Page 31 of Knox's Fate

"Then don't lose me," she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

In one fluid motion, Knox bridged the distance, his hands framing her face, pulling her into a kiss that was fierce and all-consuming. It was an assertion of his claim over her, a possessive act that should have sparked resistance within her independent soul, but instead, it ignited a fire that had been smoldering since the moment they'd met.

Ruby wrapped her arms around his neck, surrendering to the storm of sensations that Knox elicited within her. His touch was both a balm to her rattled nerves and a spark to her deepest desires. She kissed him back with equal intensity, her heart pounding in her chest as if trying to match the wild rhythm of his.

As their breaths mingled, the heat between them built, obliterating thoughts of danger, treasure, and rogue shifters. In the aftermath of peril, with the imprint of his alpha strength still lingering in the air, their connection felt more intense than ever—as undeniable as the primal instincts that drove them.

Finally breaking the kiss, she looked up at him. “He didn’t seem to care about you or the clan.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because he wanted to know about the treasure. Do you think it’s real? Do you think my aunt knew anything?”

Knox shook his head. “I don’t know, but I think it’s time we found out.”

CHAPTER 16

KNOX

Knox stood by the window, his gaze tracing Ruby’s movement as she navigated the breakfast crowd. She was laughter and vibrancy wrapped in the guise of a woman who had seamlessly woven herself into the tapestry of his world. His clan embraced her with open arms, their acceptance a warm blanket, but Knox's eyes were clouded with a storm that brewed beneath the calm surface.

He knew he was watching her not just with the protectiveness of a leader or the curiosity of a man enthralled by a woman's allure, but also with the trepidation of a man who played a dangerous game. The rogue shifter from yesterday's encounter weighed heavily on his mind—a specter of a threat that had been subdued but not extinguished.

The early morning sun draped the clan's dining hall in hues of gold and amber, casting long shadows that danced upon the walls as the members gathered for breakfast. The scent of freshly baked bread and smoked bacon mingled in the air, a comforting blanket of familiarity over the palpable undercurrent of tension that had settled within the room since the recent attacks.

"Something is bothering you," Coco's voice sliced through his brooding thoughts, her tone light but perceptive.

Knox glanced at Ruby, ensuring her attention remained elsewhere before leaning closer to Coco. "I let the rogue go too easily," he confessed, the words tasting like bitter ash.

Coco shrugged, her nonchalance a stark contrast to the gravity of his concern. "Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Knox. We'll get ’em next time," she reassured him, though her eyes held a glint of steel.

Coco’s certainty was a balm to the raw edges of his doubt. Yet, as he watched Ruby once again, her vibrant presence a stark contrast to the gathering storm within him, Knox felt the inexorable pull of responsibility tighten its grip. There were choices to be made, actions to be taken. For her safety, for all of them, he would not falter again.

"Thanks, Coco," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that only she could hear. "I intend to make sure there won't be a next time."

As Coco nodded and slipped away, her confidence leaving a lingering trace in the air, Knox turned his back to the festivities. The warmth of the room seemed to recede as he stepped outside, the cool breath of the nascent day greeting him with a whisper of the challenges ahead. The scent of pine and earth mingled with the steely resolve settling in his chest. This time, he would unearth the truth, no matter the darkness he'd have to traverse.

He nodded, his jaw tightening. As the clan's alpha, the safety of his people was his responsibility—his burden. With a steely resolve, he made his way to where the morning patrol was sitting before heading out. He spoke to them, his voice low and commanding. "Any further rogue scouts or raiding parties, we take them on. No mercy this time. We only need one or two left alive. I'll coordinate with the sheriff for a holding facility."

The men nodded, the atmosphere charged with an unspoken vow of protection and retribution. The weight of command settled over Knox like a second skin, a mantle he bore with honorand relentlessness. He turned away, his eyes sweeping the room, looking for her.

"Your brooding could darken the brightest of mornings," a voice teased at his shoulder, and Knox turned to find the sheriff, grinning beside him.

"Observation is a leader's prerogative," Knox replied, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile that didn't quite reach his stormy eyes.

"Observing or coveting?" Beck pressed, his eyebrow arched knowingly.

"Careful," Knox warned, the single word laced with both amusement and a hint of danger.

"Ah, but it's hard not to notice the way you watch her," Beck continued, undeterred. "Like a wolf guarding his territory...and perhaps something more personal?"

Knox’s jaw tightened imperceptibly, the simmering heat beneath his skin flaring at the mention of Ruby. He turned his attention back to the woman in question, watching as she threw her head back in laughter at something one of the clan elders said. The sound sent a jolt through him, tightening his chest with an emotion he couldn't—or wouldn’t—name.

"I am nothing like a wolf,” Knox teased. It was an old taunt between them. “Ruby has a strength about her," he admitted quietly, his voice roughened with a mixture of desire and respect. "She belongs here, with us. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was out making the rounds, got hungry, and your place was closer than mine," Beckett laughed, clapping Knox on the shoulder before moving off to grab a plate and join Knox’s people.

As he turned toward Ruby, her vibrant energy seemed to pulse through the room, reaching out to him with invisible threads. He joined her, pulling her close and kissing the top ofher head. "I need to scout the perimeter, take care of some loose ends," he told her, his voice steady despite the fire that sparked within him at her proximity. "Stay inside until I get back."

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