Page 35 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

"I'd lick every drop of slick from between these pretty thighs," he said as if they had all the time in the world. "Untilyour legs gave out and you didn’t remember anyone else. You wouldn't be able to walk out of this alley when I was done with you. I'd have to carry you."

Serenity's knees went weak, her mind warring with her body's screaming demands. She couldn’t afford this insanity right now.

She needed focus. She needed to be free from the dangerous trap that Ronan was spinning, and yet...God help her, she wanted this.

She wanted him.

She wanted to lose herself in the chaos.

Maybe she should let him catch her.

Maybe letting him take her, mark her, ruin her, would be the only real escape from the deadly game.

The charged moment shattered with brutal efficiency.

A sudden clang, the scrape of shoes on asphalt, and the alley was alive with motion as a pack of men emerged like specters from the night, their dark clothing blending with the shadows.

Each one fixed them with a stare that screamed trouble, eyes gleaming with raw, predatory intent. Serenity felt the shift immediately, the dangerous ambiance of the hunt crashing over them like a tsunami.

Instinct kicked in before she could even register the threat—Ronan was on his feet, leaving the ground so fast she barely caught the motion.

Everything was a blur as the intensity of his presence went from hot desire to stone-cold protection. His grip was firm, unyielding, as he all but shoved Serenity behind him, placing himself between her and this new threat.

Her back hit the brick wall with a dull thud, air whooshing out of her lungs, and the sudden cold made her skin flash hot, reminding her of what had just been interrupted. Her mind struggled to reengage with the jarring change in the situation,but Ronan was already there, a living barrier between her and the intruders.

She saw the way his posture changed, muscles coiling like a viper's, ready to strike. He was a storm about to break, all ferocity and lethal grace, and she found herself holding her breath, caught in the sheer violence of the moment.

Unlike before, there was no doubt now—this was Ronan at his most dangerous, and he wasn’t going to let anything touch her. Not without a fight.

"Raincheck on the intimate escapades?" he growled, his muscles tensing for a fight.

Serenity huffed, her heart racing and her pulse a wild drumbeat in her ears.

"You could at least ask me on a date before trying to fuck me in an alley." She blushed furiously, muttering under her breath, "But I guess beggars can't be choosers during a hunt. Fine, raincheck accepted, you horny bastard."

Chaos erupted around them.

The rival pack's enforcers charged with a ferocity that matched the desperate glint in their eyes. Ronan moved with brutal efficiency, all lethal intent and raw power, his fists connecting with sickening crunches that echoed like gunshots.

Serenity was many things, an MBA graduate among them, but she was no damsel, and instinct kicked in as she remembered everything she’d trained herself for. Both self-defense and an obsessive kickboxing background came into play as she ducked and wove, adrenaline sharpening her senses.

She dodged a wild swing and drove her knee into her attacker's groin, relishing his pained grunt.

"Nice moves, princess," Ronan called out as he grabbed two by the hair and slammed their heads together with bone-cracking force.

She rolled her eyes, sidestepping another assailant.

"Less flirting, more fighting!"

They fell into a rhythm, a tide of violence and chemistry.

Covering each other's blind spots with an ease that felt almost natural, like they'd done this a hundred times before. Serenity's agility and quick thinking complemented Ronan's brute strength and relentless assault.

She swept the legs out from under one enforcer, sending him sprawling, while Ronan grabbed another by the collar and threw him like a ragdoll into the side of the alley, the man crumpling upon impact.

The surge of attackers was intense, but Ronan was more intense, a force of nature that refused to be stopped.

He spun and delivered a vicious backhand to an approaching thug that sent teeth flying, then turned to intercept another with a well-placed kick that knocked the wind from his lungs. Serenity ducked and weaved, a cyclone of movement as she dispatched her own opponents.

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