Through the Ether (Force of Nature Book 5) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,19

I took the win and started to walk away. “And Kingston?” looked back to see him glaring at me. “I really, truly am sorry about Bea.”

Before he could say anything, my father called for him from the foyer, telling him it was time to leave. Kingston scowled at me, dissatisfied with my response, then walked away, disappearing down the grand staircase. I heard the main door click shut behind them, and I exhaled in a whoosh. Guilt washed over me as I hurried down the hall with Grizz at my side.

I locked my door and sat down on the end of the bed. Though I had been right not to send Kingston to his death, it still stung understanding how bereft he was without Bea. I wished I could have given him the justice he sought.

But it just wasn’t possible.

“I hate the fey,” I mumbled to myself as the man-bear sat down next to me. “They take everything—destroy everything.” He wrapped his massive hand around mine and gave it a squeeze. I blew out my breath and leaned my head against his arm. “I’d charge into Faerie if they ever did something to you,” I whispered. “I’d tear every single one of them apart with my bare hands.”

He leaned down and kissed the top of my head before resting his cheek against it. Even though he couldn’t say anything, he didn’t need to; I understood him loud and clear. He’d tear the world apart for me, too, odds and consequences be damned, and though I knew it was meant to make me feel better, the pang of guilt gnawed at my heart. Having so many love me as he did meant I had more at stake. But Kingston had only had Bea, and now she was gone.

He had nothing left to lose.

And I knew exactly how reckless warlocks with zero fucks to give could be.

Chapter Seven

A while later, I decided it was time to face Knox after what had happened and see if he was all right. The fear of finding an unraveling mess in his room weighed heavily on me as I walked down the long hall to his door. I raised my hand to knock but opted not to.

I just opened it without invitation instead.

“Hey,” I said as I peeked into the room. He didn’t even lift his head from the bed, where he lay sprawled like a starfish. “Do you want me to go—”

“I never want you to go, Piper.”

“Not even when I’m hangry?” I asked, sarcasm lining my words.

The bed creaked as he sat up to look at me. The lines etched into his expression made my heart sink.

“I think you’re funny when you’re hangry. It’s cute. You’re like a werewolf…”

“Ah, now I see the appeal. I’m like the grumpy boys you’re used to.”

“Only much, much sexier.” He flashed me a grin that eased my worry a bit and extended his arm toward me, beckoning me over. “And far better for cuddling…among other things.”

I walked to the side of the bed, and he quickly pulled me down on top of him. A tiny shriek of surprise escaped me, and I bit my lip as embarrassment settled in. I could feel my cheeks burn with both that and my proximity to him. His hands spread across my lower back, and I dropped my cheek to his chest.

“Knox…?”

“I’m fine, Piper. You don’t need to worry.”

A mirthless laugh escaped. “Too late.”

“We all have enough on our plates already. Don’t add more to yours because of this. It’s not a big deal—”

“Not a big deal?” I asked, propping up on an elbow so I could scold him properly with my incredulous expression. “Knox, I’m pretty sure we’ve had discussions about this very matter that spoke to the contrary.”

“I was being dramatic.”

“You’re never dramatic.”

He locked his hands behind his head in an attempt to charm me out of my opinion, and the way his bare chest looked with the lamplight hitting it, I was afraid for a second it might just work. But then I remembered the conversation we’d had only days ago in the kitchen—how stressed he’d looked over the topic of his old life here in New York—and I snapped back to reality.

“Why are you trying to downplay this?”

The playfulness in his eyes dimmed. “Because playing it up changes nothing. It’s done. There’s no turning back now.” I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off. “I know what you’re about to say, Piper, and I don’t