Awakened and Betrayed: The Lost Sentinel Book 2

by Ivy Asher

  Why is Knox driving Ryker’s car? I can tell it's definitely Ryker's and not just a Range Rover twin—which is a possibility given the caster hard-on for this make of vehicle—because of the music that starts playing when Knox turns the engine over. It’s the same band Ryker was listening to the night I stole his car. Maybe Knox doesn't own a car... hmm, I learn something new about them every day. I don't bother asking one way or the other, because it doesn't really matter to me. I wouldn't own one either if Aydin hadn't forced my hand.

  "So, we're the proud owners of a house now?” I try to ask casually, but a hint of giddiness peeks through.

  We pull out of Enoch’s driveway and head toward town. Knox chuckles at my question and then shoots a playful glare at me.

  "It was wrong to use your feminine wiles against Bastien like that," he accuses.

  I clutch my chest and feign innocence, “I did no such thing, and I resent the implication. I can't help that this information happened to spill out in the heat of a close moment. Maybe he just sucks at secret keeping." I shrug my shoulders and bat my eyes coquettishly at Knox. He’s not buying anything I’m selling, judging by the incredulous snorting noise he makes.

  “Speaking of pillow talk, I want to know every detail of what happened with Sorik. He seriously had runes?" Knox exclaims, and his effort at changing the subject doesn’t go unnoticed.

  “Knox, give me more credit than that, I can’t be so easily dissuaded.”

  He laughs.

  “It's cute that you guys are trying to surprise me with this whole house thing, but now that the cat is out of the bag, I'm dying to know every little detail. I'm too nosey not to know exactly what's going on.”

  I turn so my back is against the car door, and I’m facing his profile, giving him the full effect of my pout. Since Bastien let the big secret slip, I've been picturing what our new place could look like. I’ve had to stop myself from getting too detailed in my daydream because what if what they chose doesn't live up to the picture I'm painting in my mind?

  I should just be happy with whatever they bought because it means we all get to be together when we want to be. So what if it doesn’t have a diving board? Is that really something to swoon over, or get disappointed about if it’s not there? It will still be the place that I can eventually call home with my Chosen and really, that's all I need. Well, that, and a gym, and maybe we can get a pool and add a diving board—you know if it doesn't have that already, which it might.

  “Just tell me one thing,” I try to negotiate.

  Knox gives me the side-eye.

  “Does it have a diving board and a gym?”

  He laughs and shakes his head at me. “You never said you wanted a diving board before.”

  “I know, I didn’t even know I wanted one until today.”

  I throw my hand up in a what can you do motion and roll my eyes at myself.

  Knox tilts his head for a moment, and then he sneaks a look at me.

  “Fuck. Now I know how you got to Bastien so fast. Stop being so fucking adorable.”

  “I am not adorable. I am a vicious beast who can only be tamed by a diving board and a gym...and an occasional fight, maybe with a shifter, because as of right now I’ve had the most fun fighting them.”

  Knox laughs even harder. “Killer, give me a shot at taming your beast, and we’ll see if you still need all the other stuff.”

  His voice somehow grows thicker with sensual promise and the combination of his deep tone and his smooth words works a spell over me that has me drooling and ready to ask him to pull over. I sneak a glance out of the window and send a silent challenge out into the universe that if it really loves me the perfect pull off spot will be just up ahead. I know the others voiced their opinions about beds and first times, but I know I can convince Knox to abandon all that nonsense in an effort to tame the need coursing through me right now.

  I throw an angry grandma style closed fist up at the universe when instead of the perfect pull off spot revealing itself just up ahead, I notice that we’re in a suburban neighborhood and surrounded by houses. Why does the universe want to keep me from getting laid?

  Knox cracks up and leans forward, howling with laughter. “What are you talking about? How is the universe keeping you from getting laid?” he manages to get out, between bursts of laughter.

  I narrow my eyes at him, not at all amused by the escaped thoughts that I apparently just voiced out loud.

  “How close are we to your parents’ house?”

