Keenan inclined his head. “It is hard.”
Harper was relieved that none of the sentinels were at all put-off by Asher being an Anubis. Agreeing with her that the sentinels would protect Asher best if they knew what he was, Knox had chosen to let them keep their memory of it. Harper and Knox had also decided not to tell anyone else about Asher being an Anubis—not even Jolene or the girls, who they trusted to still accept him. The fewer people who knew, the better, since most people were no fonder of his kind than they were of archdemons.
Harper’s only worry was that they couldn’t count on Asher’s demon to cloak itself at all times. Since the battle at the rainforest, the demon had occasionally dropped the cloak when Asher was at home—maybe because it trusted that its parents wouldn’t reject it. As Asher’s kind was so rare, it was unlikely that anyone would easily sense what he was even if they were exposed to his real psychic scent, so that was a little comforting.
Just then, Knox stalked into the room, fiddling with the collar of his deliberately haphazard suit. “You ready to leave, baby? You don’t want to be late for Khloë’s—what the fuck happened here?”
“I’ll tell you in the car,” said Harper, thinking it unfair that he looked just as sexy all rumpled as he did when stylishly suited.
Asher pyroported to the floor, toddled over to the rug, grabbed his Hound teddy, and then pyroported back to her.
“His balance is getting better,” said Knox.
“I remember a time when he struggled to lift his head,” said Harper. “Now he’s walking. Walking. He’ll be a whiny teenager before we know it.”
Knox frowned. “No child of mine will be whiny.”
“Think again.”
Digging his flask out of his jacket, Keenan asked, “We going now?” He sounded about as excited as if she were taking him for a root canal.
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Harper told him. “I know my cousin drives you crazy. Not that it’s anything you should take personally. Khloë does it to everybody.”
Grunting, Keenan took a long swig from his flask. “The sooner she meets her anchor and has someone who can keep an eye on her and protect her from herself, the better.” As Harper burst out laughing, the incubus frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“It’s just that she already met her anchor, and he’s as unstable as she is.”
Eyes flaring, Keenan turned rigid. “Who?”
“He’ll be at the party—he’d never miss her birthday.”
“Well, then, I’m definitely going.” Keenan put his flask back in his pocket. “Someone needs to speak with him and make it clear that he’s not protecting her as he should.”
“Actually, Teague is a good anchor,” said Harper. “You’d be surprised how much more shit she’d have gotten herself into over the years if it weren’t for him. And he adores her.”
“So, he’s involved with her,” Keenan assumed, voice flat.
“I didn’t say that,” said Harper.
Knox curled an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go or we’re going to be late.”
They weren’t late, but the party was in full swing when they arrived, which told Harper that her family had probably started it early just for themselves. People stood all around the extensive pretty garden, wearing old and raggedy clothes. The garden was amazingly vivid and serene with its colorful flowers, ice sculptures, rose bushes, lanterns hanging from the trees, and—at Khloë’s request—the mermaid fountain.
But none of that was what made Tanner and Keenan skid to an abrupt halt in front of her, Knox, and Asher. No. Who wouldn’t skid to a halt when a hellhorse was puffing and panting like a bull while playfully chasing little kids around the garden?
It was glorious. Elegant. Strongly muscled. Breathtaking with its large wide-set eyes, arched neck, long legs, inward-turning ear tips, and the onyx-black coat that had a metallic sheen. Its dark mane was as lush and luxurious as the high-carried tail that flowed down its back like a black river.
This particular hellhorse had a distinctive scar that slashed across its neck. The mark only added to its wild look. It also made the demon easily identifiable, especially if you were a fan of hellhorse racing. The sport often occurred in the stadium at the Underground.
Harper looked at Asher as his mind stroked hers in a “Wow, look, Mom!” way. She smiled. “I see it, baby.” She moved further into the garden so that Asher could take a better look.
“Is that … ?” Keenan double-blinked. “Is that Teague Sullivan?”
“Yep,” said Harper.
“His demon is probably the fastest hellhorse in existence.”
Harper nodded. “Teague’s also Khloë’s anchor.”
