Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 600(@200wpm)___ 480(@250wpm)___ 400(@300wpm)
Knox cursed as anger rose sharply within him. His demon snarled, just as enraged.
“But it didn’t work, obviously. So Carla went to an incantor and asked for a spell that would kill the baby.”
“You’re fucking kidding me,” he growled, the anger of both him and his demon spiking.
Levi shook his head. “I shit you not. She told the incantor, Dawn, that she didn’t want any part of Lucian inside her – that she was looking forward to telling him and his family that his child was dead. Dawn didn’t want any part in killing a baby, and she doesn’t believe that magick should be used for such a thing. Making it worse, Carla had even asked if there was any way of trapping the baby’s soul in a container, so that she could taunt Lucian that his child would never have peace.”
This time, his demon roared its anger. It took every single ounce of Knox’s control to keep the entity from reaching for dominance and exacting that anger on its surroundings. He knew his eyes had briefly flashed demon when Levi stilled. “I’m fine,” Knox told him. “Tell me the rest. I need to know.”
“As I said, Dawn didn’t want any part in it, but she knew others would do it for a price. So she placed a protective spell on the baby instead. Then she went to Jolene and told her everything.”
Shock froze Knox’s thoughts for a moment. “Jolene knows about this?”
“Jolene paid Carla to carry the baby to term and then hand it over. And that’s exactly what Carla did.” Levi’s gaze turned speculative. “So I’m guessing you’d really like to rip Carla Hayden apart, limb from limb.”
Knox’s demon thought it was a fucking fantastic idea, but in Knox’s opinion…“That would be too lenient.” His voice had come out guttural. If Carla’s plans had been successful, his mate would never have lived.
“I agree. I don’t judge people who seek abortions, although I don’t like the idea of them. But I do fucking judge someone who wants to trap a child’s soul.” Levi crossed his arms over the top of the chair. “Are you going to publically announce that Harper’s your mate?”
Knox sensed that Levi was trying to calm him by changing the subject, so he went with it. “I won’t make an official announcement, I’ll simply let the news spread.” He’d only need to mention it to one person for it to reach everyone. “I want the demon population to know she’s taken. And there’s a chance that just maybe it will shift the anger of who’s targeting her to me.”
“You think so?”
“Whoever’s after Harper is carrying a lot of rage, but they didn’t act on it until I made it public that she was my anchor. There could be two reasons for that. One, they don’t want good things happening in her life, maybe even resent it; if that’s the case, hearing she has a mate will infuriate them. Or two, the fact that I’m her anchor set them off; if so, they really will be pissed to hear I’m now also her mate. In both cases, it’s the fact that I’ve entered her life which has changed things. That might redirect their anger onto me.”
“You do realize Harper will know what you’re doing, don’t you? She won’t like you setting yourself up as a target.”
“Tough,” Knox snapped, “she’ll just have to fucking deal with it. Why are you smiling?”
“I like that you’re not so divorced from your feelings when it comes to her. She makes you happy. Nothing’s ever made you happy. Things have pleased and pleasured you, but that’s all.” Levi cocked his head. “What’s it like? Having a weakness, I mean.”
“She’s not a weakness.”
“Of course she is. It’s not a bad thing. Before, you kept yourself alive purely because of self-preservation. Now you live for her. There’s no better reason to live than for your mate. But we both know that you and your demon would lose all control if you ever lose her – it’s the one thing that could truly hurt you. That makes her a weakness as well as a strength.”
Knox knew that Levi was right. He could remember the rage he’d felt when he found her in the alley with the dark practitioners; could remember almost losing the control that kept him and his demon in check. Would Knox care about the damage his rage caused everything around him if he lost Harper? No.
“But hey, maybe we don’t need to worry so much. Let’s face it, if you lose her and lose your control, you could destroy the fucking world. Only someone who wants to die, start a war, is a rogue, has a tiny IQ, or who is simply completely insane would harm her when they learn she’s your mate.”