Chapter 26 Vampire Marks
The next morning, I sat at the counter in my robe, drinking coffee and humming softly to myself. Every time I shifted, a faint ache reminded me of the way Knox had woken me, the way he had taken control before I was fully conscious.
He had rolled me onto my stomach, covering me with his body, holding me there while his voice stayed low and rough in my ear as he told me exactly what he wanted, what he intended to take, how completely helpless I was pinned beneath him.
I had come apart twice under him.
And it had been glorious.
Knox was somewhere in the house now, bare-chested and wearing only his dress pants, waiting for Nathan to bring him fresh clothes. His suit from last night was the only thing he had with him.
A knock sounded at the front door.
Assuming it was Nathan, Knox moved down the hall and opened it. When I didn’t hear any greeting or conversation, I pushed my chair back and stepped into the hallway.
The tension hit me before I even reached the doorway.
Knox stood there with his arms crossed over his bare chest, filling the frame of the door, his expression calm but unmistakably hostile.
On the porch stood Liam, dressed in running clothes, his posture rigid and his jaw set tight.
And then it hit me.
“Oh my god, Liam,” I blurted as I moved closer to the door. “I am so sorry. I completely forgot we were supposed to run this morning.”
Guilt rushed through me as I stepped up beside Knox. Liam had driven all the way here because I had mentioned in self-defense class that the gym was far and I didn’t feel comfortable running alone in a new neighborhood. Liam had offered to join me, saying he needed the cardio anyway.
He didn’t answer right away.
Instead, his gaze shifted to my neck, then lower to my collarbone, to the skin visible above the loose edge of my robe. His expression sharpened, his eyes narrowing with a look I had never seen from him before.
Heat rushed to my face. I turned my head slightly and pulled the collar of the robe higher, suddenly very aware of what he was seeing. I had looked in the mirror earlier.
Knox had left marks.
Not subtle ones.
Knox noticed Liam’s stare. Without looking away from him, he stepped closer to me and slid his hand to the back of my neck, his fingers warm against my skin. The touch itself was gentle.
The message wasn’t.
It was possessive, deliberate, and impossible to misunderstand.
Liam’s eyes darkened.
“Can I talk to Ashley?” he asked, his voice tight.
Knox didn’t move his hand. “You can talk here.”
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut.
Liam’s gaze flicked once more between Knox’s hand on my neck and my face, and something in his expression hardened.
“I really am sorry,” I said again, softer this time. “I completely forgot.”
“It’s fine,” Liam said, but his voice didn’t sound fine at all. His gaze kept drifting to my neck, then to Knox, then back to me. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m okay,” I said quickly.
Knox’s fingers pressed lightly at the back of my neck, a quiet reminder that he was still there, still watching.
Liam’s jaw flexed. “You sure?”
“Yes,” I said. “I promise.”
He gave a short nod, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease. His eyes shifted to Knox again, and the air between them tightened. Knox didn’t move. He didn’t blink or lower his arm. He stood there like a wall, calm and immovable.
Liam cleared his throat. “We can reschedule the run.”
Before I could answer, Knox spoke. “There is no need. From now on I’ll run with her.”
Liam’s eyes snapped to him. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
“You are now,” Knox said.
Sensing the tension escalating, I stepped forward. “Liam,” I said gently, Knox’s hand still at the back of my neck. “I appreciate you coming. But today isn’t a good day.”
He looked at me then, and after a moment he nodded again, slower this time.
“As long as you’re okay.”
“I am,” I said.
His gaze flicked to Knox one last time. “If you ever need anything, you know you can call me.”
“I know,” I said, and I meant it.
Liam stepped back off the porch. “I’ll let you two get back to… whatever this is.”
He turned and walked toward his car, shoulders stiff, head slightly down. I stayed in the doorway and watched him go, guilt twisting tight in my chest.
When the door closed behind him, Knox’s hand slid from the back of my neck to my shoulder.
“You care about him,” he said quietly.
“He’s like an older brother,” I replied. “He’s always looked out for me.”
“He’s in love with you.”
I froze. “No, he’s not.”
“He is,” Knox said.
I stared at him, confused. Liam had never flirted or crossed a line.
He had always been steady, respectful. But the moment Knox said it, small memories began sliding into place.
Liam bringing me coffee without asking how I liked it.
Offering to run with me even though he hated mornings.
The way he always stepped between me and strangers. The way he had looked at me today.
“I never noticed,” I said quietly.
“I know,” Knox said. “You weren’t looking.”
My stomach twisted again. Not because Liam made me uncomfortable, but because I had never even considered it. Maybe I had been blind. Maybe Liam had been careful because he knew I wasn’t ready. Maybe he had been waiting.
