Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

KNOX

K nox pushed open the door to his family's sprawling lodge, the scent of pine and a hint of smoke from the ever-burning hearth welcoming him back to the domain he was sworn to protect. He barely had time to shrug off the weight of leadership that clung to his broad shoulders like morning mist on the Rockies when Coco's voice, sharp as a hawk's cry, sliced through the calm.

Coco stood in the center of the living room, arms crossed over her chest, her stance echoing the unwavering mountains outside. "You’re falling for her.”

“You don’t know that,” he growled.

“I know you, Knox. You get this look in your eye when you talk about her…”

“I don’t talk about her, I talk about the work...”

“Same thing,” said Coco dismissively. “And you’re spending all your time there. You leave before the sun is up and don’t get back until after it has set. You eat with her…”

“Enough, Coco. I am alpha and I will decide what is best for me and the clan.”

“There are she-bears in our own clan—and even in neighboring clans—who would move heaven and earth for your attention."

He ran a hand through his dark, untamed hair, feeling the familiar tug of duty clash with the smoldering thoughts of Ruby. Her image, fiery and bold, burned behind his eyelids, a stark contrast to the expectations laid out before him. "Coco, this isn't about what the clan wants," Knox replied, his deep voice rumbling through the space. "It's not that simple."

"Isn't it?" She shot back, her eyes narrowing. "You're the alpha, Knox. Your choices have consequences for all of us."

Before Knox could respond, a tentative knock at the door interrupted their standoff. Mavis, the town’s elderly owl-shifter/postmistress, peeked around the edge of the door, her face etched with worry. "Knox, I need to speak with you," she said, wringing her hands.

"Come in, Mavis," Knox beckoned her inside with a nod. The warmth in his voice belied the steel in his posture—every inch the leader, yet still a pillar of support not only for those in his clan, but those who called Silver Falls home.

"I've done something foolish," Mavis began, her gaze flitting between Knox and Coco. "I may have let something slip about Lorraine's death to Ruby... I fear I may have spoken too freely."

Knox's protective instincts flared, but he held them back, schooling his features into a mask of composure. "Mavis, it's all right. We all slip up from time to time." He turned to one of his men, who lingered just within earshot. "Make sure Mavis gets home safely."

As the elder left with a grateful nod and Coco retreated, still bristling with unsaid words. Knox allowed himself a moment to lean against the cool wood of the wall. His mind wandered back to Ruby, her spirit as wild as the shifting winds of Silver Falls. The thought of her alone, possibly fretting over Mavis's slip, sent a surge of urgency through his veins.

He had only just gotten home, but he needed to see her—to ensure she was safe, to ease the storm of emotions that raged within him. Knox straightened up, resolve hardening like ice over a mountain stream. It didn't matter that she was human, nor did it matter what his clan believed. In that moment, there was only Ruby—the beacon in the night that called him home.

Coco returned to pace before him, her eyes narrow slits of suspicion. "You checked her out, right? Ruby could be anyone, Knox," she pressed, her voice edged with the weight of clan security. "She might have secrets of her own for all we know."

"Relax, Coco," Knox rumbled with a calming authority that came naturally to him. "I've had her looked into. She is who she says she is." His gaze held steady, even as his mind wandered to thoughts of Ruby—to her fierce independence, her wit as sharp as a blade, and if he was being honest, to a smoking hot body that kept him from using anything but cold water when he showered.

"Then what about the silver treasure?" Coco prodded, refusing to retreat. "Could she know something about it? There’s an awful lot of people who think Lorraine and her husband knew its location.”

“And if they did, it was theirs to use as they chose to.”

“Some people say it belongs to the town…”

“Some people are wrong, but I don’t think Ruby knows anything about it. The secret of its location, if it even exists, may have died with Lorraine."

Coco nodded as she considered his words. “Lorraine was secretive, even with the others in their clan, so I guess it’s unlikely that Ruby knows anything."

“I'm fairly sure Lorraine took that information, if she ever knew it, to the grave."

