Serena huffed out an indignant breath. She raked her nails over Knox's ridiculously sexy, rippling abs, pouting like a naughty child. As much as she wanted to rail against him, to demand answers to the million questions swirling through her mind, she knew that pushing too hard now might cause him to shut down completely. And right now, with so much still left unsaid between them, that was the last thing she needed.Her delicate fingers continued their wandering path downward, trailing with featherlight caresses along the defined V-line of his lower abdomen that disappeared tantalizingly beneath the thin, rumpled duvet covering their naked bodies. She immediately jerked her hand back as if scorched when her questing fingertips inadvertently grazed the thick, velvety steel of his impressive manhood, the blazing heat of his arousal searing her soft skin."Oh my god!" Serena gasped out in a strangled cry, her cheeks turning a brilliant shade of scarlet as the mortifying realization
Serena’s fists pounded weakly against Knox’s chest in a silent demand to release her, for she was almost out of breath. She gasped and drew in a mouthful of air when he finally let her go. “You b—” She paused, seeming to rethink her choice of word at the look of ‘I dare you to finish that statement’ he gave her. Knox seemed satisfied by her grudging cooperation. "Good girl," he murmured. The simple praise and the undisguised heat simmering in his depths had her burn with need. “I haven’t brushed my mouth. My breath stinks.” She pouted. “Why don’t we do something about that?” He asked, leaning forward with a devious look in his eyes. “Ha, no need.” Serena shrank back. Knox chuckled. He kissed her gently on the forehead before turning over on his back. "Now, as I was saying..." he began again, his expression sobering into one of grim solemnity. "The matter of Mia is complicated. More so than you could possibly imagine. I've been responsible for her since she was a litt
A soft, needy moan escaped Serena as Knox's tongue delved past her lips to taste her, to plunder the warm depths of her mouth with deep, devouring strokes that left her dizzy and aching for more of his exquisite torment. However, her eyes went wide with fear when she felt the thick, heavy weight of his huge bulge pressing insistently against the softness of her belly. Undulating against her in a silent promise of the delicious impalement to come should she allow it. A tremor of trepidation mingled with longing shivered through Serena. "Wait, I can't...I'm still too sore from last night," she muttered in a panic against his lips, her words emerging on a breathless whimper of protest undermined by the yearning throb between her thighs. Knox broke the intense kiss with obvious reluctance and leveled her with a look so predatory it nearly stopped her heart. "I don’t plan on taking you again, firecracker. You won’t survive another round." Serena let out a shaky breath and blu
Knox secured Serena's slender body with the plush quilt just before the door opened and Mrs. Ricci came in. It was as though Knox could already feel her presence before she even got there.“Master. Madame.” The older lady greeted in a crisp, all-business tone, giving Knox and Serena deep bows. Then she stood straight again, moved toward the night stand and placed the trail she was holding there before retreating from the couple once more. Mrs. Ricci's footsteps were all slow and purposeful as she made her way across the bedroom towards the bathroom, clearly already knowing exactly what needed to be done. Serena hugged the soft quilt tighter around herself, feeling pretty awkward and embarrassed as she heard the stern butler pottering around unhurriedly getting the bath ready just on the other side of the door. She remembered meeting Mrs. Ricci's eyes briefly and felt her cheeks flush despite trying her best to keep her shit together.Serena knew little about this particular st
Serena's mind was in absolute turmoil, unable to stop replaying Knox's jaw-dropping question from earlier in the bathroom. She had tried repeatedly to get him to explain what he meant by that. But the man had stubbornly avoided giving her a straight answer no matter how much she prodded and pushed after that mind-meltingly hot, passionate kiss.‘Seriously, what did he mean by that?’ she had asked herself for what felt like the hundredth time."Don't worry about it. Focus on getting ready for brunch." This was the only response she got from him after her incessant questioning. Serena’s thoughts were an absolute muddled, chaotic mess ever since he had so nonchalantly dropped that crazy bombshell on her. Part of her desperately kept wanting to believe that Knox had just been trying to feel her out or test her reaction to something along those lines - maybe get a sense of her boundaries when it came to that kind of thing in the bedroom. However, another part of her couldn't shake
Then he rose gracefully from the sofa. He cut an incredibly striking figure in a simple yet undeniably elegant and sexy outfit that accentuated his very tall built.He wore a neat black T-shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and muscular chest with the top few buttons left tantalizingly undone to reveal a teasing glimpse of his tattooed toned pecs. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing off his strong corded tattooed forearms.The shirt was paired with a black fitted jeans that skimmed over his narrow hips and sculpted thighs like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination about the impressive physique hidden beneath.He moved towards her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You look beautiful, as always."Serena blushed. "You aren’t bad yourself," she said softly.With that, they finally headed downstairs to the dining room for brunch. Serena couldn't deny how much more comfortable she actually felt in the flat sandals. Not that she'd ever admit that