  “About five minutes.”

  “See, the powers that be are working against the needs of my libido. You can’t sexy voice me and say shit like let me tame your beast and then not follow through. That’s fucking wrong on so many levels. And now I have to go meet your family after you’ve got me all riled and shit! I was already fucking nervous, but now I’m fucking nervous, and I get to add horny and twitterpated on top of it.”

  “Fucking hell, don’t say horny, not when there’s nothing right now I can do to fix it,” he groans and shifts in his seat. I grin. “Don’t you smile about that, Killer, I can’t walk in to introduce you to my family with a hard-on.”

  My smirk grows wider, and I try to bite down against the laugh that wants to come out. “Fine, no more horny talk.” I concede, and he groans again. "Tell me about your family then. What's going down tonight and how nervous should I be?” I take a deep breath and try to calm the swarm of angry bees in my stomach. “I've never met anyone’s family before, and our circumstances are not exactly usual. What do they know about me already? Do they hate me for marking you?" I press down against memories of Silva and his obvious disapproval over my marking any of the boys.

  Knox reaches over and grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

  "We haven't exactly told anyone about the whole marked or Chosen thing."

  An adorably sheepish look takes over his masculine face, and the angry bees in my stomach soften into butterflies.

  Then his words sink in.

  The calm that started to prematurely bubble up inside of me fizzles out, and my heart sinks.

  20

  “Don't look like that, Killer. It's not like we're hiding it. Okay, it is like that, but not because we're ashamed of you, or have any issues with what's happened. It's just that we don’t know how smart it is to clue anyone in on how different you are, or exactly what that means for us as your Chosen.”

  Knox’s words tumble out hurriedly, and I can see the worry on his face that somehow I’m taking this all the wrong way. He focuses back on the road for a minute, and the silence permeates the car.

  “I love my family, but they trust the elders. They’ll think our keeping secrets from them is wrong. They won't see things the way that we do, and will be suspicious of the way that we are. We’re still hopeful that the elders will make a decision that is in everyone’s best interest, but with them moving you into Enoch's house, we're divided on whether or not that will happen. We all agreed to keep this quiet until we know more."

  I nod, understanding that handling what I am like this is for the best for all of us, but when I look down at Knox's hand in mine, I see one huge flaw in the plan.

  “So how did you explain these?” I ask, lifting his hand and pointing to the runes on his ring finger.

  “Well, we've been playing a solid game of avoidance. If we have to speak face to face with anyone in our families, we have something covering our hands like a towel or clothing. So far it's worked, but tonight is a mandatory family night, and there's probably not going to be any way for us to avoid what's about to go down.”

  I snap my head towards Knox and glare at him.

  “Knox are you kidding; please tell me you’re kidding! You can't take me to meet your family for the first time knowing that we’re going to blow up their lives. We’re supposed to convince them of my awesomeness not shatter everything they thought they knew. It was already going to take a miracle to get your mom to like me! I can't cook, I say fuck like
every other word, and I like to fight… a lot! Now you want to go on and announce the whole marked, hey she's not a caster but a Sentinel thing, too? If we do that, then there’s really no way I’m ever going to win your family over. I'm fucked! You totally just fucked me, and not in the way I was wanting.”

  Exasperated, I drop my head back against the tan leather of the seat. Fucked is an understatement, I'll be lucky if I can walk away from tonight without having to fight members of Knox's family, which I’m sure is going to go over real well.

  Knox chuckles, but I fail to see what about this situation is even remotely funny.

  “Don't stress, Killer, everything is going to be fine.”

  We pull into the driveway of a large Victorian house, it’s modest compared to Lachlan’s showy chateau and Enoch’s modern ranch, but it’s still big by any normal person’s standards. The house and surrounding land seem well cared for, and Knox pulls the Range Rover in behind a line of other cars.

  Knox rests a large hand on my thigh and gives me one of his mind-stopping smiles. It’s all straight white teeth and full kissable lips, and it makes his gray eyes light up in this delicious way that makes me want to dive into them and never come out. If only getting out of this disaster-destined night were that easy.