Knox studied me for a moment before adding, “He’ll be fine. He just needs time.”
I nodded, though the guilt still sat heavy in my chest. “I should text him. Just to make sure he’s okay.”
Knox’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, but he didn’t stop me. Instead he stepped back, giving me space, though his eyes stayed on me like he was tracking every breath I took.
I reached for my phone and typed a quick message.
Ashley: Hey. I’m really sorry about this morning. I should’ve called. I hope you’re not upset. Thank you for coming out here, it meant a lot. See you at the gym Monday?
I hesitated before hitting send, then pressed the button.
Knox watched me the entire time.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he said, though the word carried weight. “You are allowed to care about people.”
My phone buzzed almost immediately. Liam’s reply appeared on the screen.
Liam: It’s okay. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. We’ll talk later. Take care.
I exhaled, relieved. “He is not angry.”
Knox watched me for a long moment, his gaze steady, unreadable.
“What is that look for?” I asked.
He reached out, his fingers brushing lightly along my jaw. The touch was gentle, but there was something possessive in the way his thumb lingered there.
“I don’t like sharing your attention,” he said quietly. “But I’m not threatened by him.”
My pulse jumped. “Why not?”
“Because you chose me,” he said simply.
He lowered his hand, though he stayed close enough that I could still feel the warmth of his body beside me.
“Text him again later if you want,” he added. “Make sure he’s alright. I won’t stop you.”
I nodded slowly. “Thank you,” I said, though we both knew I would have texted Liam regardless.
“But,” he said, his voice dropping slightly, “don’t pretend you don’t know how he feels anymore.”
I swallowed. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good.” Some of the tension finally eased from his shoulders. “That’s all I ask.”
He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my temple, the gesture unexpectedly gentle, warm enough to make my chest ache.
Then he pulled back slightly and glanced toward the kitchen.
“Now,” he murmured, “let’s eat something. I’m starving.”
I laughed softly, the tension finally easing.
The rest of the weekend passed quietly.
Knox stayed most of Saturday. We ate, talked a little, and moved around each other with the strange ease that had formed between us overnight. By the evening he went back to his own place, leaving the faint scent of his cologne behind in the house and my thoughts far too busy to settle.
I kept thinking about Liam.
About the look on his face when he stood on my porch.
By Monday afternoon the weight of it sat firmly in my chest. Knox had said Liam just needed time, and maybe he was right, but I still wanted to clear the air before things became awkward between us.
So that evening I went to the self-defense class earlier than usual. When I arrived, Liam was standing near the equipment rack, rolling his shoulders to warm up.
When he noticed me, he straightened slightly.
I walked over to him.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey.”
For a moment neither of us spoke. Liam shifted his weight slightly, rubbing the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure where to start.
“I was hoping to catch you before class,” I said. “Without Amy hovering over us.”
That earned a small smile from him.
I rubbed the back of my neck. “About the other morning…”
“You don’t need to apologize again,” he said quickly. “You already did.”
“I know. But I still wanted to make sure we’re okay.”
He studied my face for a moment, then nodded.
“We’re okay.”
Then his eyes shifted to my neck and stayed there.
I froze. I must have rubbed the makeup off. I had covered the marks before leaving for work that morning, but they had only faded a little over the past few days. Not enough to hide them completely.
I instinctively pulled my hair forward, trying to hide what was still visible.
“I wasn’t upset about the run. I was worried about you.”
“It’s not what you think,” I said quickly, feeling heat rush into my face.
His eyebrows lifted slightly. “I didn’t say anything.”
“I know,” I muttered. “But you were definitely thinking something.”
He crossed his arms and looked at me carefully. “Are you going to tell me he’s not hurting you?”
My face burned.
“It’s consensual,” I said. “Very consensual. He’s not hurting me.”
Liam closed his eyes for a moment and dragged a hand down his face.
“I really didn’t need that level of detail.”
I groaned. “You asked.”
“I asked if you were safe. Not for a mental image.”
Despite myself, I laughed nervously.
“He’s not hurting me,” I said again, quieter this time. “I promise.”
Liam looked at me for another long moment before nodding.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’m not thrilled about the bruises situation, but you’re an adult. I get that.”
A small smile tugged at my mouth.
“You’re doing the big brother thing again.”
“Someone has to,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck again.
For a moment we stood there in comfortable silence, the tension that had hung between us since Saturday morning finally gone.
Everything would be fine.
Just as that thought settled in my mind, the gym door opened behind us.
Amy’s voice carried across the room immediately.
“Why are you two whispering in the corner like you’re planning a crime?”
Then her eyes flicked to my neck and she stopped mid-step.
“Holy shit. Did a vampire attack you?”