Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,42

camp. Knox had spoken little, but he offered me more food and whiskey, which I accepted silently.

“How long have you craved raw meat?” Knox asked, and I noted the others around us went silent, pretending they weren’t listening.

I downed my whiskey, and he refilled my cup. I skipped the raw, bloody meat that smelled divine. Tipping the glass up, I swallowed it, moaning at the hint of citrus and aged wood that danced over my tongue while burning its way down my throat. I placed the glass onto the ground by the fire and scooted closer to its heat, forcing my shoulder into Knox’s view. His eyes narrowed, still irked that it was bare of his mark and had finally healed back to smooth skin instead of scabs.

Staring into the fire, I closed my eyes. My fingers ran over the soft column of my throat, and I opened my eyes, noting that his gaze followed my fingertips, tracing the curve of my neck. I shivered from the intensity in Knox’s stare, which he mistook as the night air chilling me. He stood, pulling off his cloak, before placing it over my shoulders, settling closer to me. Knox stared off into the fire for a few moments, slowly turning to look at me.

“I understand that you’re disappointed and angry with me, but this isn’t how I had imagined you behaving.”

“And how did you see me acting after you abused me? How should I behave after being told the scent of my body is the measure of my worth and accused of trying to hurt you, deceitfully?”

“I’d just returned from finding an entire army of decent men slaughtered, Aria. I feared that you or your family had considered the men expendable to your escape. I found you missing, and then when I got you back, you threw yourself into my arms, which is out of character. You seemed to have forgotten we’re enemies. While I admit I am guilty of the same, what you told me in that tent sent anger, unlike anything I’d ever felt, rushing through me.”

“Can I fuck Killian tonight?” I asked, causing Killian to sputter his drink as he coughed. Brander patted him on his back, chuckling.

“She does that sometimes,” Brander grunted.

“I acted poorly,” Knox continued, grinding his teeth together, studying me, while ignoring my question.

“So you did,” I replied, turning to stare at Killian. He glared at me, and I offered him a saucy smile with heat pooling into my eyes. His glare turned hooded, and he swallowed audibly. I purred huskily at Killian, causing Knox to rattle a warning. I assumed that was for Killian’s benefit since it did not affect me.

“Absolutely fucking not happening,” Knox snapped, peering at my unmarked shoulder once more.

“Brander, then?” I asked, lifting a brow in question.

“No,” Knox replied harshly.

“Lore?”

“No fucking way, Aria,” Knox groaned, running his hand over his face before turning to glare at the men beside us.

“Well, Greer doesn’t do pussy, and mine needs painting rather badly tonight,” I pointed out, and Greer’s gaze swung to mine before lowering it to the region of my body in question.

“I do pussy, Peasant, I just prefer meat,” Greer growled, flipping me off from his bedroll.

“You’re sleeping with me,” Knox whispered huskily. “End of fucking discussion about your bodily needs, woman.”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just not interested in you anymore. I’m going to pass on that offer.” I shook out of Knox’s cloak, carefully folding it up, before handing it back to him. “I’m going to need you to find me someone I can fuck, King Karnavious. My vagina needs feeding too, and the bitch is hungry.” I stood, moving through the slumbering bodies to the wooded thicket for privacy as all the men watched me leaving camp.

“Did she just say her vagina was hungry?” Lore chuckled before making a pained sound deep in his throat.

“She’s surprisingly brilliant for one so young,” Greer snorted. “Shall I follow her to ensure the men give her privacy while she tends to her personal needs?”

“Fuck off, Greer,” Knox growled as he stood, starting after me. “She needs a reminder about who the hell she’s messing with.”

“Should we worry for him or her?” Lore asked, needing clarification regarding who was about to get their ass handed to them.

“Him,” they all stated together before chuckling.

I smiled wickedly as I entered the woods, finding a large boulder. Climbing onto it, I sat gazing up at the multitude of blinking stars. Knox entered the small clearing but stopped to