There was the Kingston I’d long known. The menacing bully who had made my existence hell for as long as I could remember. But never in those years had there been such a noble reason driving his assholedom.
“Kingston, I understand pain and loss as much as anyone—partially thanks to you—but even I won’t chuck you through a portal knowing you most likely won’t return.”
“Liam returned,” he countered.
Shit.
“And Liam is both born of Faerie and capable of making his own portals on either side of the veil. You aren’t and you can’t. What happens if you get lost or need to get out of there? And even if you did, by some miracle, find the fey king…then what? You think you can just murder him and waltz out of there without incident?” My barrage of questions was wearing at his resolve. The angry crease around his eyes softened, as did the tension in his shoulders, but still he held fast to the anger fueling his death wish request, so I played on the weakness I knew might unsettle him further. “Kingston, you don’t even know if your power works there…”
His eyes went wide; then he snapped.
“What would you have me do, Piper?” he shouted before lowering his voice. I heard doors open down the hall and prayed that Knox’s wasn’t one of them—that he was still crashed out from killing Mack. I knew a fight would soon be brewing when I turned to see Jagger, Kat, and Grizz step out. “I need to avenge Bea, don’t you see that? She was the only decent thing in my life, and she sacrificed herself for me, Piper. Me!”
“Need a hand down there?” Jagger asked as he sauntered our way.
I waved him off. “Nah, Jags. We’re good. Kingston’s grief is impairing his decision-making skills.”
“And he certainly doesn’t need help with that,” Kat added as she fell in line next to the ginger wolf. “Do you, Kingston?”
He dared a glance over his shoulder. Whatever Kat saw seemed to amuse her greatly.
“Kingston, listen. If I thought you had even a teensy chance of killing the fey king, I’d gladly send you, because it would solve fifty percent of my problems right now, but I know better than that. Knox, Grizz, and I barely survived when we went there together.”
“He can’t control me,” he argued.
“And he couldn’t control me or Grizz, and that had little to do with our escape—note how I didn’t say ‘success’.”
“He knew you were coming.”
“And you don’t think he’ll know the moment you set foot in his lands? If that’s the case, you might as well just let me kill you now. It’d be the humane thing to do.”
The trio headed our way flanked the rogue warlock, crowding him.
“I’ll gladly do it,” Kat said with a smile. “I’m still bitter about the whole Alaska thing.”
“Me too,” Jagger added. Grizz huffed in agreement, and I wondered if things were about to go to shit despite my best efforts.
“Okay, okay,” I said, hauling Kingston out from between them all. “Nobody is killing anyone just yet.”
“Well, that’s disappointing,” Kat said with a pout. “I feel a little unsatisfied after Mack’s club.”
“I can help with that.” Brunton and Foust crested the stairs behind us, both on edge at what they saw in the hall.
“That eager to die?” she asked, stepping away from the group. “No…I don’t think you are. Besides, it’ll be so much more fun when you don’t expect it.” She turned to me and her arrogant expression bled away. “Are you sure you’re good with this one?”
“Yeah. He’s good.”
She gave a nod and headed back to her room. Jagger and his packmates soon followed, leaving Grizz behind like a bouncer just itching to intervene.
“Piper—”
“Listen, the best I can do is try to take you to Faerie if, and I mean if, we have to go there at all, understand?” His jaw flexed as he ground his teeth, but he didn’t argue, so I took the win and started to walk away. “And Kingston?” looked back to see him glaring at me. “I really, truly am sorry about Bea.”
Before he could say anything, my father called for him from the foyer, telling him it was time to leave. Kingston scowled at me, dissatisfied with my response, then walked away, disappearing down the grand staircase. I heard the main door click shut behind them, and I exhaled in a whoosh. Guilt washed over me as I hurried down the hall with Grizz at my side.
I locked my door and sat down on the end of the bed. Though I had been right not to send Kingston to his death, it still stung understanding how bereft he was without Bea. I wished I could have given him the justice he sought.
But it just wasn’t possible.
“I hate the fey,” I mumbled to myself as the man-bear sat down next to me. “They take everything—destroy everything.” He wrapped his massive hand around mine and gave it a squeeze. I blew out my breath and leaned my head against his arm. “I’d charge into Faerie if they ever did something to you,” I whispered. “I’d tear every single one of them apart with my bare hands.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head before resting his cheek against it. Even though he couldn’t say anything, he didn’t need to; I understood him loud and clear. He’d tear the world apart for me, too, odds and consequences be damned, and though I knew it was meant to make me feel better, the pang of guilt gnawed at my heart. Having so many love me as he did meant I had more at stake. But Kingston had only had Bea, and now she was gone.
He had nothing left to lose.
And I knew exactly how reckless warlocks with zero fucks to give could be.
Chapter Seven
A while later, I decided it was time to face Knox after what had happened and see if he was all right. The fear of finding an unraveling mess in his room weighed heavily on me as I walked down the long hall to his door. I raised my hand to knock but opted not to.
I just opened it without invitation instead.
“Hey,” I said as I peeked into the room. He didn’t even lift his head from the bed, where he lay sprawled like a starfish. “Do you want me to go—”
“I never want you to go, Piper.”
“Not even when I’m hangry?” I asked, sarcasm lining my words.
The bed creaked as he sat up to look at me. The lines etched into his expression made my heart sink.
“I think you’re funny when you’re hangry. It’s cute. You’re like a werewolf…”
“Ah, now I see the appeal. I’m like the grumpy boys you’re used to.”
“Only much, much sexier.” He flashed me a grin that eased my worry a bit and extended his arm toward me, beckoning me over. “And far better for cuddling…among other things.”
I walked to the side of the bed, and he quickly pulled me down on top of him. A tiny shriek of surprise escaped me, and I bit my lip as embarrassment settled in. I could feel my cheeks burn with both that and my proximity to him. His hands spread across my lower back, and I dropped my cheek to his chest.
“Knox…?”
“I’m fine, Piper. You don’t need to worry.”