Page 5 of Knight’s Absolution

He opened the heavy iron door and crouched down, his eyes locking with hers. “If I don’t lock you away, I will kill you. I will slit your delicate throat deeper and deeper until I take your fucking head off.”

It was a waste of breath but still she tried because she knew the hell that was coming. “Sir,” she said, heart pounding. “Please, listen…”

He stomped down viciously on her leg, hard enough that the bone snapped. The sharp cry that left her surprised her. He’d broken her leg before, hobbling her so she couldn’t easily escape if she somehow got out of this room. Yes, she felt pain, but not like this. Dhampir didn’t feel physical pain like humans did. It was muted. The pain of hunger surpassed all else. But this…this was beyond her experience.

What the hell was happening to her?

Sir dragged her across the concrete floor, deeper into the small steel-walled room, and dropped her.

He strode to the door but paused, turning back. “Maybe I’ll be able to stomach looking at you in a couple of weeks.”

The door banged shut a moment later.

Luna threw her head back, and a sound came from her that she’d never made in her life.

She screamed.

CHAPTER 1

Three months later

Gunner sat bolt upright in bed, the blood-curdling scream from his dream still ringing in his ears. He rubbed his hands over his face, body shaking, buzzing with electricity as if a low-level current was licking over his skin.

Christ, he couldn’t take it anymore.

That scream had echoed through his mind every single night for the last three months. The pain, the anguish rolling through him, through his flesh and bone as if it were part of him.

He didn’t understand it.

Who was she? Why was she in his goddamn dreams?

Shoving the covers back, he rolled his shoulders, still stiff from the fight the night before, the deep cut he’d taken from some demon’s dirty blade stitching itself back together. Fucker.

He showered quickly, then dressed and headed out in search of Chaos. He’d come in late last night and hadn’t wanted to disturb the male while he was with his mate. Gunner was the only one who had regular contact with Rocco now, mainly because he didn’t give his brother any damn choice in the matter.

Roc was as close to the edge as he’d ever been. As close to tipping into the abyss as he was the day his female was stolen from him—as he’d helplessly watched her being dragged to Hell.

Chaos liked to be kept in the loop; all the brothers did. They were worried. They wanted Rocco home at the compound where he belonged. But Gunner didn’t see that happening anytime soon. Fuck, if ever.

He headed down to the first floor where they trained their demi-demons. Chaos was usually here in the mornings.

A familiar battle cry rang out, followed by several more, but these were not so familiar. He paused, glancing into one of the bigger rooms he was passing.

Grace stood in front of the class, Meredith, Eve, and Mia facing her. The looks on their faces were fierce as they ran through their drills. Anyone would think they were about to go to war, and not just running through their usual self-defense moves—

He paused, frowning.

“What’s up?” James asked.

Gunner turned to the male. “The females are training pretty hard.”

James glanced into the room through the small glass window. “Yeah, I guess they are.”

Their mates would lose their minds if they went out with Grace and her crew. Chaos still struggled with Grace fighting even now, despite how good a fighter she was. Being protective of their mates was just part of their DNA. “You seen Chaos?” he asked James.

“Try the control room.” Then the demi, who helped train others like him when they were brought in with their new powers, scared and confused, walked into the room with the females and joined Grace’s class.

When Gunner made it upstairs, Chaos was there with Lazarus. Silas too. The angel had been living at the compound the last few months since he’d had his wings taken for helping them. And though Laz still had no love for the guy, he’d stopped showing his disdain quite as much—except when they trained. Then all bets were off.