Page 41 of Rising Reign (The Wolves of Crescent Creek #3)
WREN
I blinked against the light as it filtered in through gauzy window coverings. But I didn’t recognize them. What I did recognize was the scent. It wrapped around me in the most comforting embrace, just like the arms that echoed the sentiment.
Ender’s lips brushed my shoulder. “How do you feel, mate?”
I smiled so widely it almost hurt. “Amazing. But don’t let that go to your head.”
He chuckled, rolling me to face him. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” My fingers traced the mark that now rested on Ender’s neck. An arrow straight through a heart, realistic but somehow not grotesque. “It’s perfect,” I whispered.
He shivered in pleasure. “Careful, Kitten. You keep doing that, and we won’t leave this bed for hours, and I have a feeling you’ll want to see Franco now that he’s free.”
I jerked upright. “He is? Hera’s spell worked? ”
Ender’s gaze dropped to my bare chest, staying there. He didn’t answer.
I lifted the sheet to cover myself. “Cat Daddy?”
His lips twitched. “Sorry. You’re too beautiful for your own good.”
My mouth curved. “Franco…”
“King says he’s good. Tired, but recovering. No signs of the dark magic. But we’ll need you to interact with him to test it.” Tension wound around each word, and I knew Ender wasn’t crazy about the idea.
I reached out and stroked his stubbled cheek. “I’ll be safe.”
“Damn right, you will be. Because I’ll be at your side.”
I kissed him quickly. “All right.”
Since our bond was so new, it would be difficult for him to even allow our fellow bondmates around us, let alone someone who’d tried to kill me yesterday. My hand dropped to Ender’s. “Do you have some clothes I can borrow?”
A small smile pulled at Ender’s lips. “I do like the idea of you wearing my clothes, my scent all over you.”
“I’m pretty sure your scent is in my skin at this point.”
Ender leaned forward, running his nose down the column of my neck. “Yes…it is.” He growled and nipped me playfully.
“Clothes, now. Sexy times, later.”
He let out a growl but forced himself away from me. “All right.” He stood and hauled me over his shoulder, slapping my ass. “Let’s cover this perfect backside before I decide to keep you chained in my room for the rest of the day.”
I giggled as he carried me toward the closet. “You know, this room isn’t really what I expected.”
“How so?”
“It’s all peaceful neutrals and gorgeous impressionist landscapes.”
Ender set me down in the closet. “What did you expect?”
I shrugged. “A lot of black and the skulls of your kills? ”
Ender snorted. “I save that for my armory room.”
“You mean your pussy palace and armory room?”
He groaned. “Don’t say pussy. You’re going to make me hard, and I need to focus on dark magic and demons.”
I choked on a laugh. “Sorry?”
“You damn well should be.”
I grinned as we got dressed. I looked ridiculous in a pair of Ender’s sweats and a tee, but I couldn’t deny that I loved the scent of leather and spice being that much closer. As we headed for the door, I felt a slight pressure in my mind, as if someone were asking for entry.
The pressure built behind my eyes, and my nose stung as I looked up at Ender. “Pack bonds?”
He nodded, his smile soft.
It had been so long since I’d felt the mind-speak that came with being a pack member.
I could’ve been blooded in at some point, meaning Kingston and I would’ve combined blood, and I would’ve sworn loyalty.
But that wasn’t a good idea when you were partially mated to members of an existing pack.
It could mess with the bond mojo. But now that I was bonded to all of Arcane, I was automatically a part of them.
I lowered my mental shields, and Ender’s voice filled my mind. “We’re coming down.”
“We’re all here,” Kingston answered through mind-speak. “Including Franco.”
“Is he okay?” I asked.
“Love hearing you here,” Kingston purred through my thoughts. “And, yes. Physically, he’s fine. Emotionally, he’s still processing. I think it will help for him to see you.”
That spurred me on. I hurried out the door and down the stairs, the sound of voices pulling me toward the kitchen. But before I could get there, Ender caught my arm.
“Careful, Kitten. We take this nice and easy.”
“He’s not going to hurt me. ”
“No, he’s not. But we also don’t know how he’ll react. Slow and steady.”
I scowled at the floor but let Ender go ahead of me. As we stepped into the kitchen, all the voices went silent. People were spread out at the large kitchen table and the island. But I only had eyes for Franco.
He was perched on a stool, gripping a cup of what looked like tea. His hair was in disarray, and he had dark circles under his eyes. But those eyes were locked on me.
Franco straightened and poised to rise, but Ender held out a hand to stop him. “Just stay there for now.”
“End,” I hissed. “He’s fine.”
Franco shook his head. “No, he’s right. We need to see how I react.” Franco braced as if expecting himself to launch into the air and go on the attack all over again.
One minute passed, and then another.
“Do you sense any negative emotions?” Hera asked.
I shook my head. “Nothing. He feels exactly like he always has.”
The tension in Ender’s shoulders eased a fraction. “All right.”
But Franco still didn’t move. “What if I try to hurt you again?”
I shoved Ender out of the way and crossed to my friend—one of the first I’d made in Crescent Creek. I took his hand and squeezed. “You won’t.”
Clara set her coffee on the island. “You weren’t yourself. But you are now. They don’t have a hold of you anymore.”
Franco’s throat worked as he struggled to swallow. “I get these flashes of memory. All I could think was that I needed to stab you in the heart.”
“It wasn’t you. It was the dark mages,” I told him, wishing I could boot all of them to the depths of hell where they belonged.
Franco shook his head. “They all explained, but it just…it doesn’t seem real.”
“Dude,” Juan said before shoveling a bite of waffle into his mouth. “They turn into fuckin’ wolves. The tall one’s a vampire. It’s possible.”
Rhys’s lips twitched. “Thanks for noticing.”
Puck smacked him upside the head.
Franco’s gaze came back to me. “Tell me what we need to do to defeat them.”