read.”

“Yeah, he takes after me that way. Lucian’s air is subtle too. I really don’t see where you’re going with this.”

Knox took a swig of his gin and tonic. “Maybe it’s because I’ve walked the Earth a very long time and so have a lot of experience at it, or maybe it’s just something that comes naturally to me, but I can read airs much better than most. I can pick a psychic scent apart and find each individual note.”

“Fascinating. But I still don’t see where this is going.”

“As your anchor, someone who’s psychically bound to you, I know your psychic scent better than anyone else ever could or ever will, Harper. I know every single delicate note to it. And, as Asher’s father and someone who’s touched his mind hundreds of times, I also know every note to his.” Knox took a step toward her. “There are no variations between yours and his. Not a single one. You don’t just have similar psychic scents; you have the exact same one.”

Harper’s breath caught in her throat. “That’s not possible. Maybe he’s able to mimic psychic scents. My cousin can do it. It’s not an uncommon ability, and it certainly doesn’t have to mean that Asher’s not a sphinx.”

“But does your cousin mimic one particular scent twenty-four/ seven? Is it something he even could do?”

Probably not, but Harper shrugged. “If anyone could do it, Asher could. And just because he’s mimicking me doesn’t mean he’s not a sphinx.”

“Which is why I only suspect it. The fact is that demons don’t birth hybrids. A demon is either like their mother or like their father. Asher’s not an archdemon. Can’t be an archdemon, since we’re not born from wombs. If he’s not a sphinx, I don’t see what else he could be. The more abilities he shows, the more clues I have. Individually, the powers tell me nothing. Collectively, they form a picture. So far, I’m still unsure of just what the picture could be.”

Stomach hardening, she swallowed back bile. “What about the black smudge?”

“I didn’t know about that until Clarke mentioned it. He thinks it indicates that Asher isn’t a natural breed of demon. He’s wrong.” Knox swirled his glass and then sipped at his drink. “It’s a veil. A psychic shadow. Its presence could suggest that Asher’s inner demon is disguising itself. I’ve met demons who can cloak themselves. It’s an extremely rare ability, but it’s not limited to a particular breed.”

Baffled, Harper frowned. “If the demon is cloaking itself, how come people don’t sense that?”

“Because part of that ability is that they can mimic psychic scents.”

Harper felt the blood drain from her face.

“Cloaking means he can assimilate himself into any group and be seen as whatever it wishes to be seen. Asher won’t physically change, but his ‘air’ will—in fact, he can even hide it completely so that he appears human. Depending on just how strong he grows, Asher may even be able to ensure that he isn’t seen at all. Not in the sense that he becomes invisible. No, but he will be able to socially cloak himself to the extent that he garners no attention or sticks out in no memories.”

Well, fuck a duck. “Why would the demon cloak itself?”

“Because it can, maybe. I don’t know. As I said, the point of cloaking is to assimilate. To fit. Blend. It wouldn’t surprise me if my own demon influenced its decision—sending some kind of ‘impression’ that safety equaled mimicking its mother. After all, masquerading as a sphinx will keep him safe.”

Knox stepped toward her. “Asher is very much like you, Harper. Good. Mischievous. Expressive. I fear that his demon is very much like mine. Exceedingly cold and dark. Something to rightfully fear.” He tilted his head. “But you’ve already figured that much out for yourself, haven’t you? For a while you’ve suspected—deep down in a place you weren’t ready to face—that he wasn’t a sphinx. Haven’t you?”

She’d wondered about it, yes, but she hadn’t given any real weight to her suspicions. She’d thought she was just letting her fears toy with her mind. “Why didn’t you tell me you believed he might not be a sphinx?”

“Probably for the same reason that you didn’t tell me of your own suspicion. I wanted to be wrong. Saying it aloud felt like taking the suspicion too seriously. Plus, I didn’t want to worry you when it could have been needless. I intended to simply watch him and wait until I at least had a theory as to what else he could be. So far, I have nothing.”

“You didn’t want to worry me? I’m not made of fucking porcelain.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Harper.”

“Why? You certainly enjoyed twisting my motives, accusing me of meeting with Drew because I like having his attention.”

He set down his glass. “I’m glad we’re back on the subject of Clarke, because I’m not finished.”