Coco huffed, clearly dissatisfied, but she seemed to accept his judgment for the moment. As she departed, her concern lingered in the air as Knox stood alone. His thoughts strayed uncontrollably to Ruby once again. The need to ensure her safety, to protect her from the unexpected dangers of their world, gnawed at him. With a decisive motion, he strode back to his truck, fishing his cell phone out of his pocket and calling Beckett Grey, the wolf-shifter sheriff of Silver Falls.

"Beckett, it's Knox," he said when the line connected, his voice a low growl born of urgency and something deeper—a thing not entirely driven by duty. "There's been a development concerning Ruby Edwards."

"Knox? What's going on?" The sheriff's voice was alert, tinged with concern.

"Mavis may have spoken out of turn. Ruby could be upset," Knox explained, his words clipped as he fought against the rising tide of emotion.

“And you’re just the grizzly to allay those fears while you’re laying the pretty innkeeper,” Beckett laughed.

"I’m not going to compromise the town, Beck, you know that.”

“That, my old friend, never even crossed my mind. Just be careful you know what you want before you get in too deep.”

“Thanks, Beck. Keep an eye out for any unusual activity around Mavis’ place, will you?"

"Of course, Knox. We look after our own," Beckett assured him, and Knox felt a flicker of gratitude for his best friend’s unwavering support.

"Thanks. I'm headed back to Ruby’s now," Knox added, his hand tightening on the phone as if it were a lifeline.

"Understood. Stay safe," Beckett replied, and then the line went dead.

Ending the call, Knox's resolve solidified. His protective instincts were not just for Ruby but extended to all those who lived in Silver Falls. After all, their security depended, in part, on their secrecy and ensuring that outsiders had no idea that shifters existed. Yet, as he prepared to leave to face what awaited him at Ruby's house, it was the thought of her—sexy, tough, gorgeous, funny, captivating—that set his heart pounding with a wild, untamable rhythm.

Arriving at Ruby’s place, Knox parked his truck out in front, the engine ticking as it cooled in the evening air. He hesitated, staring at the wooden door that stood between him and the woman who had been haunting his thoughts since the moment they'd met. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the vehicle, his boots crunching on the gravel drive as he went up the stairs to the front porch. The door swung open before he could knock, and there she was—Ruby Edwards, her wavy brown hair framing her face in a halo of soft shadows under the porch light.

"Back again, Knox?" Her voice was sharp, a pointed edge to her words. "Can't decide if you're coming or going?"

He bristled at the accusation but knew she was right. His behavior had been erratic, torn between desire and duty.

"Ruby, I...” He began, but she cut him off.

"Hot and cold, Knox. That's all I get from you," she said, stepping closer, her hazel eyes ablaze with frustration. "One moment you're all protective, the next you're pushing me away like I've got the plague, which for the record, I don’t. And I don’t have any other diseases either. How about you?"

His resolve melted under the weight of her gaze. "None, but I’m not here for that.”

“Then what are you here for?” she said, stepping into his space.

“I came to make sure you were safe," he admitted, the truth of his concern for her overriding his caution.

Ruby snorted. "Safe? From what? You? You don't get to just freeze me out and then waltz back in and act all broody and protective." Ruby's hands found her hips, her posture defiant yet vulnerable in the doorway. “You know what Knox? Get out. You’re fired. Send me an invoice for what I owe you and I’ll see you’re paid as soon as the bank opens.”

The tension between them was palpable, charged with an energy that threatened to ignite into something far more intense. Knox reached out, his hand brushing against hers, and the touch set off a spark that coursed through them both.

"Ruby..." His voice was a low rumble, filled with a yearning he could no longer contain.

She knocked his hand away as she turned her back and began to walk away. “I’m not doing this again.”

She had barely taken two steps before he reached out, grabbed her arm and dragged her back to him. In an instant, they collided, a whirlwind of need and raw emotion. Their lips met in a kiss that was both fierce and tender, each one pouring years of unspoken longing into the connection. Knox wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground as if she weighed nothing, and Ruby's legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pulling him even closer.

“What the hell, Knox!" Ruby snarled, pushing at him, completely unafraid, which turned him on even more. Her anger seemed to be momentarily forgotten as he trapped her between the wall and his body.

Knox's eyes smoldered as he held her in place, his body pressed against hers. "I'm not leaving, Ruby. Not until we finish what we started." Her breath quickened, her resistance melting as Knox's breath fanned her cheek, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine.