  “Don't worry; they’re going to love you, just go with the flow and trust us.”

  I just barely keep from rolling my eyes at his attempt at reassurance that doesn't manage to reassure me at all. Of course, he thinks everything is going to be fine; this is Knox. We could be in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and this dude would be all smiles and excitement, as he cuts off heads and casually discusses what’s for dinner.

  Knox closes his door, and I hop out as he rounds the front of the SUV coming towards me.

  "You're supposed to let me be all chivalrous and shit in front of my family,” he playfully scolds me.

  “Pshhh, please! You’re about to throw me to the wolves, I can't give off the needy damsel vibe, not when it’s about to be survival of the fittest up in here.”

  He chuckles, and I slap his chest playfully. He snatches my hand and presses a kiss into my palm, and the pure sweetness of the gesture has me momentarily all aflutter. Our gazes settle on each other, and I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude for who he is and how he lightens the heaviness that perpetually pushes down on my shoulders. A soft smile lifts his lips, and he laces his fingers with mine. He tugs my hand, pulling me out of the moment that’s swelling with feelings I’m not sure I’m recognizing correctly and sure as hell don’t know how to navigate.

  He leads me away from the car, but instead of moving toward the plum-colored front door, Knox leads me around the side of the house and into the enormous gated backyard. Boisterous conversation and laughter bounce toward us as we walk towards a group of people gathered around long tables loaded with food. I’m so focused on my breathing and trying to calm the nerves scurrying through my body, that I’m surprised when my eyes land on a face I recognize. Ryker’s lips turn up in a beautiful and welcoming smile, and he puts down a plate of food and comes toward us. I look around quickly to see if any of the other guys are here, but only strangers stare back at me from the remaining faces.

  Ryker reaches us, and he cups my face and plants a kiss that’s just a bit more than a peck. It’s a perfect hello and leaves me wanting more as his soft cushioned lips break away from mine.

  He pulls me into a hug, but Knox keeps my hand in his so it’s a little weird.

  “Bastien told us about what happened with the shifters. Are you okay?” he asks, leaning down with his mouth close to my ear, so only I hear his question.

  He pulls away, and I reach up to place my palm against his cheek to soothe away the concern I see there. I nod, but it’s all I can get out before people surround us, and I don’t dare say anything more about Sorik and what happened. Ryker steps back, and I’m immediately inundated with handshakes and hugs until Knox picks me up, removing me from all of the commotion and demands that they stop freaking me out. I laugh as he puts me down and rests his beefy arm over my shoulders protectively.

  “Bunch of animals, you’d think you’d never seen a pretty female before, acting like that!”

  Chuckles bounce around the group, and they settle with Knox’s chastisement. He points to a dark-skinned man who steps forward from the group of casters and offers me his hand. I take it; his grip is firm, and his smile is reassuring.

  “Killer, this is Blake, my dad; Dad, this is Vinna,” Knox introduces.

  Blake’s eyes are a rich umber, and his gaze feels deep and comforting. Another male, this one looking like he has some sort of Mediterranean ancestry, steps forward and replaces Blake's hand with his own.

  "I'm Rodrick, dad number two," he offers, with a cheeky smile.

  I match it, but don't get the chance to do more than that as Rodrick is boxed out and dad number three takes my still outstretched palm.

  "I'm Jason,” he tells me.

  His deep brown eyes are lit up with warmth and curiosity, and I have a feeling he has just as many questions brewing in his mind as I currently do.

  Knox points to a Native American caster, who steps forward answering Knox’s summons. He pulls my hand from Jason's and gives his compeer a teasing smile as he bumps his hip and body checks Jason out of the way.

  "Don't go hogging all the pretty," he teases, and my smile grows even wider. "We've been dying to meet the female who captured our boys’ hearts, but you're not allowed to pick a favorite dad until the end of the night, okay?" dad number four tells me with a wink. “I'm Merlin, but everyone calls me Lin.”