“Well, I am. You did your best to hurt me by spouting all that shit earlier. Guess what? It worked. I have no interest in giving you the opportunity to spew more of that crap and hurt me all over again.” Whirling, she stalked away.

“Harper, we’re not done.”

“I am.” She needed to go. Needed space. Needed air that wasn’t tainted with tension and anger. It took everything she had not to storm up the stairs. She wanted out of there—not just the room but the mansion itself. Wanted distance from him. Mostly because “alone” was her default zone, especially when she was hurting or confused.

The first time they’d had a major fight, Harper had fled to Jolene’s house. Naturally, Knox hadn’t reacted well to that. And since she couldn’t deny that she’d have felt like shit to have searched their home for him, hoping to mend things, only to find that he’d left her, she’d promised him that she’d never again leave after an argument. She’d made it clear, though, that she’d likely walk away to get some space and cool down. He’d better damn well give her that space, no matter how hard he’d find it not to push.

Upstairs, she returned her things to the closet, got ready for bed, and then slipped under the covers. Using the remote to lower the blackout blinds, she plunged the room into darkness. Honestly, she wasn’t tired. Emotionally drained, yes, but not physically exhausted. But Jolene had always said that a rest could be as good as a sleep. Speaking of Jolene …

Harper telepathically reached out to her. How is Drew?

First, I want to know if you’re all right, sweetheart,said Jolene.

Knox hasn’t hurt me, if that’s what you’re asking.

I know he wouldn’t physically hurt you, but that’s not to say he wouldn’t lose his mind and lash out at you. Men tend to do that when they’re hurt—apparently, they prefer that to admitting they’re upset.

Oh, Knox had definitely lashed out, but he rarely lost control. He’s pissed at me, but he didn’t blow. How bad is Drew? For a moment, there was only silence. Grams?

He’s bad, Harper, Jolene admitted. The pain was so terrible he’s gone into shock. I had Beck put him to sleep. He’ll be healed by the time he wakes. He was very confused about what happened—he doesn’t remember your conversation. There seems to be large gaps in his memory.

Harper closed her eyes tight, thinking that if she’d just refused to go into that damn bedroom, the guy would be okay. Not that she was assuming responsibility for what happened. No, he’d ignored every warning he’d been given, effectively poking at the hornet’s nest. Still, refusing to talk to him alone would have been smarter. Does Devon know yet?

She’s with him now, holding his hand.

Tell me the truth, is she pissed at me?

No. She appreciates that you agreed to let him say goodbye. Still, she’s upset with Knox. She feels he overreacted to seeing you and Drew speaking alone. Intellectually, she knows it was more than that.

Figuring that calling Devon wouldn’t be the best idea until she’d had time to cool down, Harper sighed. I don’t know how to fix this.

There’s nothing for you to fix. You were placed in the middle of an impossible situation. Drew made it worse, and Knox reacted exactly as we all anticipated that he would. I’d hoped that you speaking to him privately, allowing him to say his goodbyes, would have prevented that. Instead, it only exacerbated the situation. If I’m honest, it surprises me that Drew is still breathing.

Rubbing her forehead, Harper said, Keep me updated on his progress.

Will do, sweetheart.

Thanks, Grams.With that, Harper cut the connection. She knew Knox would have sensed that she’d been speaking telepathically with someone. Ordinarily, he’d ask who she’d been talking to. This time, there was only silence from him. That suited her just fine.

Harper woke to a young mind poking at hers. Opening her eyes, she saw that Knox’s side of the bed was empty. Unruffled. Cold. He hadn’t come to bed. Apparently, he was still sulking. Whatever.

Giving Asher’s mind a reassuring stroke, she quickly did her business and pulled on her sweats. Walking into the nursery, she found him standing in the crib, hair all tousled from sleep. He gave her a huge grin.

“Hey, baby boy.” Harper lifted him out of the crib and kissed his cheek. He was so adorable and loveable that her heart squeezed. “So, your demon hides from us, huh? Why?” She didn’t get it. Not at all. Did the entity think she wouldn’t accept it? Or maybe Knox’s demon thought that she’d struggle to accept it and, as such, urged Asher’s demon to hide. Still, why? “Whatever you are, I don’t care. You’re still my boy. I accept your dad’s demon, and I’ll accept yours just the same.”