Killian's hands flew up to his throat in a frantic, instinctive motion. His fingers clawed desperately, trying to pry off the unseen, malevolent force that was gradually crushing his windpipe. His eyes bulged in their sockets, looking wild with terror as his face rapidly took on a deeply alarming shade. Harsh, ragged wheezes were the only sounds he could force out. Each one sounded more labored than the last while his body suddenly rose from his seat and was suspended several feet in the air by the same power. A black miasma began swirling around Killian's struggling form. Tendrils of mist coiled tightly around his limbs and torso, restraining him while they sapped away his strength. The lavish dining room had fallen into a shocked, breathless hush. Every eye was fixed in stunned horror on the dreadful scene playing out before them. Crystal glasses trembled on the table, their contents rippling furiously as if in sympathy with Killian's plight. The adorned chandeliers sway
In the short time she had been immersed in this strange new world as Knox's wife, she had quickly learned that he was not a man to be trifled with, especially when it came to matters concerning her. His possessiveness and claims of ownership over her were utterly unshakable. Any perceived slight or threat to his prized possession would be met with swift, brutal punishment. Yes, Killian had an infamous knack for always getting on everyone's last nerve with his crude jokes and lecherous comments. His sharp tongue and complete lack of filter had landed him in hot water more times than anyone could count. But beneath that abrasive exterior, he also possessed an undeniably likable charm and warmth that could lighten up even the darkest of moods with his bright smile and boisterous laugh. For all his obnoxious flaws, it was hard not to be fond of the loud-mouthed jackass. His vibrant personality simply drew people in, like a human embodiment of sunshine cutting through the glo
Only the monsters remained a seemingly endless horde that would continue to ravage and destroy until the entire world was little more than a barren, lifeless husk. Knox could not, would not, allow that to happen. Not after everything, not after the unfathomable sacrifices that had already been made in the pursuit of preventing such a future from coming to pass. Too much had been lost, too many lives extinguished in the fires of this onslaught. Darkness swirled around him and began coiling outwards to merge with the torrential downpour. The vortex rapidly expanded, growing in size and ferocity until it became an all-consuming maw ready to devour everything in its path. The earth itself seemed to tremble by the vortex of annihilation taking form, as if the very world were protesting the profane nature of the forces being brought to bear. The air itself seemed to warp and twist, reality buckling under the strain of the immense power being channeled. Each bolt of lightning tha
Knox simply remained there for long, excruciating moments, taking in the sight of her serene repose as if etching every line and curve into his tortured memory so he wouldn't lose even the tiniest detail.Suddenly, Serena's body was engulfed in a dazzling burst of light, with glowing tendrils extending outward to encircle Knox's form. He pulled the light within, absorbing it as if he were a hole eating the stars. It was the portion of his soul he had given Serena in both their past lives and this current one, now being reclaimed after her death. Then Knox rose to his feet with fluidity, seemingly defying the rules of gravity once the last remnants of that magnificent essence were sucked back into his form."Let us never meet again!" he intoned, his voice a discordant rasp that held no trace of anything remotely human. The words carried such weight, such profundity of power that the trembling maid instantly crumpled motionlessly to the floor. Her mind simply could not withstand the
Tears burned hot in Meredith's eyes at the brutal truth of Enzo's words. She had failed - failed utterly to protect Knox, failed to prevent this future from becoming their new reality. Deep in her soul, she could feel the ancient spirits of Queen Minerva and Princess Myra weeping bitter tears of sorrow and regret. Their sacred bloodline, their eternal legacy was now irrevocably tainted by this unraveling of fate.A choked sound somewhere between a sob and a bitter peal of laughter escaped her lips when Sahar's severed head came rolling to a stop at her feet with her dead eyes still holding a mocking glint of triumph even in death. The twisted wench had achieved her ultimate goal - to bring about the utter ruination of their legacy, the destruction of every last Cavalieri-Delgaard dynasty. All around them, the battle raged on with no end in sight, the air thick with the sights, sounds and smells of death. Killian's towering Lycan form, battered and bleeding from a thousand savage
