Page 67 of Knight’s Salvation

“But, I…but you…”

He shook his head. “I’m not like the other knights. I’m more demon than angel,” he said, repeating what he’d said to her when she’d looked after him, hoping she knew where he was going with this. “You wanted to know if you could help me? You…you just gave me what I need.” He could barely believe it. Emotion swamped him. “You gave it to me, Mia.”

Her eyes searched his. So much there, so damn much. “I did?” she whispered.

“Yeah.”

“But how?”

“I don’t know.” He’d only known Helena to possess such a power. Hope surged through him. Could Mia be the answer to his freedom?

“I was so scared. I thought I’d hurt you.” She wrapped her arms around him. Her soft body pressed against his, her curved belly and lush breasts. Christ, her scent…

That’s when he felt it.

His dick twitched, lengthened, and filled until it strained painfully against the fly of his jeans.

Holy shit. Holy motherfucking shit.

He was pressed close to her and he saw the minute she felt it, that she felt him, his hard, aching cock against her soft curves.

Her eyes went round as saucers, and she sucked in a breath.

“What the fuck just happened here?” Chaos barked.

Reluctantly, he stepped back and turned to face the males who had had his back more times than he could remember. As much as he didn’t want to reveal his shame, he wanted his freedom. And after what just happened, he had hope for the first time in his shitty life.

Zenon explained his need for the energy Mia had just given him. The pain he suffered when he was drained of it. They listened without interruption but he could see the question in their eyes, see the realization flicker across their gazes. Putting the pieces together. His unexplained absences—what Amen had said during questioning.

But it was Mia who asked the question. “How have you survived all this time? Who gives you what you need, Zenon?”

He had imagined this moment in his mind many times, telling his brothers what he had been, still was. But telling Mia? He could never have prepared himself for that. The urge to dip his head, to hide was almost overpowering, but he held her gaze as he spoke. He focused on her, his brothers at his back like they always had been and, he realized in that moment, always would be if they got the chance.

“I’m a slave, Mia.” A soft gasp slipped past her lips and her hand flew up to cover her mouth. “I didn’t come to Earth alone. My mistress brought me here after she attempted to overthrow Diemos. She failed. Leaving was her only option. Silas has her contained, but I need her to survive. When the pain becomes too much, I have to go to her, and she gives me what you just did, gives me what I need to survive…for a price, until the next time.”

Muttered curses and what sounded like a fist to the wall could be heard behind him. “Why didn’t you tell us?” Chaos said. “We could have done something, helped you.”

Zenon turned to face the other male. “No one can help me. Not even Silas has that power.” But now that he didn’t need that bitch to survive, maybe… “I have a few things to discuss with you all. Tomorrow night before we head out?”

Chaos looked like he wanted to disagree. Their leader wasn’t known for his patience, but his gaze moved to Mia standing silently behind him and he lifted his chin in agreement. Then he moved in and held out his hand. Zenon took it, and Chaos pulled him in, one big mitt going to his back. “We will make that bitch pay. I promise you that, brother.” Then he turned and strode from the room.

One by one the others did the same, showing their loyalty, letting him know they would always have his back, no matter what. Zenon didn’t know what to do, what to say. Shit, he was too choked up to reply.

When they left, he turned back to Mia.

She bit her lip. “That’s why you pushed me away, because of her?” Her voice was soft, shaky.

“Yes.”

“Do you have feelings for her?”

He felt his face twist in disgust. “I fucking hate her.”

She walked over to him and looked up. Her eyes held nothing back. It was all there to see, all the emotion she’d been hiding from him since he turned his back on her in this very room over a week ago. Jesus, he needed that, craved that look from her. His heart started bouncing around in his chest like a fucking hamster on speed.

And just when he didn’t think he could take much more, she said, “Will you make love to me, Zenon?” She licked her top lip, and the sight had his cock on the verge of punching through the front of his jeans.

He didn’t know if Mia had the power to set him free, but he wanted the chance to find out. What had happened just then was a goddamned miracle. Somehow Mia had cut through the hold Helena had over him. There was no way he could deny himself this.