by Gwen Knight
The bed shifted and before I could rise, he appeared above me.
“No. Knox. Wait!”
He blinked down at me, his mouth pulled into a grimace. “Can’t.”
“You can,” I panted, all the while trying not to freak out. He had me pinned to the floor, his weight holding me in place. “Think. Think this through. The mistletoe. You touched it. I touched it.”
“Mistletoe?” he grunted. “Who gives a shit about mistletoe?” His lowered down over me and brushed his mouth against my throat. “You smell so good.”
I shivered. And not with anticipation. “Do I? Take a deep breath, Knox. What do you smell? It isn’t lust anymore, is it?”
He lifted his head, his gaze alight with amber. “You’re afraid.”
“Yes. I’m afraid.” Partly because it was taking every last bit of my willpower to restrain myself. I wanted him as he did me. The scent of his skin, the feel of him settled between my legs, the warmth of his body. Oh, God. “Knox. Please. Think this through.”
“Don’t wanna.” He stole another kiss. Moaning into his mouth, I succumbed. He tasted like bliss and freedom. I arched my hips into him, desperate to join with him again.
My tongue nicked his fangs and blood welled in our mouths.
Knox broke from the kiss and lifted his head. Confusion dimmed his eyes. “Rumor?”
The sound of his voice helped center me. “Right. Right. Rumor. The mistletoe. Knox, where is it?”
His head cocked. “In my jacket pocket.”
“We need to burn it, now.” Before we ended up like Brittany and Ditton. I couldn’t control myself. Our claws were dangerous, and our fangs lethal.
“What’s happening?” he mumbled.
“I think someone cursed us. We have to burn the mistletoe.”
I watched in horror as the spell strengthened its hold on him. A flash of light rolled over his eyes, and he lowered down over me again.
“Knox!” I forced my head to the side, avoiding his lips. I knew if he touched me again, I’d be lost. “The mistletoe!”
I swiveled my head against the carpet. It was hard to make anything out in the darkness, but eventually, I spotted a pile of clothing. “There! Knox!”
But he wasn’t listening. His tongue laved against one of my nipples, and I shuddered. Focus. At the last moment, my Hail Mary came to me. “Knox, burn the mistletoe, and we can do whatever you want.”
He paused, then rose up to regard me. “What?”
“Burn the mistletoe? For me?”
The gold shifted in his eyes. Dimmed before vanishing altogether. I was met only by the silhouette of his face. “Rumor?” he asked, as though confused.
“Right. The mistletoe. Burn it, please. It’s all I ask of you.”
“The fuck is happening?”
Oh, thank God. He was with me again.
“Knox. Let me go. Right now.”
His hands vanished from my wrists. Relief bloomed in my chest, and I scurried out from beneath him. Without pause, I launched myself over the bed and pressed into the furthest wall, hoping distance would grant us some peace of mind.
“I don’t…” A long growl ripped free from his lips.
“Hold it together, Knox!” I cried out. “Find your jacket. The mistletoe is in your pocket. We need to destroy it.”
“How?” he grunted, his voice strained.
“Fire. It’s the only way.”
I listened as he crept through the room, his movements slow, as though he found it difficult to concentrate on anything else. I knew how he felt. Even pressed against the chilled wall, the only thing I could think about was him. My body ached for his touch, my thighs practically trembling with need.
This had to work. Otherwise, we were sitting ducks. No way we could fight off the spell for much longer. The air practically sizzled between us.
“Rumor…” he growled.
“Focus.” I shook my own head and muttered the same command to myself. “Fire. Mistletoe. Now.”
I heard the distinctive click of a lighter, then before my very eyes, the flame ignited. I watched as he reached deep into his pocket and drew out the plant. His body shuddered the moment he touched it, his head bowed as he fought off another wave of the spell.
Too afraid to speak, lest it distract him, I kept silent and huddled against the wall. He could do this. I had faith. Slowly, he moved the mistletoe toward the flame. I thought I might scream with impatience. Like worms wriggling in my head, controlling me. I wanted free of it. Felt like a bad high.
