Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 117510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 588(@200wpm)___ 470(@250wpm)___ 392(@300wpm)
Her chapped lips trembled, but she didn’t respond.
With Dan trailing behind her, Meg came back into the bedroom holding a tub of Vaseline. “This will help.”
When she unscrewed the lid, Knox dipped his finger inside and then gently spread the Vaseline over Harper’s lips.
“Is there anything I can do?” asked Dan.
“Help Meg and Keenan watch over Asher for me,” said Knox. “I’m not leaving Harper’s side until I know that she’s fine.”
As both Dan and Meg melted out of the room, closing the door behind them, Harper’s eyes fluttered open again. She stuttered words that he couldn’t quite make out.
If you really need to talk, do it mind-to-mind, Knox told her.
My skin is prickling and tingling, she said.
That’s good. It means it’s beginning to thaw. But that didn’t bring him any relief. Even when her pulse began to steady and her trembling eased a little, he didn’t settle. Couldn’t. Not until she was one hundred percent okay. Maybe not even then.
Still, taking a deep breath, he did his best to rein in his anger. She’d be fine, he assured himself. She was safe. Alive. Right there in his arms. But it was hard to find calm when his demon’s own anger still bubbled within Knox’s veins. Stroking her skin, he inhaled deeply, letting the feel and scent of her calm the chaos in his mind.
Knox glanced down at the ring on his finger that was studded with black diamonds. He hadn’t imagined he’d ever completely commit himself to another person, let alone ever wear a symbol of commitment. But he wore it with pride—even smugness. That same satisfaction always filled him when he looked at the rings on her own finger.
He was not an easy anchor, and he was an even more difficult mate. It would probably always astonish him that Harper had accepted his claim on her. She’d changed everything. Brought out emotions in him that he’d never before felt. Emotions he’d never thought he could feel. He needed her. Fucking adored her. And now he needed to fix his fuck-up.
He lay there with her for what could have been hours, holding her close, rubbing her skin, talking to her in a low, soothing voice. Her skin eventually warmed, and she slipped into a restless sleep. He just continued to hold her, stroking her hair and skin.
At one point, Tanner’s mind touched his. How’s Harper? Any better?
A little, replied Knox. How is the clean-up going?
Once you unfroze the people in the café, I pushed the smell of smoke into the air and yelled that there was a fire. Everyone other than Royce—who was shaking on the floor from what I’m pretty sure was soul-deep pain—rushed outside. With regret, I carried the asshole out of there instead of leaving him to burn in the fire that Larkin then started. Once the building was destroyed, she let the hellfire ease away. It was the only way to cover up the scorch marks left behind by the flames of hell.
What was Harper doing in the café? asked Knox, rubbing a silky strand of her hair between his fingers.
She was restless and wanted to go for a drive. I don’t know if she meant to drive to her old studio, but she pulled up outside and just looked at it. She’s hurting that Devon won’t take her calls.
He knew that. Hated that he hadn’t been more sensitive about it. If he had, if they’d talked last night instead of arguing, just maybe she wouldn’t have felt the need to go for that drive. Then the incorporeal wouldn’t have almost killed her.
She went into the café to grab us both some coffee, said Tanner. I saw her talking to Royce, but I figured she could handle him. It happened so fast—one second she was talking to him, the next thing he collapsed to the floor and a weird vapor shot out of him and into the little girl. I bolted out of the car, but the café door iced over before I could get inside.
So Royce had been possessed by the incorporeal. Harper had clearly figured it out if she’d delivered him soul-deep pain, but that pain obviously hadn’t reached the incorporeal. If the incorporeal was in control of Royce, he won’t remember any of what happened. That was a good thing.
Larkin and I slipped away before the human authorities could question us. I’m glad Harper had the presence of mind to call out to you while she was being attacked, because I was too frantic to get inside that fucking café to even think about it.
Just as Knox had been too frantic about her condition to even care much about damage control—he’d left it to his sentinels. You would have called me. She just beat you to it.
Breaking the telepathic connection, Knox glanced down at Harper. She was looking up at him, eyes a little glazed over. His relief at seeing her awake almost felled him. “Hey, baby,” he whispered, mouth curving. A hint of wariness entered her eyes, as if she suddenly remembered their argument and expected him to continue it. As if, worse, she thought he’d verbally strike out at her again. Fuck if that wariness didn’t gut him.