Keenan’s mouth dropped open. “He’s her anchor?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You never mentioned it,” said Knox, cupping Harper’s hip.
Harper shrugged. “It never came up in conversation.”
Khloë chose that moment to leap out of the bushes, wings extended, and land on the back of the hellhorse with a triumphant roar that had the kids laughing. It was well-known that you didn’t climb onto the back of a hellhorse unless you were crazy … which said everything that needed to be said about Khloë really.
“Why would fate pair her with a demon who’s no more stable than she is?” asked Keenan, baffled.
Harper shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think she’d have listened to anyone who couldn’t relate to her on her level.”
“You’re here!” Devon dashed over and wrapped her arms around both Harper and Asher. “Oh, my God, how cute does he look with his fake beard?”
“Hey there, kitty cat,” sang Tanner.
Devon scowled at him. “Stop sniffing me!” But he didn’t. So she let out an honest-to-God hellcat hiss, which sounded like a mix of a lion’s roar and a tiger’s guttural hiss. And then she jerked away from Asher, eyes lit with amusement. “Harper, I’ll swear he just cackled like Jolene.”
“He did,” said a voice behind them. “She’s a bad influence on him.”
With a sigh, Harper turned to Lou with a smile. Dressed in his usual scruffy manner, he fit right in. “I should have guessed you’d be here.” Lou didn’t require an invite—he went wherever the hell he liked.
Lou beamed at Asher. “Where’s my favorite guy?”
“What time did you get here?” Knox asked him.
Lou pursed his lips. “I’m too stoned to be entirely sure, if I’m honest. And I’m rarely honest. But then, maybe that’s a lie.”
Knox sighed. “It was a simple question.” But he wasn’t surprised that he didn’t get a straightforward answer. Lou went back to fussing over Asher, which made Knox frown. “You seem almost … nice when you’re with Asher. It’s an odd thing to witness.”
Head jerking back, Lou echoed, “Nice? I am not nice. Goodness and I got married way too young. The divorce was quick and painless.” Glancing around, Lou rolled back his shoulders, seeming edgy. “The atmosphere is so … relaxed. I don’t like it.”
“Everyone’s feeling better now that the Horsemen are out of the picture,” said Harper. Alethea and Jonas were tucked away in Knox’s Chamber, and they had regular visitors. Their lair had already instated another Prime, who seemed much more suited to the position than Jonas had been. And no, Harper wasn’t just saying that because she despised the asshole. “Thanks to us, the mystery has been unraveled.”
Lou snickered. “Oh, please. That could have been done by a sedated amoeba. Come on, it was so obvious—” The cap on his head abruptly disappeared in a spurt of fire and then reappeared in Asher’s hand, who then let out a fake laugh. Lou sighed. “If anyone does somehow manage to take this kid, they’ll bring him back in a hurry. He’s a handful.”
Asher looked at Knox, demon rising to the fore. Knox’s demon also surfaced, and the two entities stared at each other. It wasn’t uncommon.
Harper sighed. “I hate it when they do that. It makes me nervous that Knox’
s demon has an invasive bond with Asher’s demon. Even when Asher was in the womb, they seemed to communicate somehow. Obviously, not with words, but impressions and emotions.”
Lou’s eyes widened in delight. “Ooh, maybe they’re plotting Earth domination.”
Sighing again, Harper shook her head. “You’re completely whacked.”
“Why is he whacked?” asked Knox as his entity retreated. “Not that I disagree.”
“Your son is capable of global domination, Harper.”
She ground her teeth. “Lou—”
The devil slashed his hand through the air. “It is pure truth. There are no variables. If you can’t handle that reality—” A sneer twisted his face. “Oh, not her.”
Noticing that Jolene was slowly making her way toward them, Harper smiled and said quietly, “You know what, Lou? I think, in some weird morbid way, you actually like her.”
His face scrunched up. “Your opinion has absolutely no practical basis.” And that seemed to bother him more than the opinion itself.
Reaching them, Jolene doled out greetings and hugs before sparing the devil a glance. “Well, hello, Lou,” she said. “What are you doing over here?”
