Page 61 of Knight’s Dominion

Brushing her long, blond hair away from her face, he studied her still features. So beautiful. And she was tough as shit. He couldn't have asked for a better mate if he'd dreamed her up himself. Why had he ever thought resisting this was a good idea?

Still, with or without her, the coming war had to be his first priority, he knew that. Yes, she was a distraction when he was with her, but she was more of one when they were apart. He'd discovered that the hard way.

What if you lose her like Tobias lost Scarlet, like Rocco lost Kyler?

Could he afford to risk it? With so much at stake? Any day now, Rocco's female could gain her power and open the gates of Hell. And the way Grace risked her life every damn night—could he allow himself to get attached to her?

He stared down at her so still and fragile. She’d hate this. Hate feeling weak.

Who are you kidding? You’re already attached.

A warm hand to the back of his head woke him. The fingernails lightly grazing his scalp sent pleasurable tingles all over his body. He lifted his head from the mattress. Grace was awake.

Thank fuck.

She looked up at him, her beautiful brown eyes were filled with worry, and anger.

“Laney, James, the others, are they okay?" Her voice was croaky.

He took her hand because he couldn't help himself and passed her the glass of water by the bed. "Your injured are in the hospital. I called James, you had only one fatality. The rest are going to be fine."

Somehow James had kept his involvement with Grace and her crew a secret from him and his brothers. It stung that he didn’t feel he could share that with Chaos, they were family, but fuck, he understood it as well. Up until a short time ago, Chaos would have lost his shit if he’d know James was fighting with Grace.

Now he just respected the male even more.

She took a sip of her drink and passed it back. Her hands balled into fists. “One fatality is one too many.” A tear rolled down one cheek. “I can’t believe Mark is gone.”

Oh fuck, she was crying.

Seeing that tore at his chest. He reached for her.

He reached for this mate.

CHAPTER 17

Grace scooted back, away from Chaos’s outstretched arms.

"Grace..."

She held up a hand to ward off whatever he'd been about to say. "Don't. I’m fine.” It was a complete lie. Pain and rage wrapped around her, growing with every breath she took until she could feel nothing else. She didn't want to feel anything else.

So many demi had died at the hands of demons, suffered even now as slaves to their kind, kept as play things. No, this wasn’t new, losing her kind to those evil fuckers. But losing Tina and Mark, it was just…it was too much.

“Is his body still at that house? He deserves a proper burial." She bit her lips to stop an angry sob from breaking free. "I just...I can’t believe he's gone, that I'll never see him again, never talk to him." She glanced up. "He was a good man. It shouldn't have ended like that, not for him."

Chaos’s thick forearms rested on his thighs, and his dark gaze locked on hers, like he was assessing her mood, her mental state. "You're pretty cut up about this guy. You two were close?"

She made a strangled sound, fighting back her bellow of rage. “Jesus fucking Christ, Chaos. What the hell is wrong with you? Cut up? Of course, I’m cut up. We've been fighting together from the very beginning. He's family.”

Tension flowed from him and washed over her. "Were you lovers?" he asked.

“Are you actually jealous of a dead man?”

His jaw tightened.

She’d always believed she was in this on her own, that she could never truly trust anyone. She finally understood, and now it was too late to tell Mark, to tell Tina how much she cared about them. How important they were to her.

“Apologies,” he said quickly, before she could form a reply. “I have no control over the possessiveness. It was shitty of me to ask.” His voice was tight with regret.