Of course, she knew Asher didn’t understand a word she’d said. In fact, he wasn’t even paying her any attention. He was staring at the tree mural on the wall while chewing his finger. Still, she’d just needed to say it out loud.

Harper kissed his cheek again. “Hungry?” He blew bubbles at her. “Thought so. First, let’s get you sorted.” After changing his diaper, she lay out some fresh clothes for him before heading downstairs. Given his little habit of making a mess of himself in the morning, she always dressed him after he’d eaten.

Tanner was at the kitchen table, munching on a Danish pastry. He was also alone. Reaching out with her mind, she searched the house for others. Meg. Dan. No Knox.

The hellhound flashed a smile at Asher. “Hey, big guy. Stop chewing on those little fingers.” He looked at Harper, expression sobering. “You all right?” he asked softly.

“Fine.” She settled Asher in the highchair just as Meg came in with his porridge. “Morning, Meg. Thanks.”

She beamed. “Not a problem. Bagel and creamed cheese?”

Stomach churning, Harper grimaced. “I’m not hungry, but thanks.”

Meg’s brow furrowed. “Not hungry? That’s unlike you. Not pregnant again, are you?”

Harper sighed. “No, I’m not.” She was just pissed and off-balance. “I wouldn’t mind some coffee, though.” Sinking into a chair, she spooned some porridge for Asher and blew on it to cool it down.

“Mmm,” drawled Asher, stretching toward her. He opened his mouth wide and practically gobbled the food.

“Knox headed out a few hours ago,” said Tanner. “He didn’t say where he was going. I take it you two had a spat.”

“Why would you think we had a spat?”

“Because his face might have been blank, but his anger was tangible. Also, you look ready to commit murder when you aren’t smiling at Asher.”

Deciding to keep the matter of Asher’s cloaking ability private for now, she said, “He accused me of wanting Drew around and relishing the attention.”

Tanner winced. “Knox didn’t mean it, Harper. He doesn’t just fucking adore you, he trusts you. Guys say stupid shit when they’re mad.”

“That include you?” she asked, feeding Asher another spoonful.

“Yep.”

“The whole thing rankles because I know for a fact that there were times he was alone with women who wanted me gone from his life so that they could get in his pants. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t take out my frustrations or jealousy on him.”

“Yeah, but you’re more emotionally mature than he is.”

Harper gave a soft snort of amusement. “Damn fucking right I am.” They talked about general things as they finished breakfast. After that, she cleaned and dressed Asher. While he played with Tanner, she tried calling Devon. It wasn’t a total surprise that the female didn’t answer. It still hurt.

A little later, Keenan turned up at the house. As he played on the rug with Asher, she and Tanner filled him in on what had happened the night before. Relaying the tale and reliving each moment of it rekindled the anger she’d somehow managed to let go of the night before. Now, it was back with a vengeance, leaving her restless. Twitchy. Her fingers tingled with the urge to do something—anything.

An hour later, when she could take it no more, she pushed up from the sofa and declared, “I’m going for a drive.”

Looking up at her from where he was sprawled on the sofa with a napping Asher on his lap, Keenan frowned. “A drive?”

“Yes.”

Tanner stood. “All right. Let’s go.”

“No, I mean I need to go for a drive,” she said. “You can come, but I’m driving.”

“Fine,” said Tanner, because his expression was pained.

“Asher and I will be okay here,” Keenan assured her.

She nodded. “I won’t be long.”

She’d driven Tanner’s Audi a few times and, as usual, he handed over the keys with a whole lot of reluctance. If her mood hadn’t been so grim, she might have smiled at the way he awkwardly settled in the passenger seat … as if finding it weird to have a woman driving him around. Maybe it was an alpha male thing or something.

The Audi was a total dream to drive. Smooth and easy. She missed driving. She’d had her driver’s license revoked due to her impatience with traffic lights, unpaid parking tickets, and speed restrictions. But she was a damn good driver, so it didn’t seem fair. Having a chauffeur was great and all, but there was something relaxing about sitting behind the wheel of a car and just going for a drive.

Tanner didn’t speak as they journeyed around Vegas, as if sensing that she needed the time to just lose herself in what she was doing—not think or dwell or brood. Just be.