He gave her a brittle smile. “Oh, we’re just chittin’ the chat. You can go now.”
Jolene tutted. “Really, Lou, must you be so rude?”
“Um, yes. Yes, I must.”
“It won’t make me march off in a huff. You know me.”
“And I wish I didn’t.”
“Oh, how you lie. But you know, I genuinely respect just how fabulously honest you can look when you bullshit people.”
He softened. “Really? Aw, thanks. You’re a pretty good liar too.” He moved a little closer to her. “You know, Harper has a theory.”
“A theory?” Jolene echoed.
“Yes. A theory that … well, that I might actually like you.”
“Hmm.” Jolene’s eyes warmed. “Maybe I actually like you. Perhaps I even like you like you.”
“Perhaps I feel the same. Maybe we should even … explore that.”
“Maybe we should.”
And then the pair of them burst out laughing like they’d never heard anything more ridiculous in their entire lives.
Shaking her head, Harper turned just as Khloë, Raini, and Teague—who was no longer in his hellhorse form—headed their way. He was the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. And Harper didn’t fail to notice the way Larkin ate him up with her eyes.
“Hey, Harper, how are you doing?” Teague asked.
“Good, thanks.” She introduced him to Knox and then Asher, who burrowed into Harper, smiling shyly. As she then went on to introduce the sentinels, she smiled to herself when Teague gave Larkin one of his panty-dropping smiles.
He clicked his fingers as he looked at Tanner. “Wait, you’re a hellhound. I saw you race a few times. You’re good.”
“Back atcha,” said Tanner.
Devon leaned into Khloë. “Oh no, look, they’re bonding. What do we do?”
Tanner gave her a gentle smile. “No need to be jealous, kitten.”
As the others chatted, Harper touched Keenan’s mind and said, You don’t need to keep glaring at Teague. He and Khloë aren’t together. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t care if they were.
It’s none of my business. Keenan shrugged, nonchalant. It just came as a surprise that she was anchored because, you know, she doesn’t talk about him.
Khloë’s chatty, but she doesn’t talk about herself much.
Knox lowered his mouth to Harper’s ear. “Who are you talking to?”
“Keenan.”
“Hmm.” Knox pressed a kiss to her neck. You’re standing here wearing a scruffy checked shirt and holey jeans with your hair styled into a messy ponytail. And yet, I just want to ravish the shit out of you right here.
She swallowed, feeling herself go damp. Stop that or this will feel like a very long night. But he didn’t stop it. Of course he didn’t stop it. He kept on teasing her with kisses to her neck, flicks of his tongue to her earlobe, and strokes of his hand over her ass.
By the time they were ready to leave the party, she was also ready to jump him. Asher fell asleep on the car ride home, so Harper tucked him into bed before joining Knox in the master bedroom … which, for some reason, was in utter darkness.
Frowning, she reached for the light switch. Her hand was snatched from the air, and then she was spun around and caged against the wall with Knox’s front plastered to her back, his hands pinning her wrists either side of her head.
Harper gasped. “Hey!” She struggled and squirmed, but he simply pressed her even closer to the wall, snuggling his hard cock against her ass.
“Shh,” Knox said softly into her ear. “We need those jeans off.” Using his psychic hands, he snapped open her fly and shoved down her jeans. “Better. Much better.” He scraped his teeth over the crook of her neck, breathing her in. “I love your smell. Love it even more when you’re wet for me.” Transferring both her wrists to one hand, Knox slid the other hand down her side, fisted her long shirt, and bunched it up around her waist.
“Wait, let me turn—”
He roughly grabbed a fistful of her hair and snatched her head back. “When I want you to direct how things go, I’ll tell you. But it won’t be tonight. Not when my cock has been hard for you for hours. So here’s what you’re going to do—you’re going to stay nice and still while I have my way with you. Don’t fuck with me, Harper. Just take what I give you.”
