I awake to darkness, panic clutching my chest as fear slithers along my spine. Darkness so similar to where I disappeared to, the utter cold of nothing. I breathe a sigh of relief as I smell pinewood. The bed dips, moments before water splashes in the bathing room. My eyes burn, my head pounding as the light from the bathroom assaults my eyes. A dark blurry figure freezes as they enter the room. Turning, Knox disappears again before the candlelight dims.
I sigh as his hands gently scoop me up as he cradles me to his chest, his warmth seeping into my cold bones. Without letting go of me, Knox lowers into the tub, the warm water on my bare skin making me sigh.
I stay seated in Knox’s arms, my head against his chest as I listen to the steady beat of his heart, the sound soothing my soul.
I take a deep breath, only to be met by the smell of ash. The putrid smell from inside that tree clings to my hair, making bile burn my throat. Knox moves me forward, wasting no time in wetting my hair. He grabs the vanilla-scented shampoo that sits on the edge of the porcelain tub. My heart flutters in my chest; he brought my belongings in his room.
His fingers gently sink into my hair, scrubbing my scalp as vanilla overpowers the smell of ash and death. I sigh and close my eyes as he carefully washes my hair, my heart warming at his gentleness. His hand cups my chin, tipping my head back ever so slightly as he pours warm water over my scalp, rinsing the suds from my hair.
Once he’s done, he places a featherlight kiss against the back of my head before his arms surround me once more, pulling me back to his chest.
I open my mouth to speak, finding my tongue dry, my throat raw as if I swallowed razor blades. My voice cracks as I say, “I heard you, wherever I went…I heard you.”
Knox’s body stiffens under mine, his arms tightening around me.
“Is it true—are we mates?”
He’s silent for a moment, the tension in the room intensifying around us. “Would that bother you if we were?” he asks, his voice hoarse.
I turn to face him. His face is guarded, his eyes filled with fear as if he’s waiting for my rejection. “No,” I whisper. “I couldn’t imagine being anyone else’s mate.”
Silver lines Knox’s eyes as his body deflates, relaxing once more in the water.
“Did you know?” I ask.
Those sapphire eyes flit back and forth, searching mine. “I suspected.”
My brows tug low. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The corner of his lips twitch. “I hate to break it to you, but you have a habit of pushing me away.”
His words make my own lips twitch. He has a point.
My humor dies. “What happens now?”
His eyes soften at my question. “Whatever you want. I’ll take whatever you give me.”
I search his face, only to find truth. “This complicates things.”
“Does it?” he drawls smoothly.
“Extremely.”
He shrugs. “We can figure it out tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Right now, I’d like to be with you, without the weight of the world suffocating us.”
Knox stares at me so intensely, my heart lurches as he hides the flash of pain in his eyes. I know he’s going to blame himself for what happened to me for a long time.
“Is everyone okay?” I croak.
Knox dips his head. “Everyone’s fine. They’re celebrating.”
“Thank you for saving me,” I whisper.
His eyes shutter closed as his breath leaves him. “Don’t thank me, not for that.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Knox.”
“If I didn’t leave the room, she wouldn’t have drained your magic.”
I lean forward, placing my hand on his cheek, forcing him to open his eyes. “It wouldn’t have made a difference; she would have still drained my magic. I don’t want you to blame yourself. I refuse to let her cause any more pain,” I argue. “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”
Knox’s sapphire eyes search mine, seeing the truth in my words. He gently places his hands on my hips, lifting me to straddle his own. He leans forward, placing a featherlight kiss on my lips. Tears line his eyes as he pulls back. “I thought you were dead,” he rasps.
I stroke his cheeks, catching a tear that escapes. “I know,” I whisper.
“I’m going to have the image of you lying dead in my arms ingrained in my mind for as long as I live.” He gives me a small smile. “I’ll have to create a lot more memories with you to outweigh it.”
My heart catches, my pulse skyrocketing at what he’s insinuating. I know we need to talk about what’s going to happen, what this means for us. However, that talk can wait. Knox is right—we can spend one night together, without the weight of the world pressing down on us.
“Did she steal my magic?” I whisper. I haven’t dared to touch that well, not wanting to feel the grief of that loss if it’s not there.
“No, Angel.” He strokes my hair gently. “She sped up the process of your burnout.”
Relief courses through me, my body slumping forward with the force of it. “What happened?”
Knox tenses beneath me. “Everything that could have gone wrong did. Axel is—”
“Is Axel okay?” I ask, sitting up.
Knox’s lips flatten into a thin line. “Physically yes.”
I narrow my eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Axel is torn up, blaming himself for not reaching you in time. When he realized Emmalyn had disappeared, he flew as fast as he could.” Knox sighs deeply. “He got to the tree as you stopped breathing.”
Tears well in my eyes. “That’s not his fault. It’s no one’s fault but Emmalyn’s.” Her name makes bile churn in my stomach. The only relief I feel is that Aurora tore her into pieces.
Knox shrugs. “He doesn’t see it that way, especially not after he realized we’re mates. I think he already suspected.”
“I’ll talk to him,” I whisper. No one should feel guilty, let alone Axel. He was given orders and he fulfilled them, regardless of what he thinks.
Knox’s voice breaks the silence in the room. “She let me.”
“What?”
“Emmalyn.”
My body stiffens. “What about her?”
Knox’s brows pull low. “She let me kill her.”
