Page 22 of Knight’s Salvation

He dipped his chin.

She smiled.

Then she heard it, a deep vibrating sound coming from his chest. Was that…was he purring? Her smile died when his eyes met hers. The heat aimed at her blazed so hot it sucked all the oxygen from the room. He lifted his hand, and for a moment she thought he was going to touch her. She held her breath, but then he dropped it back to his side.

“Don’t. Don’t do that again,” he rasped. He looked confused and his voice sounded almost desperate.

“I’m so sorry, Zenon.” Her stomach twisted in knots.

He didn’t say any more. He stepped back, walked out of her room, and shut the door behind him.

* * *

Chaos stoodon the roof of the knights’ compound and took in the deserted lots surrounding it. He did this every night. His need to ensure the safety of those under this roof was uncompromising, ingrained in everything that he was, would ever be.

He’d stopped trying to be anything other than what he was a long time ago.

The sound of female laughter carried on the wind and Chaos walked to the edge of the building in time to see Kryos flying in to land on the fifth-floor balcony. Meredith was in her mate’s arms, and as soon as the male’s feet touched solid ground he took her mouth in a hard kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and Kryos’s growl could be easily heard as he carried her inside.

Chaos knew one day Fate would intervene, would force him to take a mate, whether he liked it or not. He’d seen it happen to Lazarus. But that kind of passion was dangerous. Chaos couldn’t afford to be tied up in knots over a female. His brothers had chosen him to lead, and with that honor came the responsibility to make the right decisions for them and the demi-demons and humans they protected. Having a mate was a distraction he couldn’t afford. A weakness.

Movement in the darkened shadows drew his eye. A dark figure dropped from the top of the perimeter fence and hit the ground hard. Chaos dragged his shirt over his head and unfurled his dove-gray feathered wings. Dropping from the edge of the building, he glided on the wind until he was above their visitor. The sound of the breeze moving across his feathers wasn’t loud, but the demon should have heard him coming with its advanced hearing. It didn’t look up. Chaos tucked in his wings and dropped from the sky, landing in a crouch in front of the guy.

His gaze was unfocused, dazed, and he tried to walk around Chaos like he wasn’t even there.

“Hey.” Chaos grabbed his arm and gave him a shake.

He came to then, his wide eyes losing their glazed look. He took in Chaos and looked confused as hell. His darted glances made it clear he didn’t know where he was or how he’d got there. Either that or the guy deserved an Oscar.

“What the fuck am I—” He looked at Chaos again. “You’re a knight?”

“Bingo.”

The demon turned green.

Demons and humans alike did not come near this place. It was warded using a powerful witch’s spell, making the area surrounding the compound a human repellant—the malevolence that radiated from the land made sure of that. And demons, if they could find the place, weren’t usually stupid enough to risk it.

Something seriously fucked up was going on, had been for months. “Did you decide tonight was a good night to die? Because I can’t think of any other reason you’d come here.”

He struggled against Chaos’s hold and hissed. “I don’t…” He looked around again. Chaos didn’t think the guy was faking the confusion. “I don’t know how I got here.”

“I think we should go inside and have a chat, yeah?”

The demon shook his head frantically.

Chaos ignored him and escorted him to one of the interrogation rooms then sent a mass text to the others. They arrived minutes later. Zenon and Laz first. Ten minutes later Rocco and Gunner who’d been patrolling the city. They were all scowling. Kryos stormed in last, hair mussed, shirt on inside out, and not surprisingly looking pissed as hell. “This better be good.”

Chaos tilted his head toward the closed door, the demon locked up safe inside. Zenon looked through the small window at the top and snarled. “What the fuck?”

“He scaled the fence and walked in.” Low growls filled the hall, followed by cursing that echoed off the concrete walls.

Kryos crossed his arms. “Diemos is sending spies now?”

That started another round of cursing. “Maybe. All I know is the demon was spaced. Didn’t even see me standing in front of him.”

“You think they’re after Eve?” Lazarus gritted out, his big body vibrating with rage. “Diemos won’t stop till he gets his hands on a hellsgate demi.”

As an unmated hellsgate demi-demon, Eve had held the ability to unleash the horrors of Hell itself. A hellsgate in the wrong hands could be used to open the portal between Hell and Earth at will.