Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,37

out of my chest.

After all that I’d been through, he’d added salt to the wound. He’d rubbed it in until it burned so acerbically that I couldn’t get the granules out of my skin. I felt terrible that Knox had to lash out in that manner, and then I felt like an idiot for feeling sorry for him.

Knox was questioning everything. It sucked to be him, but it wasn’t my doing, and who knew if it was even true?

Witches were masters of manipulation; that much was a known fact. I didn’t blame Knox for being angry or even accusing me of playing with his mind. I’d probably do the same thing in his situation had he told me the love of my life was planted and wasn’t real.

“We will stop here to water the horses and rest for a few hours,” Knox announced, turning to stare at me as I peered out over the landscape. “Get Aria out of the cage, and bring her to me,” he ordered, dismounting his horse while a young kid grabbed the reins.

Brander opened the cage, and I slipped out, following Knox as he walked toward a wooded area. My heart thundered in my chest, slowing when he vanished between the trees. I could feel his men behind me as we entered the forest. Knox didn’t stop walking until the sound of the army had diminished, and silence filled my ears.

He stopped, and I paused as our eyes locked. My chest rose and fell with apprehension at the look burning in his gaze. Knox slowly closed the distance between us, lifting his hand for mine. I stepped back, but he moved faster than I could predict. His hands wrapped around me, holding me in place as my creature stirred within me.

His soft purr sounded, and I blinked slowly. I did everything I could to ignore the pull to echo his sound. Knox’s mouth curved into a smile. He stepped closer, brushing his lips against my ear, purring louder. His hand slid to the back of my neck, and his lips brushed against my throat, his mouth sucking at the racing pulse.

“You are strong, Aria, but not strong enough to ignore what you are.” Knox held my shaking body, and my creature gazed at him with resolve while reinforcing my ability to ignore his noises.

“You’re touching me again,” I hissed icily, my tone cold and filled with loathing.

Knox laughed soundlessly, pulling my body against his heat. My softness sank against his hard edges, and he inhaled deeply, knowing my body prepared for him. It wasn’t something we controlled, which I’d discovered while lying beside him on one of the many nights I’d tried to forget he existed. I closed my eyes as his volume rose, and his tongue danced over my pulse.

I could feel the others watching us. The heat of their stares burned my flesh while they took in Knox, trying to make me respond to his seductive purring. I opened my eyes, finding obsidian orbs with ember flecks staring back at me. My creature peered out, her sultry purr exploding from my lips while Knox’s mouth tipped up at the corners.

It was as if our creatures were taking in one another, learning each other even though Knox and I held control. My spine arched, melding against his steel as he lowered his teeth to scrape against my throat. My creature shook herself, detangling us from the spell they were creating while pulling us into the allure of their temptation.

He rattled low, and I fought to control my response. Knox watched me, his fingers slowly moving over my bare arms with the precision of a surgeon’s butterfly fingers. I wanted to step back, but his eyes held me prisoner while his rattle grew in volume.

My stomach clenched, and my legs grew weak. Heat unfurled in my chest, gradually wrapping itself around my womb, begging to be filled. Knox’s scent was intoxicating and addictively enticing. My nipples hardened with the need for his mouth to taste them. My body released its pheromones without permission, seeking to prove I was ready for him.

“There she is,” Knox chuckled, lifting his hands to run his thumbs over my cheeks while peering into my unguarded soul.

I jerked back, causing his creature to rattle loudly, forcing me to my knees as a gasp of shock exploded from my lungs. His dominance was absolute, forcing my spine to bow as my ass lifted for him. My teeth ground painfully together to hold