I shake my head. “No she didn’t. She knew she was caught. There was no way out for her.”
“No. She let me kill her.”
I peer into Knox’s eyes, the sheer conviction I find making my heart sink. “Why do you think that?”
“She didn’t fight me. Why would she go through all this trouble, decades of planning and control…only to let me kill her? Why?”
My stomach drops as Knox’s words process in my mind. “I don’t know,” I whisper.
I can’t think about it anymore. I don’t want to think of that horrid woman and what she did. I look at Knox, his heart and his feelings swimming in those sapphire eyes. I felt the pain and sorrow he felt in those moments too, and I never want him to experience it again.
Staring into his eyes, I open my heart to him. “I dreamt of you, of this city.” Knox pulls back, astonishment on his face. Before he can speak, I continue, “Why do you call me Angel?”
“It was the only word I could hear in my mind when I saw you.”
My heart melts. “I dreamt about the Fae lands for years. As I got older I started to dream about a Fae man. I never saw his face but he smelled like pinewood and ocean. He called me Angel…It was your voice.”
Knox’s eyes widen as a small smile spreads across his lips. “You’ve been dreaming of me?”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
“Oh, I intend to,” he croons.
I laugh as I slump forward, nestling into his warmth. “Where is everyone?” I ask.
The shield around the room drops. Music, laughter, and cheers pour into the space.
“I had to silence the room so you could sleep,” he grumbles.
“Touch my hair one more time and I’ll incinerate you!”
I burst out laughing at Lenox’s boisterous voice. “How much have they had to drink?” I ask.
“They haven’t stopped since we arrived home hours ago.”
A smile spreads across my face as the weight of what I did comes crashing into me. “I truly did it. I broke the entrapment spell.”
Knox places a kiss on my cheek. “You did, Angel.”
Hours later, I bounce out of bed, dragging Knox with me as renewed energy sizzles through my body. “We have lots to celebrate.”
“Are you sure you’re feeling up for it?” Knox asks, frowning.
“Absolutely. I deserve some fun.”
Knox walks into his dressing room, changing into his usual black suit pants and white linen shirt. “I’m warning you; they’ll tease us mercilessly about the bond.”
“Are they not happy about it?” I ask nervously.
Knox chuckles before placing a small kiss on my forehead. “No, Angel, they adore you. However, they find great joy in harassing me.”
My cheeks heat, gratitude filling my heart as I change into the soft dress Knox hands me. If I had to put on fighting leathers or any tight-fitted clothing, I think I would vomit. I need to give myself at least a week of no fighting or training.
Knox offers me his hand as we descend the stairs and enter the sitting room. There, I find Lenox, Harlow, Nolan, and Axel, all of them absolutely hammered.
“The lovebirds have finally tired themselves out!” Lenox slurs. Knox simply holds up a vulgar gesture, ignoring Lenox’s cackles as he pours us drinks. “That was quick. What’s the matter, Knox? Your age catching up to you?”
“Do I need to teach you a lesson on manners?” Knox drawls from the bar cart.
“Nope, just getting it out of my system.”
“Is it out?” Axel teases.
Lenox makes a big show of putting his fingers to his lips, his face scrunching in concentration. “Nope,” he chirps as he lunges for me, wrapping his arms around my stomach and twirling me in the air. “Welcome to the family,” he whispers in my ear.
My cheeks heat from the warm sentiment. The only family I’ve ever truly had was Easton and Annie. Even if he’s inebriated, it means a great deal to me that Lenox would consider me as family in his eyes.
“What the fuck did you say to her to make her blush?” Axel yells.
Knox’s power rumbles through the room, making my eyes roll. “Axel, don’t poke the bear.”
Axel throws his head back, chuckling.
“Does this mean you’re Lenox’s new mummy?” Harlow taunts.
Lenox snorts wine out of his nose, spraying it all over the floor. Laughter roars through the room. I take my own wine, plopping onto the sofa besides Knox, nestling into his warmth as he wraps an arm around my shoulders.
“I’m not a child,” Lenox grits through his teeth.
Harlow throws her hair over her shoulders. “You act like one,” she mutters. Her sultry eyes lock on mine as she lifts her wine glass. “Congratulations,” she says, smiling.
“Thank you.”
“It was about time. I was going to lock you two in the cellar until you figured it out,” Axel mumbles, his words slurred.
I chuckle. I haven’t seen Axel this drunk before, and it’s highly entertaining. I scan the room, frowning. “Where’s Hazel?”
“She’s off screwing Ace,” Lenox announces.
My mouth drops opens as I snap incredulous eyes to Knox.
He winces. “I knew I forgot to tell you something.”
“They’re mates! I knew it!” I yelp, jumping with joy.
“Everyone knew it,” the group mumbles in unison.
“What happens now? What happens to the beasts and the guards?” I ask.
Lenox shakes his head at me as Harlow clicks her tongue. “One problem at a time. The rest can wait for tomorrow.”
“We go to the queen tomorrow to explain everything we found and why we didn’t tell her in the first place,” Knox whispers into my ear.
Trepidation fills my stomach; I hope she’s as nice as this court.
“I found it highly enjoyable seeing Harlow with an ugly face for once.” Lenox waves his hand around, his drink sloshing over the glass.
She groans and visibly shudders. “Ugh, don’t utter another word. I never want to be one of those fat things again.”
I chuckle, nestling further into Knox as I drink and celebrate with everyone, relishing in the newfound freedom that we created.