He touched the flame to the bottom of the plant, the berries burning first. The smell was noxious, spreading through the room like smoke. The moment it hit me, it doused the ardent flames burning my every nerve.
My shoulders rounded, and I slumped into the wall, the cold drywall pressed against my flushed cheek. Relief had never felt so beautiful before. And with a deep breath, I glanced over at Knox. He reached up and turned on the light, an ambient glow flooding the room.
“Fuck,” I whispered. The room was wrecked. I couldn’t even remember trashing it. Overturned tables, broken lamps, claws marks in the walls. I took inventory of every scratch and hole, grateful the hole wasn’t my throat.
Clearly exhausted, Knox stretched his legs out and ran a hand through his hair. It must have taken a lot of strength and power to destroy the spell. I couldn’t imagine touching the damn thing again.
“Well,” he muttered with a stunned laugh. He lifted his head and met my gaze, the corners of his mouth tugging upward. “That wasn’t half-bad.”
I stared at him, but eventually gave in to the laughter bubbling up the back of my throat. Half-bad? Seriously? I could have killed him…if I found the strength to move. As it was, I was contemplating sleeping right here on the floor, head pressed against the wall.
He staggered to his feet and opened the nearest drawer of his dresser. “Here.”
Something flew at me. I couldn’t even lift my arm to bat it away. So when his sweats hit me in the face, I laughed harder. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I couldn’t stop it.
A T-shirt came whipping at me afterward, both tumbling to the ground in a heap.
With shaking hands, I pulled them on, then dropped back to the floor and stared at the wall across from me. “Now what?”
“Now?” Knox flicked the light switch off, then crawled onto his bed and fixed the covers. “Now, we get some fucking sleep. Because in the morning, I’m going to hunt down the rat bastard who cursed us and rip him limb from goddamn limb.”
Solid plan.
Sucking in a deep breath, I hauled my ass up off the floor and started toward the door. Like hell I’d fall asleep on his floor. I had more dignity than that. Maybe I could call a pack member to come get me. Or a cab. I liked that idea more.
My fingers had just reached the doorknob when Knox suddenly appeared next to me. Exhausted, but damn, he still moved fast.
“Where you going?” he demanded.
I lifted a brow. “Home? I’d like some sleep too, ya know?”
“Good.”
He swept an arm beneath my leg and caught me before I fell. Before I could unleash a flurry of insults, he dropped me onto the bed and slipped in next to me.
“Neither of us is going anywhere tonight. We’re both beat.”
And for good reason. A blush chased through my cheeks. Thank goodness he couldn’t see it in the darkness.
“Sleep,” he grumbled at me, tossing a pillow in my direction.
“Geez, Knox,” I mocked. “Such a gentleman.”
His eyes opened, and he stared at me for a second before punching his pillow and settling in. “Better believe it, Princess.”
Despite my immense desire to escape from this room, he was right. We were both exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open. Instead of arguing, I rolled away from him and snuggled up to my own pillow.
My body was drained, but my mind was screaming.
Who the hell cursed us was only fractionally qu
ieter than I just slept with Knox.
And beneath all that was the frightening recognition that he was a fantastic lover.
7
Oh, yeah, this was going to be fun.
I stared up at my house with trepidation, the early morning sunlight cresting off the roof. My father was in there, likely pacing the length of his office waiting for me to appear. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and started up the stairs. Every bone in my body was dreading this conversation. It wasn’t as though it was my fault. The mistletoe Knox burned had clearly been cursed. The question was: Would my father allow me to explain?
Before I reached the top step, the door slowly opened and there my mother stood. Sadness touched the corners of her eyes, her mouth a grim line. But rather than speak her disappointment, she slipped her arms around my shoulders and drew me into her chest.
Shit.