She didn’t even realize she’d been heading toward her old studio in North Las Vegas until she found herself turning onto the street where it was situated. She pulled to a stop outside the building, which was now a hair salon. It made her remember a time when things were different. Simpler in some ways. A time when things were easy between her and the girls.

A time before Knox.

She didn’t regret meeting him. Didn’t regret accepting him as her anchor or taking him as her mate. Definitely didn’t regret having Asher. She just hadn’t envisioned herself ever being in a situation where she may have to choose between him and one of the girls.

“You think Devon’s going to partially blame you for what happened to Drew?” asked Tanner, correctly guessing where her jumbled thoughts had taken her.

Harper sighed. “I don’t know. But she’s not taking my calls.”

“Maybe she doesn’t trust herself not to say something that will fuck things up in a way that they can never be fixed.”

“According to Jolene, she thinks Knox overreacted.”

Tanner snorted. “If anything, Knox underreacted.”

“I know that.”

“So does Devon. She’s not stupid. But she is emotional. Drew’s her brother; she’s protective of him and will naturally be pissed at anyone who harms him. That’s the way it should be. Give her time.”

Knowing he was right, Harper nodded. As she took a deep, centering breath, the scent of coffee filtered through the open window and filled her lungs. The smell came from the café across the street—a café that she and the girls had frequented once upon a time. “I feel like a vanilla latte. You want anything?”

Tanner glanced at the café. “Is this a good idea? That place is run by the sister of your human ex-boyfriend, right?”

“What’s your point?”

He just sighed. “I’ll have a cappuccino.”

With a nod, she hopped out of the car and headed into the café. There was a line but she didn’t mind waiting; she liked being surrounded by the scents of coffee beans, spices, fresh desserts, and even acrid burned coffee.

Around her, people were sat at bistro tables—drinking, eating, talking, reading, working on their laptops. She could hear dishware clattering, the whirr of machines, and music playing low in the background. The line moved at a steady pace, thankfully, so—

“Harper?”

Looking to her left, she saw none other than … “Royce.” Her ex. She silently swore. It was just her luck that he’d be there. She thought about walking right out, but he’d see that as her fleeing from him. She wouldn’t give the cheating bastard the satisfaction.

He cleared his throat. “Um, how are you?”

“Fine.”

He gave her a quick head-to-toe scan and said, “You look well. Marriage to a billionaire suits you.”

At those words, the woman in front of her turned and gave Harper a cursory look, as if to check she wasn’t a celebrity or something. Harper and Knox had been featured in magazines, but it seemed that this woman hadn’t read any of them because she turned right back around.

Ignoring the bitter edge to Royce voice’s, Harper smiled. “It does suit me pretty well, doesn’t it?”

“I bumped into one of your work colleagues the other day,” he said. “They took great delight in telling me that you’re happily married. With a kid. A boy, right?”

“Right,” she said, tapping her nails on her thigh.

“Is he with you?” Royce glanced at the Audi, which was parked among a row of other cars.

Harper narrowed her eyes. “How did you know the Audi was mine?”

His eyes shot back to her and widened slightly for a brief moment. “Okay, I’ll admit, I saw you hop out of it a few minutes ago. I was debating whether to come talk to you. I almost didn’t.”

“I see.”

“What’s your little boy’s name?” asked Royce.

“You really want to talk about my son?”

Royce shrugged, nonchalant. “I’m just interested in what’s happened in your life since we parted.”

“As you know, I got married and had a kid. Why don’t you tell me what’s been happening in your life?”

“Nothing interesting. My life’s been pretty dull since you left it.” He swallowed. “Do you have time to talk?”

“No.” And, really, what was there to say anyway?

“Come on, Harper. It would be good to catch up.”

She frowned, finding it odd that he would even want to speak with her, considering she made a habit of giving him shit. “No, it really wouldn’t.”

His face hardened. “You know, they’re right in what they say. Money changes people.”

“No, but it does change how the people around you treat you. Take you, for example. I haven’t been civil with you since the moment you cheated on me. Instead of shouldering that blame, you’re blaming it on the fatness of my purse. Mature, Royce. Real mature.”

He sighed. “I just want to talk. Please.”

