Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,152

wanted.

Knox wanted me.

I was the odd man out in the situation.

Just freaking great.

Chapter Fifty-One

My gaze slid from Knox’s sea-blue depths to the skin on my belly as twin ravens moved around my waist, turning their heads to peer up at me with matching blue eyes. I gasped as they pulled away from my skin, returning to his sides before opening their mouths and spreading their wings wide, posed for flight.

My heart thundered in my chest, staring into Knox’s eyes as the reality of their presence sent me reeling. He’d placed his ravens on me without my knowledge. How? When? His lips curved into a cocky grin while he studied the panic rushing through me.

“You were never alone in my world. You think I wasn’t aware of when you slept, when you hungered or touched that needy cunt trying to get off. I felt your half-assed efforts to relieve that never-ending ache between your thighs. You weren’t alone. I stood over you as you slept one time, pushing the hair away from your pretty face before I kissed your forehead, and you never even realized I was there.” He lifted his hand, cupping my breast before his fingers found my hardened nipple, pinching it until I cried out. His other hand snaked around my neck, cradling my head as his fingers twined through my hair, yanking it back to brush his lips against mine.

“You’re a bastard,” I hissed, unable to move from his hold, and uncertain I wanted to.

“Yeah, I am. I never pretended to be anything other than a cold-hearted bastard from the first moment I met you. Do you know why I was in Haven Falls, Aria? The council sent me, that’s true, but I planned to force your line to return, and I waited for you to come to me. The first time I set eyes on you, I couldn’t look away. You were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my entire life. I had to force myself to hold up the appearance, and I couldn’t manage it because all I wanted to do was get closer to you, and learn you explicitly.” His mouth slid over the erratic pulse in my throat, chuckling huskily. His teeth nipped the skin, and I moaned loudly, unable to stop the noise of need that escaped.

“I walked into Haven Falls, knowing that one of the Hecate women would be powerful enough to become the new high queen.” His mouth brushed over my ear, nipping at the delicate lobe as he growled roughly. “I found her, except she turned out to be this ethereal, beautiful little spitfire who rattled and purred. Her scent drove me insane with need, and every part of her called to every part of me. It was supposed to be easy. Walk into your life, end it, and force the rest of your family to return so I could murder them on my land. I changed gears after meeting you. I have wanted no one or needed anything as much as I do you, Aria Hecate.”

“But I am your enemy.”

“But you’re my fucking enemy. So the king walked in, and he took their queen. Checkmate,” he chuckled, releasing his hold on me to cup my cheeks between his large hands while searching my eyes. “And now she’s mine, and I took their strongest weapon for my own needs. Selfish? Absolutely. Does it change the fact that I want you? No, because war doesn’t care what we want, or ask what we need. This thing happening here, it’s bigger than either one of us. There are too many lives that depend on me to win this war, and I can’t allow a pretty face or a beautiful woman to sway me away from my course.”

“And when your people kill me? Will you mourn me and add me to your list of ghosts? Or will I just be another dead witch you celebrate? Because that is what is going to happen, and I am not willing to be added to either of those things for you,” I snapped harshly, hating that no matter how much I lied to myself, I wanted him too.

I wanted him, and it changed nothing. I felt helpless and lost without him, and yet with him, it still wouldn’t change anything. He’d set a course, and he was one hell of a navigator. Nothing we did would change the war or prevent what was coming.

“I gave the order that you weren’t to be touched