Page 35 of Rising Reign (The Wolves of Crescent Creek #3)

WREN

The lights in the room flicked on as Ender surveyed the damage. “That’s not going to come out of the rug anytime soon.”

“What the hell is going on?” Kingston hissed, striding in from across the hall. His eyes flared and flashed silver as he took in the body on the floor. “What. Happened?”

I looked from the body to Puck, a little panic seeping in. He hadn’t woken, not even slightly. But his chest rose and fell steadily; he even let out the occasional snore.

“I-I felt something,” I stammered as anxiety pressed down on me.

Ender crossed the room in three long strides, then slid his hand beneath my hair to squeeze my neck. “Just breathe, Kitten. No one’s mad at you. You can kill anyone you damn well please.”

“Ender,” King rebuked. “Not helpful.”

“She can, and you know she had a reason. ”

“I’m just trying to discern what that is,” King argued.

“I felt bloodlust,” I cut in.

They both stilled.

“It was different, though. I could feel his thoughts. Knew some of them,” I went on.

“It’s because they were darker,” a new voice said.

We all turned to see Rhys strolling into the room, looking like he’d been working out.

But I guessed if you didn’t sleep, you had to fill your evenings somehow.

His eyes narrowed on the fallen form, his mouth twisting in disgust. “Your mind is more open, Little Vixen. You’ll pick up on things you couldn’t before. ”

I shuddered, and Ender pulled me against him. The move was so unusual for him that it only made my head spin more. But that didn’t stop me from soaking up his warmth.

“Tell us what happened,” Kingston said softly.

“Like I said, I sensed bloodlust. I followed the feeling, and it led me to right outside Puck’s room.

The door was open, so I came in. I saw a figure with a knife.

When they turned, I recognized Archie. He started talking about how Puck’s brother was the rightful alpha and that he couldn’t risk Puck returning to their pack. ”

“Bloody idiot,” Clara snarled, striding into the room, her other guards on her heels, Brix and Locke moving behind them. “ Traitorous idiot,” she amended. She moved to the body and spat on it.

“Whaaaas going on?” Puck slurred, finally starting to come around.

Kingston’s brow furrowed. “He sounds drugged.”

Hera entered the room and crossed to the bed. Her hands hovered over Puck as she closed her eyes. “He is. Some sort of sleep aid. Give me a moment.”

As Hera began chanting, Brix and Locke moved to me. Locke looked worried, while Brix had more of a pissed-off bent to his expression. Locke cupped my face. “You’re all right? ”

I nodded against his hold. “I’m fine. Promise.” I scowled at the body. “I would like my knife back, though.”

Kingston arched a brow. “Don’t you mean my knife?”

I lifted my chin. “I’ve grown partial to it. It’s gotten me out of a few jams now.”

Kingston moved to kiss me quickly. “It’s yours.”

“I’ll make sure you get it back,” Clara assured me.

“You don’t know what happened here,” the guard named Eliza argued. “They could’ve lured Archie into a trap.”

Clara snorted. “In my brother’s bedroom? At almost four in the morning?”

Mei scowled at the body. “He wasn’t happy about coming here.”

“No, he wasn’t,” Henry agreed.

Hera’s chanting stopped, and the room went quiet. Puck blinked a few times, and his hand went to his head. “Jesus, Clare Bear. Did we do shots or something?”

Clara’s mouth twisted in a wry smile that quickly dropped away. “No. I’m guessing Archie slipped something into your tea when he brought it to us before he retired for the evening. How do you feel?”

Puck sat up fully, looking from his sister to the man on the floor. “Doing better than he is.”

Locke strode toward the body, studying it before sliding a phone out of the man’s jacket pocket. He glanced at Clara. “May I?”

“This man just tried to kill your bondmate and my brother. You can take his head if you need it.”

“That’s more Brix’s territory,” Ender muttered.

Brix simply flipped him off, but Locke’s fingers were already flying over the device’s screen.

Puck scanned the room. “What the hell happened?”

“Archie boy tried to off your ass, but Wren saved your life,” Ender explained helpfully .

Puck’s gaze flew to me. “Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“I’m fine. He never got close to me,” I assured him.

“Your mate has some serious knife skills,” Clara said, admiration clear in her voice.

Puck rose from the bed, slightly unsteady at first, but it didn’t take him long to reach me. He pulled me into his arms and breathed deeply. “Love you, Birdie. And not just because you saved my ass.”

My hands fisted in his tee. “I love you, too. Don’t scare me like that again.”

“I’ll do my best not to get on the short list of some maniac’s revenge plot again.”

“Good,” I huffed.

Puck kissed me, long and slow.

“Gross,” Clara muttered. “I do not need to see that.”

Puck sent her a scathing look. “Then turn away.”

“Guys,” Locke interjected. “I’m in.”

We all turned to face him as he tapped on the screen, then seemed to scroll. Locke’s typically easy-going demeanor changed in an instant. His expression went thunderous.

“What?” King demanded.

Locke looked up slowly, his gaze moving not to Kingston but to me. “Archie was in contact with Bastian. He wanted to know what the reward would be if he killed the entire Arcane pack and delivered Wren back to him.”