Page 33 of Knight’s Dominion

“We can do that,” she said, her belly feeling weird, skin prickling restlessly.

He said no more, just stood there, dark eyes locked on her. She had no idea what he was thinking, but it was hard not to squirm under that heavy stare. He leaned forward.

She swallowed, her body heating, recognizing who he was to her, and responding, betraying her. A pulse between her thighs started beating low and deep, and her heart gave a mighty thump. “I’ll get changed and send out the bat signal.”

He blinked like he was shaking off some kind of fog. “Yes, of course.” He took a step back.

“Will you be joining the search?” she asked for some unknown reason. She refused to believe it was because she wanted to fight alongside him, that she wanted to see him in action again.

“Yeah, but first I need information on this creature that could help us fight it, if there is any.”

“Good plan.”

He dipped his chin again and took another step back, then finally turned and headed for the door. He opened it and was about to walk out, but instead turned back to her. “And, Grace?”

The way he said her name, dipped low, kind of gritty, had her fighting a shiver. “Yes?”

“Be careful.”

Then he was gone.

CHAPTER 10

Chaos walked out of Grace’s dressing room, through the bar and growled when he spotted Oden still sitting at a table. He carried on out onto the street, refusing to look back.

Seeing Grace with that male, watching him put his fucking hands on her and drape diamonds around her slender throat had pissed him off; his demon sure as shit hadn’t liked it, either. The monster inside him had twisted and clawed, trying to get free. When Grace had looked up, her mahogany eyes locking on his, everything inside him had seized, then lurched forward, as if trying to drag him forward, to get closer…to her.

He still didn’t understand it. Yes, he wanted her. The kiss they’d shared had been on repeat in his head. But he’d never been this hung up on a female. And right now, Grace should be the last thing on his mind. Thinking about that female, having her entering his mind all damn day and night, didn’t make sense, and it was causing a loss of focus, of control, he couldn’t afford.

Ignoring the rage pumping through his veins at the mere thought of Oden’s filthy fucking hands on her smooth, pale skin, he extended his wings and lifted off, flying a few streets over and landing outside a tiny black shop. The place was closed, but the witch who owned it was always close by.

Many years ago, Willow had created the spell that surrounded the knights’ compound—a kind of repellent warning off human and demon alike. She helped them out occasionally, and had an extensive library and knowledge that had been passed down her line for generations.

Willow was under their protection, not that the female needed it. She was more than capable of looking after herself.

She and Chaos also fucked from time to time. No strings, no expectations. He hadn’t been to see her in a while, but it wasn’t like Willow would’ve sat around pining for him. She had several males she enjoyed on a regular basis, and that was more than fine with him.

The door of her little shop opened before he could knock.

Willow stood there, red hair wild, green eyes wide and curious. “It’s been a while,” she said.

And for the second time that night, he prepared to say four damn words he shouldn’t have to. But he was failing, had failed the demi in this city too much already. He was born, created, to protect them, by whatever means necessary. Admitting he was wrong, that he couldn’t do it alone, cut to the deepest part of him.

“I need your help.”

Grace strode through the crowd, determined not to lose the demon moving quickly ahead of her. She’d been patrolling for hours and was desperate to get her hands on her fleeing target. Even now the creature that had been released from Hell could be waking.

She didn’t know for sure if this demon had anything to do with it, but considering one of his buddies had just mauled a human male, eating the flesh off one arm to the bone, only a block from where the beast had been released instead of feeding somewhere more private, she thought he might.

It obviously didn’t want to leave his post and risked discovery when it got hungry.

The demon lost its head, and the human lost his arm, but thankfully she and Mark had saved the guy before he'd been eaten alive. Mark had taken him to the hospital for treatment, while she continued her search for the Hell beast.

Tangling with a beast was preferable to spending time with Oden. He'd accepted her brush-off after Chaos left the club about as well as you’d imagine. Cold. Angry. But the way he’d looked at her, it was like he thought she was playing some sicko cat and mouse game with him, like the wait was part of some warped foreplay.

A shudder slid down her spine. The guy seriously freaked her out. She loved Vince, she did, but no way in hell was she sleeping with that sleaze. She'd drug him next time if she had to, anything to keep his filthy hands from pawing all over her.

Every time the guy touched her, she wanted to blow chunks. Oden wasn't ugly. Of course, the creepy, murdery, psycho killer-ish vibe brought him down a whole lot of notches on the hot-o-meter. But it wasn’t just that. Her visceral reaction to the male had nothing to do with how much she loathed him. Because it wasn’t just Oden. If any male touched her, even Vince—a barely there hand to her lower back, a brush of fingers against hers when she worked the bar—her body reacted like she’d just chugged a bucket of rotten fish guts.