Quite frankly shocked that he would ever plead with her for anything, she felt her frown deepen. As she looked at him again, seeing the out-of-character kicked-puppy look on his face, her pulse quickened. And then it hit her. He’d said, “your work colleagues”. But Royce believed they’d closed the studio down, not relocated it. As such, he would have said her “old” work colleagues … if it were Royce.

Motherfucker, she was talking with the bastard incorporeal. Her realization must have shown on her face, because his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

He clasped her hand and, Jesus, it was like someone poured ice-cold water into her veins. It went rushing up her arm, into her shoulder, spreading and spreading through her body. The shock of it took her breath away. Still, she instinctively slapped his chest, sending soul-deep agony out of her prickling fingertips and blazing through him. She was fast.

But she hadn’t been fast enough.

The incorporeal burst out of his body just as Royce sagged to the floor. The whirling vapor plunged right into a little girl of about eight or nine, and the impact almost knocked the kid off her feet.

Harper stumbled toward her, shaking from the cold that had invaded her body and seemed to weigh her down like lead. But, in control of the child, the incorporeal righted itself, shot a creepy smile at Harper, and thrust out its palm. A bitterly cold wind soared out of its hand, slammed into Harper, and tossed her aside.

There was a crack as her head hit the wall hard. Motherfucker. Harper slid to the tiled floor with a shaky moan just as the incorporeal swept out its arm, sending a blast of glacial air that froze the humans around them.

Harper’s mind told her to get up. Attack. Fight. But her body helplessly curled into a ball, trembling from the cold. It reminded her of the time she’d fallen into a frozen lake, only this was ten times worse. God, she was so cold her skin burned; it felt like she was being stabbed with needles.

Her demon raged, urging Harper to rise and charge at the little fucker. She wanted to get up. Tried. But she could barely breathe, let alone move. Hell, it was hard to think about anything other than the pain.

Hearing pounding, she realized that Tanner was kicking and punching the door. A door which was covered in the same ice that had crept along the walls. He couldn’t get inside, and there was no way for her to help him. She just couldn’t get up. Every muscle contracted painfully. Each breath she took chilled her throat and lungs, as if she was breathing in ice-cold air. It made her chest hurt like holy hell.

Even as the cold began to fog her brain and cloud her thoughts, she retained enough presence of mind to call out, Knox, need you here. Her telepathic voice was soft and weak, but she knew he’d hear it.

The incorporeal skipped over to her with a giggle. “You don’t look too good. Don’t worry, the pain will be gone soon … because you’ll be gone.” She giggled again.

Harper snarled, but what could she do? Even if she was prepared to hurt a kid on the off-chance that it would also hurt the incorporeal, she couldn’t have moved to do so. Numbness had crept into her fingers and toes, like her hands and feet were submerged in snow. Her demon surfaced with a hiss and said, “You will die for this.”

“That would have sounded scary if you weren’t chattering your teeth.”

The air thundered as fire erupted out of the floor. The incorporeal wasted no time in attacking. The moment Knox stepped out of the dying flames, it sent a blast of glacial energy at him. The blast had no effect. Just skimmed over him, barely even ruffling his hair.

Harper?It was a demand to know if she was all right.

I’m fine, Harper told him. Kill it. Her demon didn’t settle now that he was there. It wanted to fight alongside him. Harper wanted it too, she really did, but she couldn’t stop shaking. Hell, she couldn’t even speak. Every breath hurt. It felt like shards of ice had splintered her throat and lodged in her lungs. The air in the room sliced at her skin like it was a bitterly cold wind; making her nose numb, her ears throb, and her cheeks feel windburned.

Smiling up at Knox, the incorporeal let out a nervous girly giggle. “You wouldn’t hurt a little girl, would you?”

Glaring hard at the incorporeal, Knox flexed his fingers. Fury lived and breathed inside him right then, making his heart pound and his blood sing with the need for vengeance. His demon ached to take charge and annihilate their enemy, but Knox didn’t trust that it wouldn’t annihilate everyone else in the process, considering them collateral damage. The demon only cared for the safety of its mate and son.

“I see you have something in common with your owner,” said Knox. “You hide behind others—or, in your case, within others.”

The incorporeal narrowed its eyes. “I am not owned.”