"You... you can't just...”

Knox silenced her protests with a fierce, hungry kiss, his lips claiming hers with a passion that left her breathless. Ruby's hands, which had been pushing against his chest, now found their way around his neck, pulling him closer as if she couldn't get enough of him.

Their kiss deepened, tongues tangling together, tasting and exploring each other with an urgency that belied their earlier anger. Knox's hands roamed over Ruby's curves, his touch both possessive and reverent as he worshipped her body through her clothes.

Breaking the kiss, Knox trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses along Ruby's jawline, down her neck, eliciting a series of soft moans from her. "I've been thinking about this, about you, ever since I left," he murmured against her skin, his voice thick with desire.

Ruby's head fell back, exposing the delicate line of her throat as she surrendered to the sensations coursing through her. He allowed her body to slide down the wall, but never gave her a chance to get away. His hands found the hem of her shirt, and with deft movements, he lifted it over her head, revealing a lacy black bra that barely contained her ample breasts. Knox's breath caught in his throat at the sight, his eyes darkening with hunger.

"Beautiful," he growled, his voice hoarse with need.

Ruby's body trembled as Knox's mouth claimed her nipple through the lace, his tongue swirling and sucking, sending waves of pleasure through her. His hands roamed lower, sliding over her flat stomach before deftly unfastening her jeans and sliding them down her legs, leaving her standing before him in nothing but her lingerie.

Knox stepped back, his eyes raking over her exposed body, drinking in the sight of her. He had been able to guess at the lushness of her body, but even his wildest fantasies had not prepared him for the reality of her. Ruby's cheeks flushed with desire, her breath coming in short gasps as she stood there, utterly vulnerable yet exuding a raw, primal sexuality.

Taking her hand, Knox led her back to the small bedroom she had been using right off the kitchen. The room was simple yet inviting, with a large, plush bed taking center stage. He could almost hear her heart pounding as he turned to face her, his intense gaze raking over her body once more.

Knox stripped her of her lingerie, leaving her standing naked before him. Ruby's eyes darkened as he laid her back on the bed, revealing her glistening, wet folds. Knox's eyes zeroed in on her exposed sex, his breath catching at the sight of her swollen, aroused flesh. His eyes never left hers as he climbed onto the bed, positioning himself between her thighs.

Ruby's breath quickened as Knox's hand slid up her thigh, his touch electric against her sensitive skin. He teased her, his fingers brushing against her wetness but not quite touching the place she needed him to touch most.

"Please, Knox," she whispered, her voice thick with need.

A satisfied smile played on Knox's lips as he covered her with his body, positioning himself at her entrance, his long, hard, thick length sliding effortlessly into her warm, welcoming sheath. Ruby arched her back, her body making accommodation for his size as if they were perfectly made for each other.

Knox's eyes closed momentarily as he savored the sensation of being embedded deep within her, her hot, silken walls gripping him tightly. He began to move, his hips thrusting in a slow, deliberate rhythm, each stroke eliciting a soft moan from Ruby.

"You feel so good, Ruby," he groaned, his voice strained as he fought for control. "So tight, so wet..."

Knox's primal instincts took over, his movements becoming more urgent, his thrusts driving deeper, filling her completely with each stroke. Ruby matched his rhythm, her body rising to meet his, their skin slapping together in a primal dance of pleasure.

As Knox's pace quickened, Ruby's moans grew louder, her body tensing as she teetered on the edge of release. Knox felt his own climax building, his body coiled like a spring, ready to unleash his passion.

"Come for me, Ruby," he commanded, his voice hoarse with desire.

Ruby's back arched off the bed, her body shuddering as her orgasm ripped through her, her inner walls clenching around Knox's shaft, milking him with her release. With a final, powerful thrust, Knox surrendered to his own climax, his body convulsing as he filled her with his hot seed, marking her as his.

Breathless and spent, Knox collapsed onto the bed beside Ruby, his heart still pounding in his chest. He pulled her close, their sweat-slicked bodies entwined, and pressed a tender kiss to her temple. He knew the problems they faced had not been settled, but tomorrow’s issues would have to wait until tomorrow.