Tears pricked at my eyes, my lashes already damp, and I hadn’t stepped foot inside the house yet. This was what I loved most about my mother. No matter the situation, her love was unconditional. My father on the other hand…
“He’s waiting for you upstairs.”
“Great.”
She stepped back and held me at arm’s length. “Are you all right? You look exhausted.”
And I felt it too. The curse had gobsmacked me in more than one way. The most distressing of which was Knox. I couldn’t get the bastard out of my head. And even more confusing was wondering whether that was a side effect of the curse. Or was it my stupid brain trying to trick me into believing I actually had feelings for the doofus. That wasn’t possible, was it? Hell, maybe it was me rebelling against my father. So many scenarios and not a single one of them comforting.
“Rumor.” My father’s voice boomed down the stairs.
I cringed before I could catch myself. Damn it. I felt like I was ten years old again, about to be scolded for spreading itching powder through a packmate’s fur. At the time, it’d seemed hilarious. Until my father tore a strip out of me for irresponsibility. That was the first time he’d drilled home the lesson that as his daughter, I was held to higher standards than the rest.
Joy of joys.
“Good luck,” my mother whispered before leaning in and brushing her lips against my cheek.
Yup, I was going to need it.
With my proverbial tail between my legs, I climbed the stairs. My father stood at the top, his immense body crowding the entire landing. Thankfully, I didn’t need to skirt past him. He turned and stormed into his office, the door wide open.
“Sit,” he snarled.
Oh, boy. I wasn’t even allowed to stand.
I slunk into his room and dropped down into the appointed seat.
“Explain.”
One worded demands, hey? And where the hell to start.
“Or maybe I should,” he pressed. “Last night I gave you one simple task.”
My head snapped up. “Simple!”
“You were to choose a mate,” he thundered, his fist slamming down on the table.
I cringed back into the chair.
“But how did you choose to respond? By disobeying me in front of the whole pack.”
My eyes narrowed as I watched him from across the desk. He had to be joking. Was that all he really cared about?
“I had to spend the entire night apologizing to the other packs. Apologizing, Rumor! Like I’d done something wrong.”
My jaw tensed, my temples throbbing as I fought to restrain myself. Arguing with my father would gain me nothing.
“You will choose a mate right this very instance,” he ordered. “Or so help me—”
“Or so help you, what?” I spat out.
“I’m not playing, Rumor! Enough is enough!”
The dam burst free. I couldn’t stop it. No matter how hard I wanted to.
Shoving to my feet, I slammed my own hands down on the desk and faced him, my gaze locked with his. I watched as gold swelled over his eyes, as his lip curled back over his fangs. And I didn’t give two shits. Anything was better than pandering to him. No more. No longer. Never again.
“Listen here, old man,” I hissed under my breath, a satisfaction welling up in me when his eyes shot wide. “Maybe you don’t realize exactly what happened last night. But let me educate you. Instead of demanding I choose a fucking mate, how about asking if I’m all right!”
He blinked. “What?”
“Yeah. Because you don’t give a shit what happens to me, do you? So long as I’m here to do your bidding and play the doting little daughter.”
“Careful,” he snarled.
“No, I’m done being careful. I’m done being your little pawn! Did you not even realize that I didn’t come home last night? And do you want to know why? Because I was cursed, you giant bag of dicks!”
His fingers gripped the desk, likely to keep himself from lunging across the desk and throttling me. I’d never shown such disrespect before.
“Cursed, you hear me? Someone hung mistletoe all over the damn forest. And I touched one. So maybe you should show some damn gratitude that I’m even standing here alive—”
“Reeking of Knox!” he roared.
“Yes, because he was also cursed!” I shouted, slapping his desk again. “Do you even fucking care?”
“What your mouth, Rumor!”
“Bite me,” I challenged. Deadly ground. I knew that. But hell, I was done with this. “The only reason I’m alive right now is because Knox and I managed to fight off the curse and destroy the mistletoe. Had I not figured it out, you’d be staring at your daughter’s corpse right now.”
