“That’s a sad story, little witch,” he mumbled absently.
“It’s life,” I retorted. “Let’s go.”
“In a hurry to be alone with me now?” he asked, hiking a dark brow up his forehead.
His skin was bronzed, probably from long vacations in the tropics sipping drinks with fancy umbrellas. Unlike my pale skin that barely tanned at all. The last vacation I’d had was to the kiddy pool we’d bought and set up lounge chairs around, sunbathing while we drank margaritas, pretending we were in the Bahamas.
Knox turned, moving down the stairway slowly as I followed close behind him. He’d yet to release my hand, which I was sure he held because it bothered me. Once we reached solid ground, the wind picked up and blew the candle out. I quickly whispered the spell to ignite the flame and watched as it leapt to life.
He moved to the box, opening it before he held the candle up and exposed the wire. Rats. Not figuratively, but literally. The wiring had been chewed apart, exposing wires that had touched together and shorted out because of it. I expelled the air from my lungs and then screamed as something ran over my bare foot. I spun around, backing up until I was against Knox’s frame.
“The little witch fears rats too?” he purred against the shell of my ear.
“They’re rodents and carry the plague.”
Lips brushed my ear, sending heat swirling through my entire body until every nerve ending exploded to life within me. “You’re right, you’re not normal. Aria the witch, afraid of the dark and rats,” he murmured before I felt his nose touching my hair, inhaling it. “You smell of blood and roses.”
I turned my head, staring at him. “I thought you didn’t like witches?”
“I don’t, but you don’t smell like a witch. You don’t act like one or wield magic as you should. You’re a puzzle, and I like to tear puzzles apart.”
“You figured all that out in the little time you’ve known me? You don’t know me. You know nothing about me.”
“You don’t like the dark if there are walls around you, boxing you in. Your shampoo is rose-scented, and you add your own concoction to it to enhance the scent. You don’t pull from nature to wield magic, you just fucking use it without thought. Your eyes are turquoise, but when you’re turned on, they’re more blue than green. When you’re angry, they’re more green than blue. I’d hate to look into them when you cried because they’re the kind of eyes that expose a soul and everything within it when you’re wounded. You’re five-foot-three, almost the national average for women but a smidge shorter. And you have pretty titties with little pink nipples that get hard at the sound of my voice when it is lowered. You’re also a virgin. I know that not because of what your sister said, but because you reek of the need to be bent over and made into a woman.”
“They do not!” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. “And I do not.”
“Prove to me that they’re not hard right now.” His voice escaped his throat as a mix of lust and gravel that had my nipples hard enough to cut glass.
“Most of that stuff I have told you myself,” I said, changing the subject as his eyes lowered with a smirk covering his mouth.
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I still know it, and it is true.” He looked around the room and paused as he took in the skeletal remains on the ancient altar. “Family?”
“Hecate’s mate,” I admitted softly since it was widely known he was in here. Or, we assumed it was who was in the basement, powering the house. Supposedly, it was Mom and Aurora’s father. “The lore says that he sacrificed his life to protect his line. Some say it is Merlin himself, but I don’t buy it. Hecate is the reason witches shed their inhibitions and rut like wild animals, never sticking to one male more often than not. She wanted to ensure her line never died out, so she spelled the blood to fuck like rabbits.”
“And you?” he asked.
“I don’t throw myself at men.” I was uncertain of why I was divulging anything to him. “I am an anomaly, according to my sisters. It may be whatever I am from my father’s line, but then I have no idea what or who he was.”
“Because you’re still a virgin,” he chuckled darkly.
“That’s really none of your business, and just because my sister said I was, doesn’t mean I am.”
“You are definitely a virgin, Aria. I can smell it on you. Your pureness, the scent of an untouched woman, is very rare. You fucking reek of it. This town will eat you alive, like a lamb to the slaughter.”
“They’ll try,” I agreed with his assessment of the town absently before locking my gaze to his. “And they’ll die. I am no lamb. I have the blood of a goddess coursing through my veins. Whatever my father added to my genes, it’s powerful. Do try to leave the state of my pussy off your tongue, and out of your mouth. Keep that in mind when you are watching me, Knox.”
“Why did you and your sisters really come back to Haven Falls?” he countered, catching me off guard.
“It wasn’t by choice. This is the last place I ever wanted to be. My sisters are here, so I am too. Are you done interrogating me, because my sisters are home?” No sooner had I said it then the sound of laughter and chatter sounded upstairs. “Next time bring whiskey if you plan to act helpful to interrogate me, Knox. You’re the king, you should know that getting a maiden to lower her guard and expose her secrets takes more than being shirtless and disarming her with a smile. You want me to spill secrets, work for it.”
“Hey, we brought beer and candles! I don’t think we impressed the other families, either. Most are outside, glaring at us,” Valeria shouted down the stairs. “Ew, there’s blood everywhere.”
“Rodent blood,” Luna disclosed in a bored tone. “Lots of it, too!”
“They sound fun.” Knox didn’t look away from me, even though I’d just called him out.
“They’re the life of the party,” I muttered, watching him closely.
“Are they now? One might think you would be with your inability to stay upright sober.” Bright blue eyes watched me as my gaze narrowed, and a smile covered my mouth softly. I wasn’t stupid; I could see him using his phone to snap photos in the darkened basement.
“You can put your phone away now. The house won’t allow you to snap photos of the altar. It protects itself from intruders and spilling secrets. Goodnight, Knox.” I turned, heading up the stairs without a backward glance as he followed behind me.
I accepted a beer from Luna as Knox breached the doorway, causing all chatter in the house to silent instantly. Every eye turned from his naked chest to where I sat with my bottle of Corona perched at my lips. He nodded to them, turning to me.
“There are no electricians in Haven Falls. The nearest one is two towns over, but your little altar might be an issue since he’s human. Brander, my brother, is good with wiring. I’ll send him over in the morning, so you stop killing the power for the entire fucking block. Goodnight, Aria.”
“Night, Knox,” I stated, staring at the muscles that rippled in his back with every step he took toward the door. When he vanished from sight, Luna snorted and patted me on the back.