Page 53 of King of Knights

We go downstairs from where the bedrooms are and I’m taken aback by how huge this place is. It has an old warehouse vibe, like one that has been converted.

There’s so much going on I don’t know where to look. There are bikers everywhere, but that’s not what has my head spinning. Kendrick tightens his hand around mine and leans down into my ear.

“They all know you belong to me. You are safe here. Besides, the scariest-looking ones are the most harmless,” he whispers and kisses my temple.

I dart my gaze around again. This place doesn’t really look like what I would expect a motorcycle clubhouse to look like. I mean, it does, but then it doesn’t.

These guys are definitely paying their dues. How can I explain? It all looks polished. Like Kendrick keeps a clean house.

There are pool tables, some foosball tables, a few arcade games, two bars, a cool-looking jukebox, and different couches and seating areas all around. There’s even a cafeteria-looking setup with tables around it.

What I find really cool is the shop on one side, like a store with Immortal Iron Brothers MC paraphernalia. I look up at Kendrick questioningly.

“There are humans who love to walk on the dark side. Doesn’t hurt to earn from them. Our best nights at the bar are when we open to the public. Most of us burn human alcohol off within seconds, so the booze isn’t really for us,” he answers my unspoken question.

“You let humans in with…” I trail off and look around.

The group I’m referring to has turned to look at me. I groan and palm my forehead. Some of them have horns or scary faces. Others look like ordinary men.

“They can hear me, can’t they?”I say to Kendrick through our bond.

“Yes, most of the beings here have super hearing. Relax, they’re amused.”

“Those ugly bastards are our resident incubuses. Lucky for them, they can turn pretty when they want,” he says aloud.

They all nod and lift their drinks. I give a nervous wave. That’s when I notice Rock. He has a smile on his lips as he sips his beer, then tips it toward me.

“Over there, you will find our fae brothers. Mostly tricksters and thieves, the lot of them. Ask them for nothing. It will always come with a price. One I will likely have to put them to ground for.”

“Hey, we heard that,” a tall guy sitting with the group Kendrick pointed to says and stands.

He has long, thick, dark, silky-looking hair that seems to pass his hips from what I can see. He winks at me. I note the sparkle in his vibrant violet eyes. I gasp when a rose appears before me.

Kendrick growls. “Don’t play with me, Dagger. I’ll turn you into pixie dust and smoke you in my pipe. You feel me?”

Dagger’s grin grows and he takes a bow. “No need to get violent, brother. I just wanted to welcome our queen. We fae are harmless… until we’re not.”

“Exactly,” Kendrick mutters.

Before I can reach for the rose, it’s struck by a tiny bolt of lightning and goes up in flames before falling to the floor in a tiny pile of ash. I frown as I look down at it. Kendrick squeezes my hand and kisses my temple.

“Forget that. I will give you better. Over there, that’s the packs. Our were-brothers.”

“Packs? As in multiple werewolf packs?”

“Yes, the Lycan king had triplets. All alphas. Instead of pitting his sons against each other for the throne, he divided the kingdom into three parts. The Sapphire Moon packs act as one large pack under their three alphas. You also have the occasional rogue who comes through needing our help,” he replies.

“Wait, so you have fairies and wolves in your club, but your club is called Iron Brothers. Isn’t that a conflict of interest for both?”

He laughs. “So you do know something about supers. The club is named after me and my brothers. We don’t hand out iron with their patches. Besides, no one is allowed to touch our iron in any form.”

“I know only what I’ve read in books. I can’t say I’m an expert.”

“Good to know.”

He nods and places a hand on the back of my neck and begins to knead away the tension I hadn’t noticed was building. He kisses my temple and ghosts his nose across my skin. Nodding across the vast space, he continues.

“That empty-looking section over there is reserved for our gargoyle friends. As they can only join us at night, it’s usually vacant over there. They run a gentleman’s club of their own. Our members stop by when they need something from the brotherhood. Not often, but it does happen.”

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