The sight of everyone she loved fighting for their very existence against such overwhelming odds...it was a blade twisting in Meredith's heart.A searing agony lanced through her and she knew Enzo was injured. It was the effect of a mate bond whether fated or chosen. She stumbled, gasping for air as she clutched at her chest. The pain was almost beyond endurance… like a molten lance of agony that threatened to bring her to her knees. Tears burned in her eyes and her sight blurred as the true gravity of their situation hit her like a battering ram. Any wound inflicted by these abominations was fatal. Their claws, fangs, and very essence were imbued with a poison that corrupted all it touched.“Is there no way?” Her mind reeled like ashes on the wind as another spasm of anguish gripped her in its merciless talons. “Is there no way to save them all? To avert this future I've foreseen?”Her body trembled violently and her legs threatened to give out beneath her as she watched her love
Meredith drew on her newly regained powers and unleashed a torrent of energy at the beasts. The demons recoiled, shrieking in fury and anguish as magic seared their rotting flesh. The stench of burning meat filled the air, mingling with the miasma that clung to the creatures.Meredith maintained the onslaught, driving them back through the shattered doorway with relentless determination.Next, she sealed the room with an impenetrable barrier when the last of the abominations stumbled back into the hall, wailing in pain and wrath.She turned to face the trembling girl. "Stay here if you wish to live, child," Meredith instructed. "This madness needs to cease, and soon, before it swallows us all."Then she swept from the chamber and out into the chaos that had engulfed the estate's once-clean halls. The hallway ahead was a nightmare come true, with claw marks on the walls, bloody paintings, and the crushed bodies of fallen defenders strewn over the floor like discarded objects.Meredi
Meredith's heart thundered against her ribcage as she paced the length of Knox and Serena's bedroom suite. Her footfalls echoed with a hollow resonance that belied the emptiness gnawing at her very soul.The incessant rattling and banging against the thick oak door grew more insistent with each passing moment in a cacophony of destruction that served as a reminder of the hellish forces laying siege to their home. Beyond that rapidly crumbling barrier, chaos ruled in an unholy storm of violence that threatened to devour all Meredith held dear.Shrieks of unimaginable agony intermingled with roars. Each haunting wail, each guttural bellow, sent a fresh wave of anguish coursing through Meredith's immortal frame. How many had already fallen? The question burned in her mind like acid, eating away at what little composure she managed to maintain. How many brave warriors, loyal protectors of the estate had lost their lives under the claws of these abominations? The faces of those she had
"I'm the only woman alive now who can give you an heir, bear you children to carry on your bloodline..." Her words were a hushed whisper. "I am your rightful mate at long last. We were always meant to be together as one, you and I. Two halves of the same whole."She sniffled again as a fresh wave of tears spilled forth. "You should have accepted my request earlier, when I simply wanted to enjoy one night with my betrothed...to bask in the warmth of your embrace, as is my right as your—"Her words died on her lips when Knox suddenly closed the distance and wrapped his hand around her slender throat in a grip, wrenching her forward until her feet left the ground. Then he slammed her head back against the stone wall with brutal force to crack her skull. Sirona let out a pained, wheezing laugh as she stared up at him with wild, unfocused eyes. A thin trickle of crimson seeped from the corner of her mouth, tracing a macabre path down her chin."You...you wouldn't dare..." she choked out
Knox felt as if the entire world had collapsed around him, with a devastating blast of despair and despair threatening to break what little remained of his damaged psyche into a million shattered fragments. The sheer, all-consuming agony that had lanced through him was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It that it defied description… as though every nerve ending in his immortal body had been set ablaze and doused in acid simultaneously.The air became heavy and oppressive as the full impact of what had happened started to sink in, and the cold stone of the dungeon walls seemed to close in around him.Knox simply couldn't - no, he utterly refused with every fiber of his being to accept the cruel reality that his worst fears had been realized in the most brutal and decisive way imaginable. Serena. His beautiful, precious mate...the very radiant light in his darkness...she was gone. Why? The question kept coming back to him, echoing through the vast emptiness of his head, e
The huge double doors to the dungeon at one of Knox's estates slid open, revealing his towering figure. An oppressive air accompanied him, making it feel as if the very atmosphere held its breath in his presence. Dark tendrils like mist swirled around him, and his eyes that was always cold, blazed with a fury that made them appear even icier than usual. His mind was still reeling from the hateful words Serena had hurled at him in the car earlier, and in a moment of desperation, he had teleported himself here.Knox despised himself for losing control and slapping Serena in a moment of anger. He couldn’t forgive himself, especially when the thought crossed his mind that perhaps Sirona had found a way to bypass his restraint meant to keep her in check, and had gotten into Serena’s mind. More than half of him believed the venomous words Serena had spoken weren't hers but were instead Sirona’s doing. This belief drove him to the dungeon, determined to confirm his theory.His eyes lan