BURN by Suzanne Wright

was a walking, talking surprise to him. “Now, back to my question about your mother...”
    “It’s not important.”
    “Carla Hayden’s a member of my lair, and you’re my anchor, which means this is very important to me.”
    “Why aren’t you even a little hesitant about this anchor business?”
    “Why would I be hesitant? The vast majority of demons look forward to finding their anchor.” It was typical that his anchor would be one of the exceptions. But if she was someone he could steamroll, Knox had to admit he wouldn’t have found her half so intriguing.
    “Yeah, mostly to stop them turning rogue and to become stronger. We both agreed you don’t need me for any of that.”
    “Doesn’t matter. I’ve told you before; I don’t walk away from what’s mine.”
    “Oh,” she drawled. “You like possessions.”
    Actually, yes, Knox did like possessions. Having been deprived of those things as a child, he refused to do so as an adult. But she didn’t need to hear that story. Nobody did. So instead, he gave her a different truth.
    Leaning forward, Knox said, “Since my mind brushed against yours, every instinct I have has told me that you’re mine and I should protect you and bond with you.” Of course, he also wanted to fuck her until neither of them could walk. But that had nothing to do with her being his anchor. “You are mine. Deserting someone I’m supposed to protect isn’t something I’m prepared to do. Now, tell me about your mother.”
    After a long inhale, Harper replied, “Carla wanted my father to accept her as his mate. He didn’t want to. She wasn’t happy about it.”
    “ He didn’t want to or his demon didn’t?” In order for their kind to have a deep relationship, to take someone as their mate, both halves of the soul needed to choose the partner.
    “Neither wanted her as a mate,” replied Harper. “So Carla left me on Jolene’s doorstep when I was two months old.”
    Knox felt a low rumble begin to build in his chest as anger whipped through him. “Why Jolene’s doorstep?”
    “Lucian Wallis doesn’t have a doorstep. He’s a nomad.”
    “And he then took care of you.”
    “Not exactly. Lucian convinced Jolene to take care of me, because he didn’t know what to do with a baby. She agreed because she knew he was out of his depth, and she wanted to be sure I was okay. But she made him promise to visit me regularly.”
    “Did he?”
    “He turned up every six months or so, which to him was the equivalent of full-time parenting. When I was four, Jolene forced him to take me.”
    “She passed you to him like a parcel?” The idea made Knox’s blood boil.
    “No. She wanted her son to learn some responsibility, and she thought it was wrong that I didn’t have either of my parents playing a big part in my life. She also thought it might make him settle somewhere.”
    “But it didn’t.”
    “No. We moved constantly.” She’d attended thirteen different schools before graduating. Being ‘the new kid’ over and over had been irritating in itself, just like repeatedly experiencing the cycle of curiosity, acceptance, and desertion got old fast.
    “How did you end up here in Nevada?”
    “After I graduated, I told Lucian I was moving here to be around the rest of my family.”
    “You were sick of flitting from place to place,” Knox assumed, but she shook her head.
    “My upbringing wasn’t horrible or something I’d change if given the chance. I liked traveling, it was an adventure, but I wanted to put down some roots.”
    She’d wanted a real home, not a motel or a rental house or someone’s sofa. Wanted a place she could decorate and settle in. She’d gotten sick of repeatedly leaving her friends, her school, and her favorite places; sick of missing her family and all their special occasions.
    “Do you see Lucian much?”
    “He’s never out of contact for more than five months at a time. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a lot for him.