She absentmindedly tapped her nails on his shoulders. “Even though I’m not totally comfortable with this co-Prime thing, I don’t like that Jonas and the dolphin only asked to meet with you tonight… like I don’t count.” Her demon was rather offended.
“If I had known it wasn’t a standard business meeting, I would have included you.”
“You know, it’s probable that they don’t truly see me as your mate. I mean, even you’re shocked that you took a mate. It could be that they’re also so shocked by it that they don’t take it seriously. After all, it’s rare for Primes to mate since demons didn’t like to share power.”
He thought about Alethea’s belief that news of his mating was false. “You could be right.”
“The rest of our kind are probably just as doubtful. Most saw you kill Isla to avenge me, but they could have decided to attribute that to me being your anchor.”
“It could actually be that they don’t want to take our mating seriously. A mated pair of Primes is far stronger than a demon ruling a lair alone. We’re the only mated Primes in the world. The fact that we’re both powerful makes us even scarier.”
“I’m nowhere near as powerful as you.” And she was totally okay with that, because she didn’t think anyone should be expected to harness and control the kind of power he had.
“But you’re by no means weak, and demons respect strength. It’s well-known at this point that you can cause soul-deep pain.”
“Yeah, but I’m a Wallis. They won’t even take me seriously as a person.” It was ridiculous, yet true.
“They’ll learn to.”
Hmm, she doubted it. The prejudice against imps, especially her family, was too deep-rooted.
Knox searched her eyes. “You take our mating seriously, don’t you?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised. “Why would you even ask that?”
“Because you expect people to leave you.” The way her parents had. “I need to be sure that you trust I won’t ever do that.”
“I don’t believe you’ll leave me.”
“But you don’t trust that I won’t,” he sensed.
Yeah, but that wasn’t anything he needed to worry about. “Knox, I never trust situations where I get what I want. It’s not that I don’t trust you.”
“But you don’t feel fully secure either, do you?”
She shrugged. “That’s just me being me. It’s not a reflection on what we have.” But he didn’t seem convinced. “A lot of people, like Belinda, just don’t understand what you see in me. They don’t understand how someone who could have pretty much anyone they wanted would choose me. Want to know why that pisses me off? Because that theory insinuates that you’re shallow. You’re not.”
Melting against him, Harper admitted, “I do sometimes question how you could manage to be with someone who constantly tests your patience, but that’s it. I know you’re a person who doesn’t make huge decisions without giving them careful thought. I know that you’re someone who goes after what he wants. If you say I’m what you want, I believe you. My subconscious will take a while to accept that, since it’s pretty much trained to believe people come and go like the wind. And I admit that a small part of me will always worry, but that’s not a bad thing. It means I won’t take what we have for granted.”
“It also means I don’t have every part of you. I want it all.” He was greedy when it came to her. “I want that little part that eyes me warily.”
“Give it time to get used to seeing you every day.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Before you learned what I was, I worried that you’d try to leave. But you accepted the truth of what I am. If I remember rightly, you said, ‘big motherfucking deal.’ You’ve seen me at my most dangerous. You know better than anyone else what I’m capable of. You know how far I’d go to protect you. And yet you’re still here.”
“That right there should make you see you don’t have to worry. Actions speak louder than words.”
Then Knox would have to think on what “action” he could take to assure her that he wasn’t going anywhere. Putting that aside for now, he said, “It’s your day off work tomorrow. How will you be spending it?”
“I have another flying lesson with Khloë.” Not that they were helping much. Harper had spent most of her life unable to use her wings. Every sphinx had tattoo-like brands on their back that could become wings. But although Harper had the brands, her wings had never come to her when she called them. Or, at least, they hadn’t until a few months ago when some of Knox’s power had leaked into her mind and coursed through her system.
Knox’s brow furrowed. “I can give you flying lessons. Why didn’t you ask me to help?”
“You’re a busy guy.”
“I’ll always make time for you. Khloë’s wings are different than yours. They’re gothic and bat-like.”
“Yeah, and yours are made of magma energy so they’re different than mine too.”
“It doesn’t mean I can’t still teach you.”
Realization dawned, and she tilted her head. “You don’t like it when other people do things for me, do you?”