Something flickered in his eyes. “You slept with him?” my father suddenly demanded.
Astounded, my jaw fell open. “Does that matter?”
“You know it damn well does!”
“Why?”
“I promised the other packs you were unsullied.”
I couldn’t help it. Laughter burst free of my mouth. It felt so good to laugh after last night, after the past week. I bowed over his desk, my sides aching as the laughter continued.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” my father growled.
“I haven’t been a virgin since I was fifteen,” I chuckled. “And I can’t tell you how great it feels to tell you that. This isn’t the eighteenth century anymore, father. By twenty-one, every woman has pretty much had her fun.”
Storm clouds gathered in his eyes, his fingers curling into fists. “I should exile you, right here and now.”
“Go for it.” I lifted my chin. “Joys of raising a dominant daughter. Eventually, she’s going to stand up for herself. Guess now is my moment. If you have a problem with that, then maybe I better find a different pack. Oh, and I won’t be offering myself up as a mate to do it either. I think you’re the only one still stuck in the stone age.”
“Get out,” he barked. “Out of my house. Out of my pack. You’re no longer my problem!”
“Happy to oblige.” I strode toward his door and turned. “Oh, and by the way, the fae are still out there cursing the mistletoe. In case you actually care. Might want to handle that before you lose any more pack members.”
His lip curled, but he kept silent, his eyes blazing as he watched me sail out of his office. God, I’d never felt so free in my life. No responsibility rested on my shoulders. No dutiful daughter. Nothing but my own dreams. I’d wished for my freedom, and it’d been granted. Not that I’d wanted to be exiled from my own pack, but I was choosing to look at the upside of this whole sordid affair.
I practically skipped down the stairs, feeling better than I had in ages. Until I rounded the corner and found Knox standing in the kitchen with my mother.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
And fuck, why the hell was my heart galloping a mile a minute at the sight of him. The curse. Had to be. Lingering remnants from the night before. Or so I told myself.
“Thought you might need a little help today, but I see you’ve got everything under
control.” A wicked smile tugged at his lips, and my stomach flopped. Jesus. What the hell had the curse done to me? “Had you not snuck out this morning, I would have offered.”
Snuck out. Hardly. I wanted to tell him that I’d actually tried to wake him, but he’d been dead to the world. That didn’t seem an appropriate conversation, though. Not with my mother in the same room. My mother who was watching me with tears streaming her cheeks.
Just like that—my bubble burst.
“Mom…” I rasped. “Don’t cry.”
“Exiled, Rumor. Couldn’t you have just apologized?”
“And then what? Promised to be a good little girl and spend the rest of my life with a man I hate?”
“Yes,” she snapped. “Exactly that! At least you’d still be with your family.”
“Some family.” I shook my head. “You two loathe one another. I don’t want that for my life. And neither should you. Come with me.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Wherever I go, you come with me.”
“Rumor. I—I can’t.”
“You can,” I murmured. I strode toward her and took her hand. “Walk away from this. Find a better life.”
Sadness dimmed her eyes. “No one would take us both. They’d be too afraid to anger your father. It would be war.”
“Come to my pack,” Knox said.
My head jerked up. “Your pack?”
“I told you last night, Rumor. We all have difficult choices to make. You made yours. And now I need to make mine.”
Oh, God. Fear tightened my stomach. “But…” Fighting his brother. That was dangerous business. I knew Knox was stronger, but that didn’t guarantee he’d win the fight. And if he lost…exile wouldn’t be an option for him.
“Nice to see you have such faith in me,” he drolled.
It wasn’t lack of faith. It was fear. I was frightened for him. I dropped my gaze, afraid it’d betray my true emotions. Holy hell, I was screwed. Was that all it took for me to feel for someone? A night of amazing sex? Or had the curse simply unlocked something within me I’d always refused to admit?
And what if he fought his brother and lost? I’d never know.
I cradled my head.
“Rumor?” my mother whispered.