  A snort escapes me unchecked, and I immediately feel like an asshole for laughing at his name. He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and an accompanying smile, and my chagrin fades slightly.

  “It’s okay; clearly my parents had a sick sense of humor,” he whispers to me conspiratorially, and I laugh.

  “Was he a real person, Merlin, I mean?” I ask, not able to help myself.

  Merlin’s face blushes ever so slightly.

  “No, his origins are firmly in the land of make-believe. My older brother was a huge Sword and the Stone fan, and my name is his contribution to welcoming the new baby,” he tells me, with a what can you do shrug of his shoulders.

  “Could be worse, you could have ended up an Archimedes,” I tell him with a cringe.

  Merlin bellows out a laugh, and the group around us does too. He pulls me into a hug that squeezes the air out of me and then steps back laughing and mumbling, “Archimedes that’s a good one,” to himself and the others.

  He hugs Ryker and Knox one after the other, announcing, "Oh, she's definitely a keeper, boys!"

  His announcement confuses me for a minute, and I once again wonder why Ryker is here and no one else; didn’t Knox say this was a family thing? Another dad steps forward on a chuckle as he wipes a laughing tear from his golden-hued eyes. The tone of his irises is stunning, the molten shade one in a million. He smiles, and a familiar twinkle shines in his golden gaze. It’s a dead ringer for the cheeky glint I've spied in Knox’s stare from the first day that I met him.

  I would bet anything that this man is Knox's biological father. Although I’m getting the distinct impression that all the men in this coven claim daddy-ship, regardless of genetics.

  “I'm Trace,” dad number five tells me with a hug. “And these are our other two sons. Kace is the oldest, then Kiere, Ryker, and Knox,” he explains.

  We exchange hellos and waves, as I try to stay in the moment and not focus on the fact that apparently Knox and Ryker are brothers and I had no idea. Kace looks like a skinnier version of Knox, but with a little lighter skin tone and a reddish-bronze tone to his hair. Kiere is dark like dad one, Blake, but somehow has Merlin’s Native American features and bone structure.

  I tuck all my pressing questions away, not wanting to give their family a front row seat to how little I clearly know their sons. Especially when the plan is to drop the Sen
tinel and marked for life bomb. Letting them in on just how much I don’t know about anything, including myself, might not be the most reassuring move.

  After the introductions are made, I’m led to two long tables stuffed with food and my mouth immediately begins to water at all the amazing BBQ fare in front of me. I start to load up a plate, already making plans for what plate number two is going to have on it, when I spot two females making their way down the steps of the wrap-around porch with pies in their hands. I’m not sure who the one female is, but I know right away the other is Knox’s mom.

  Her gaze lands on mine and where Knox’s eyes are a stormy gray, his mother’s are the rich gray-brown of a flash flood. Their skin tones are the same, water-kissed-sand color, and I know right away from just one look, that you don’t want to be on her bad side.

  Her face softens as she takes me in, and I set down my plate and step back from the food to greet her. Without missing a beat, she hands the pies off to one of her mates, and next thing I know she’s wrapping me up in a firm hug. She doesn’t say a word to me, and yet, I can feel the welcome, the worry, and the hope in her embrace. I don’t shy away from the contact with her. Instead, I squeeze her tighter, hoping she can feel my promise and commitment to be everything her boys deserve. I don’t know how a hug can be filled with all that this one is, but she gives me a warm nod as she pulls away, and I know we both experienced the same phenomenon; that we understand each other.

  “I’m Reese, but I think it’s best if you just call me Mom.”

  Reese gives my shoulders a gentle squeeze before she pulls Knox’s big hulking frame into her arms and then grabs Ryker for a squeeze, too. They both get kisses on the cheek before she steps over and reclaims the pies from dad three’s hands. With that, the jostling around the food commences, and the heavy weight of rejection that’s been sitting in my heart, lifts, and flies away like the unwelcome interloper it is.

  21