“Sure you are,” he said, tone derisive. Taunting. Cutting. “He holds your leash and tells you to go fetch. You obey his orders like a good … little … dog.”

She hissed and bared her teeth. “I am no one’s dog.”

“And yet, here you are, doing your master’s bidding at the promise of a treat. You may have escaped your glass case, but you are still very much a captive.”

“Once I am free of this bargain, I will find Dion and make him pay for keeping me in that case,” she snarled.

Well that confirmed that it wasn’t Dion who had helped Alethea free it.

“If you persist in coming at me and mine, the only freedom you will find is in death.” Knox slipped an arm behind him and shot a wave of raw power at the front door. The moment it burst open and Tanner rushed inside, Knox clipped, “Get Harper out of here.”

The hellhound probably would have done exactly that if the incorporeal hadn’t hit him with a wave of glacial energy, encasing him in ice—it happened in a mere millisecond.

The incorporeal giggled and put a hand to its mouth. “Oops. Wasn’t that one of your big, bad sentinels? Frozen is a good look for him.”

Harper shot a hard glare at the incorporeal as she spoke to Knox. Kill it for fuck’s sake.

With a sudden sharp cry, the incorporeal slapped its little hands to its head.

“You feel me inside the child’s mind, don’t you?” taunted Knox. “I see you have a good grip on it. But to make you loosen your hold on her … all I have to do is this.”

Harper winced because whatever ‘this’ was made the incorporeal scream like a banshee. It thrust out both chubby little hands, and a harsh wind whooshed out of its palms and whirled around Knox like a tornado. He stood inside it, looking unimpressed. Even a little bored. Which only pissed the incorporeal off beyond measure.

He was playing with the incorporeal, Harper knew. Letting it see and feel just how outmatched it was. And she suspected his demon was thoroughly enjoying that.

Finally, he stepped out of the mini tornado, nary a hair out of place. “Enough. I think we’ve established that the glacial energy has no effect on me.”

The incorporeal’s mouth sagged open. “Impossible,” it spat. Another gust of wind rushed out of its hands. But Knox slammed up his own palm and sent a blaze of fire streaming at the incorporeal. Wind and fire crashed together like swords, and a backlash of the colliding energies swept across the room in a bright sheen of light that almost blinded Harper.

Again, her demon urged her to rise and fight, but she simply couldn’t. Instead, she could only watch as the archdemon and incorporeal battled hard.

“I will have my freedom, Thorne, you cannot—” Once again, the incorporeal’s hands snapped to its head as it let out yet another high-pitched scream. The sound went on and on and on, until Harper thought the windows would smash. A blizzard suddenly whipped up around them, ruffling her clothes and tossing her hair everywhere. It would no doubt have also sent objects sailing around if they weren’t frozen in place.

Knox merely flapped a hand as if swatting at a fly. Just like that, the blizzard seemed to shudder and then abruptly die off. “When will you learn that you stand no chance against me?”

The incorporeal once again screeched, knees buckling under the strain of whatever mental pain Knox was causing it. The girl’s body bucked as the incorporeal lunged out of her … which was what he’d been waiting for.

A raw dark power buzzed and pulsed in the air just before flames instantly erupted out of the ground—vivid flames that were red, gold, black, and deadly. The incorporeal dove straight back into the kid’s body to escape them. Eyes wide and afraid, it stared at the flames of hell as they inched around it, barricading it in. “You can truly call on them.”

“There’s no way out of this,” Knox told the incorporeal. “I can do this all day.”

Panting, it hissed. “But your mate cannot. Do you not see what is happening to her? She is freezing from the inside out. Soon, her heart will fail and rupture into tiny pieces.”

Harper knew the incorporeal wasn’t exaggerating. She could feel her heartbeat beginning to falter. Could feel the cold invade and surround the organ. Her vision was starting to darken around the edges, and a deep sleep beckoned her.

“You could save her, but only if you move now and make her warm. At a guess, I would say you have mere seconds before it is too late for her.”

No, kill it,Harper insisted, but Knox instantly pyroported to her. At the same time, the incorporeal surged out of the child’s body. The hazy vapor flew over the flames and rocketed out of the front door, fading as it did so.

Knox crouched in front of her, eyes glinting with panic. “Baby.”

You should have killed it.Then darkness swept over her.