Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Harper gave her a winning smile. “Maybe that’s why I got claimed and the others didn’t.”
Alethea’s eyes flared and her mouth set into a hard line, which made Harper’s demon laugh wickedly.
“Harper and I are done for the evening,” declared Knox, taking her by the wrist and beginning to lead her away, but she dug her heels in to say a quick goodbye to her friends.
“Don’t forget the meeting, Knox,” Jonas called out. “It’s important.”
Harper shot him a questioning look, but Knox gave a quick shake of the head. They’d talk about it later. Now, he just wanted to take his mate home.
CHAPTER SIX
Striding into the living area, Harper plonked herself on the sofa. She was tired, and her feet hurt after hours of walking around the mall, but she was also feeling pretty energized after the rodeo. “Are you finished brooding yet?” she asked Knox. “Because I’d like to know what meeting Jonas was referring to.”
Knox stood in front of her. “I don’t brood. But I am angry that you put yourself in danger like that.”
“It’s not like I threw myself in front of a bus.”
“You were riding a bull.”
“At least I didn’t fuck a dolphin.”
Knox double-blinked. “What?”
“You and Alethea.” Harper raised a finger. “For the record, I don’t like the way she looks at you. There’s something proprietary about it. But I suppose it’s natural that, given you’ve known each other for longer than I’ve been alive, she’d feel like she had some rights to you.”
He frowned. “She doesn’t have rights to me.” The only person who had and ever would was Harper.
“I know that.”
Knox sighed. “You’re trying to distract me from the matter at hand.”
“Of course I am. But you did fuck a dolphin.”
“She shifts into a dolphin.” Not that he’d ever seen it happen, but it was typical of her kind.
“Dolphins are seriously twisted, you know.”
Knox’s frown deepened. “Dolphins are twisted?”
“They’re the only predators that kill their young for fun. And the males are rather fond of gang rape. Oh, they might look cute and seem charming, but that innocent exterior is quite an act. They’re like the sea-world’s version of Ted Bundy.”
Knox closed his eyes and let out a long breath. His demon was laughing. “I’m not sure why we’re having this conversation.”
“Then maybe you can instead tell me what meeting Jonas was talking about.”
He opened his eyes. “We’ll talk about that once I’ve said what I have to say. I don’t like that you mounted a two-thousand-pound bull, I don’t like that you did something you knew full well could get you badly hurt, and I don’t like that you dismissed my concern. But I do understand why you did it.”
“You do?”
Knox pulled her to her feet and into his arms. “Your life is changing and you’re finding it hard to emotionally keep up. That’s natural. I want you to come to me when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Talk to me. Let me help you. Don’t jump on the back of a wild animal.”
She smoothed her hands onto his shoulders. “Sorry if you thought I was dismissing your concern. I genuinely wasn’t trying to patronize you when I assured you that I’d be okay. I just didn’t want you to worry. You’re so extremely overprotective that you don’t trust my judgement when it comes to my own safety.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust your judgement. It’s that I don’t trust wild bulls.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re deliberately missing the point, but whatever. Now tell me what Jonas was talking about.”
Knox cupped her hips. “This year, he’s hosting the annual meeting wherein the US Primes get together and discuss any issues. It takes place in two weeks. Tanner and Levi will come with us.”
“Why did he come to your office?”
“He heard about Crow. Apparently Roan is walking through the Underground with a picture of Carla, asking if anyone has seen her.”
She absentmindedly tapped her nails on his shoulders. “Even though I’m not totally comfortable with this co-Prime thing, I don’t like that Jonas and the dolphin only asked to meet with you tonight… like I don’t count.” Her demon was rather offended.
“If I had known it wasn’t a standard business meeting, I would have included you.”
“You know, it’s probable that they don’t truly see me as your mate. I mean, even you’re shocked that you took a mate. It could be that they’re also so shocked by it that they don’t take it seriously. After all, it’s rare for Primes to mate since demons didn’t like to share power.”
He thought about Alethea’s belief that news of his mating was false. “You could be right.”
“The rest of our kind are probably just as doubtful. Most saw you kill Isla to avenge me, but they could have decided to attribute that to me being your anchor.”
“It could actually be that they don’t want to take our mating seriously. A mated pair of Primes is far stronger than a demon ruling a lair alone. We’re the only mated Primes in the world. The fact that we’re both powerful makes us even scarier.”