Page 39 of Knox's Fate

Silence fell over the camp, heavy and expectant, as the rogues digested this information. Knox watched them carefully, reading the flicker of disappointment and calculation in their eyes. It was clear to them now; they had nothing to gain from the woman they had taken. And Knox made sure they understood just how precarious their position was under the watchful eye of a wolf-shifter sheriff and a clan protector with everything to lose.

The rogue leader's dismissive grunt was a clear signal of his waning interest. "Then the human is of no use," he mused aloud, eyeing the tent's entrance with an intent that set Knox's nerves on edge.

In one swift motion, Knox's hand shot out, the blade in his grasp pressing cold and unyielding against the captive's throat, drawing a thin line of crimson across it. "If you so much as think about harming Ruby," Knox growled low, the threat in his voice slicing through the tense air like the steel at the rogue's neck,"your men will fall first, you will join them soon thereafter, and your brother will not live to see the sunrise."

A heavy silence settled over the camp as the leader's eyes locked onto Knox's, a silent battle of wills raging between them. It was then that something shifted in the rogue's gaze—recognition that perhaps he might be able to use Ruby as leverage to allow them to escape with their lives, or maybe it occurred to him that Ruby was more than just any woman—perhaps she was the mate to one of the two men who now faced him. His brother was languishing back at Knox’s compound, and the man to whose throat Knox held a blade met the leader’s eyes

"Seems we're at an impasse," the leader conceded, his tone laced with newfound respect, or maybe it was fear. "You've got my brother, and I've got..." He let the words hang, a bargaining chip laid bare between them.

"Your trespass ends here," Knox reminded him, his stance unyielding as stone. "Consider the mercy shown to your kin repayment enough." He tightened his hold, a warning that they were not beyond a bloodier conclusion.

"Fair enough," the leader said after a moment that stretched into eternity. He gestured to one of his men, who disappeared into the tent and emerged, guiding Ruby towards Knox.

“You hold my brother.”

“And I will do so until I receive confirmation that you are no longer within the territory of the town. At that point I will have him sent to you. Until then we will provide him with the medical attention he needs.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because you have no choice. I don’t make idle threats. Return the woman to us, and then you and your men can leave and never return. Or we will bury you here.”

Beckett stepped forward to pull Ruby behind them. As the exchange took place, Knox's senses remained alert, his eyesscanning the perimeter. With Ruby safely behind him and Beckett, he released their captive, sending him staggering back towards his own kind. The balance had been restored, the fragile truce sealed with the return of precious lives on both sides.

Knox's grasp on Ruby tightened, his fingers wrapping protectively around her wrist as he pulled her close to his side. The rogue shifter, now released, scurried back to the safety of his kin, rubbing at the spot where the blade had pressed a stark reminder of mortality against his throat. Knox could feel Ruby's slight tremble, not from fear—no, she was stronger than that—but from the rush of danger passing.

"Go," Knox commanded, his voice low but carrying across the tense air of the camp. His eyes locked onto the leader's, ensuring there was no misunderstanding. "Leave Silver Falls, and don't come back."

The leader's eyes narrowed, yet behind the defiance, there was an acknowledgment of defeat. They had lost their advantage, their leverage withered away like leaves in autumn. He called out a command in a guttural tongue, and his men broke down the camp, packing it up and dispersing, vanishing into the mountain's embrace as if they were mere shadows beneath the waning light.

"Remember this mercy," Knox added, a growl underlining his words. “It will not be repeated.” He felt Beckett's presence, a silent sentinel at his back—a reassurance that should a battle erupt, they would stand undaunted.

With a final lingering glance, charged with the unspoken threat of a predator marking his territory, the leader turned, following his men into the dense thicket that swallowed them whole. Silence fell upon the camp like a cloak, leaving only the sound of three hearts beating fiercely and the crackle of the fire in the aftermath.

Beckett moved up, dousing the fire and ensuring it was out before covering it with snow.

"Come on," Knox murmured to Ruby, his tone softening as he drew her away from the site of confrontation, his protective hold unwavering. "Let's go home."

CHAPTER 21

RUBY

The trip back home was made much easier when both Knox and Beckett stripped naked, bundled their clothing and shifted. Beckett picked up the bundles and Knox knelt down so Ruby could mount his massive frame. They galloped down the side of the mountain and made short work of returning to the compound.

Once they’d arrived, Ruby watched, her pulse quickening, as Knox shifted and redressed before striding with authority toward the compound's holding cell and medical facility. The prisoner, weak but conscious, was hauled to his feet by two men. Though his form was unsteady, his eyes burned with a defiance that sent a shiver down Ruby's spine.

"Handle him carefully," Knox commanded, his voice a low rumble that resonated through the crisp evening air. "He's stable now, but I don’t want to take any chances."

“Will do,” said Beckett helping the cuffed prisoner into the back of his patrol SUV. “I’ll let you know when we’ve handed him off to his brother.”

“Be careful,” said Knox.

“Always,” replied Beckett with a grin.

There was something about the way Knox took control that stirred something primal within Ruby. She knew she should be focused on the gravity of the situation, yet her body seemed to hum with a desire that had nothing to do with the scene unfolding before her.

"Ruby." The sound of her name spoken by a familiar, deep voice snapped her attention away from the prisoner exchange. Knox was watching her intently, his gaze piercing and knowing. "You seem distracted."

"Am I not allowed a moment's reprieve?" she countered, feigning nonchalance. Her efforts were futile; the arousal in her voice betrayed her true state.

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