“Not always.” All right, in truth, he wanted to selfishly be all she needed and wanted.
“If I had known it wasn’t a standard business meeting, I would have included you.”
“You know, it’s probable that they don’t truly see me as your mate. I mean, even you’re shocked that you took a mate. It could be that they’re also so shocked by it that they don’t take it seriously. After all, it’s rare for Primes to mate since demons didn’t like to share power.”
He thought about Alethea’s belief that news of his mating was false. “You could be right.”
“The rest of our kind are probably just as doubtful. Most saw you kill Isla to avenge me, but they could have decided to attribute that to me being your anchor.”
“It could actually be that they don’t want to take our mating seriously. A mated pair of Primes is far stronger than a demon ruling a lair alone. We’re the only mated Primes in the world. The fact that we’re both powerful makes us even scarier.”
“I’m nowhere near as powerful as you.” And she was totally okay with that, because she didn’t think anyone should be expected to harness and control the kind of power he had.
“But you’re by no means weak, and demons respect strength. It’s well-known at this point that you can cause soul-deep pain.”
“Yeah, but I’m a Wallis. They won’t even take me seriously as a person.” It was ridiculous, yet true.
“They’ll learn to.”
Hmm, she doubted it. The prejudice against imps, especially her family, was too deep-rooted.
Knox searched her eyes. “You take our mating seriously, don’t you?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised. “Why would you even ask that?”
“Because you expect people to leave you.” The way her parents had. “I need to be sure that you trust I won’t ever do that.”
“I don’t believe you’ll leave me.”
“But you don’t trust that I won’t,” he sensed.
Yeah, but that wasn’t anything he needed to worry about. “Knox, I never trust situations where I get what I want. It’s not that I don’t trust you.”
“But you don’t feel fully secure either, do you?”
She shrugged. “That’s just me being me. It’s not a reflection on what we have.” But he didn’t seem convinced. “A lot of people, like Belinda, just don’t understand what you see in me. They don’t understand how someone who could have pretty much anyone they wanted would choose me. Want to know why that pisses me off? Because that theory insinuates that you’re shallow. You’re not.”
Melting against him, Harper admitted, “I do sometimes question how you could manage to be with someone who constantly tests your patience, but that’s it. I know you’re a person who doesn’t make huge decisions without giving them careful thought. I know that you’re someone who goes after what he wants. If you say I’m what you want, I believe you. My subconscious will take a while to accept that, since it’s pretty much trained to believe people come and go like the wind. And I admit that a small part of me will always worry, but that’s not a bad thing. It means I won’t take what we have for granted.”
“It also means I don’t have every part of you. I want it all.” He was greedy when it came to her. “I want that little part that eyes me warily.”
“Give it time to get used to seeing you every day.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Before you learned what I was, I worried that you’d try to leave. But you accepted the truth of what I am. If I remember rightly, you said, ‘big motherfucking deal.’ You’ve seen me at my most dangerous. You know better than anyone else what I’m capable of. You know how far I’d go to protect you. And yet you’re still here.”
“That right there should make you see you don’t have to worry. Actions speak louder than words.”
Then Knox would have to think on what “action” he could take to assure her that he wasn’t going anywhere. Putting that aside for now, he said, “It’s your day off work tomorrow. How will you be spending it?”
“I have another flying lesson with Khloë.” Not that they were helping much. Harper had spent most of her life unable to use her wings. Every sphinx had tattoo-like brands on their back that could become wings. But although Harper had the brands, her wings had never come to her when she called them. Or, at least, they hadn’t until a few months ago when some of Knox’s power had leaked into her mind and coursed through her system.
Knox’s brow furrowed. “I can give you flying lessons. Why didn’t you ask me to help?”
“You’re a busy guy.”
“I’ll always make time for you. Khloë’s wings are different than yours. They’re gothic and bat-like.”
“Yeah, and yours are made of magma energy so they’re different than mine too.”
“It doesn’t mean I can’t still teach you.”
Realization dawned, and she tilted her head. “You don’t like it when other people do things for me, do you?”
“Not always.” All right, in truth, he wanted to selfishly be all she needed and wanted.