With his hold on her hair, Knox twisted her head and took her mouth. Her taste burst through him, so fucking sweet, so fucking addictive. Hungry and dominating, he ate at her mouth as he tore off her panties. He felt the tension in her, felt her defiant nature rising. Before it could surface, he cupped her hard with a psychic hand.
Harper inhaled sharply as two icy fingers plunged inside her. Her pussy clamped down on them, and he growled low in her ear; the sound made the little hairs on her nape rise. “Knox—”
“Don’t come until I say.”
Harper hissed in annoyance, which earned her thigh a sharp slap. “Ow!”
“Then behave.” He ground his cock against her ass each time he thrust his icy fingers deep and hard, knowing the strange heat emanating from them would make her pussy spasm and blaze unbearably. He also knew she liked that he had her completely pinned. Liked that she couldn’t move. Liked that she couldn’t think about anything other than the release that was tumbling toward her.
Her pussy superheated around his fingers, and Knox knew she was close. He shoved a third psychic finger inside her and curved it just right. “Come, Harper, let me feel—Good girl.” Her back arched as she came with a choked moan that was like a fist around his cock. “Now you get fucked.”
Releasing her hands, Knox whipped off her shirt and bra and then tossed them aside. “Hands on the wall,” he ordered. “That’s it, just like that.” Gripping her hips, he backed up a little, taking her with him, and then snapped open his fly. His cock sprang out, hot and hard and aching like a bitch. “Fuck, baby, this is gonna be rough.” And fast.
“Rough is good.”
Closing his hand around her breast, he nipped at her neck. “Yeah, rough is good.” He sank his teeth in her shoulder and slammed his cock into her tight pussy, going balls-deep in one thrust. He groaned as her walls, hot and slick, contracted around him. “You can come when you’re ready.”
Harper’s nails scraped the wall as he fucked in and out of her pussy, his balls slapping her with every savage thrust. He’d warned her that it would be rough, and he hadn’t been kidding. But she loved it. Loved his grunts and groans and bite of his fingers on her hips. One little touch to her clit would set her off.
Almost as if he heard the thought, he used his psychic fingers to part her folds. But he didn’t touch her clit. He let her feel the cool air, made her wait until it hurt. Fuck this. She went to take care of it herself, but a psychic hand slapped hers away. Oh, the
hell no.
Knox tensed as the air chilled. Harper’s head turned his way, but it wasn’t her who glanced back at him. It was her demon. And then its hand reached back and grabbed his forearm. He hissed as the flesh beneath its grip began to burn. He’d felt that burn before. Knew the demon was branding him.
Fuck. Knox furiously powered into her. Brutal. Merciless. Out of control. Unable to hold on any longer, he bit out, “Come.” Her pussy clamped around him as her head fell back and a scream tore out of her throat. Knox locked his teeth on her shoulder as he rammed his cock deep and exploded, shooting jet after jet of come inside her. Every ounce of strength seemed to then leave her, and she went limp in his arms.
Harper was in an awesome, post-orgasmic daze as he carried her to the bed. But she wasn’t so dazed that she didn’t watch and enjoy the show as he stripped off his clothes. And yeah, okay, she was a little nervous as he studied the new brand on his forearm. Like the others, it was all tribal solid lines and thick curves.
Turning, he asked, “Does it link to the brands on my nape and back?”
“Actually, yes, it does,” she realized.
Facing her again, he arched an amused brow. “So, is your demon’s plan to eventually have me wearing a full-body brand? Is it putting the brand together, little by little?”
She smiled. “Possibly.”
Sliding into bed, Knox pulled her close. “I guess it’s a good thing I like being marked by your demon.” Splaying his hand around her throat, he kissed her, licking into her mouth. Pulling back, he watched the sea-blue shade of her eyes swirl and darken into an emerald green. Knox knew that he’d never get bored of watching her eyes do that. “Did you have a good time tonight?”
“I got to watch Lou climb a huge mermaid fountain while singing ‘Under the Sea’ in a very bad Caribbean accent. What’s not to like?”
Knox grimaced. “It was hard to watch. Even harder than when Khloë sang ‘Bed of Roses’ into a non-existent microphone as she literally leaped into a rose bush.”
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