Page 43 of Rising Reign (The Wolves of Crescent Creek #3)

WREN

Rhys pulled on his mask in a way that spoke of a seasoned actor. His gaze moved to Clyde, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “The humans need to stay.”

Kingston straightened and prowled toward Rhys. “What did you see?”

Rhys showed no signs of intimidation. “I told you, it’s not exact. Images, warnings. It’s clear that things will go better if they’re here.”

“Told ya,” Juan said from his spot at the table. He leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. “Plus, the food here is sick.”

Puck arched a brow at that. “Thanks?”

Juan grinned. “Totally a compliment, Pucker.”

Puck bared his teeth. “ You are definitely not allowed to call me that.”

I crossed to him, looping my arm through his and leaning into his side. “Come on, buddy. No bloodshed at breakfast. ”

“Pucker. Buddy. What the hell did I do to deserve this?” he grumbled.

“Oh, you did plenty,” Clara called. “How about when you disrupted every date I ever went on growing up?”

“Buddy, you didn’t.” I raised my eyebrows in mock affront.

Puck’s cheeks pinked. “They didn’t deserve you.”

Clara pinned him with a hard look. “You ran Beckham up a flagpole. You told Glinda you’d put her on bathroom duty for the rest of time.”

Puck turned to his sister, taking me with him. “And if they truly loved you as they should’ve, they would’ve taken my threats and kept right on running toward you.”

Clara’s jaw went slack. “You were testing them?”

“Yes. And I’d do it all over again.”

“Brothers,” Clara huffed.

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. And then I squeezed Puck’s arm harder. “You’re a good big brother.”

“Sometimes,” he said wistfully, a hint of sadness creeping into his eyes.

Clara met his gaze across the kitchen. “All the time.”

An ache settled in my chest, but it was the good kind. One that spoke of restoration and reconnection. And I was happy as hell that Puck was finding it.

“I’ve got a question,” Clyde said, taking a sip of coffee.

“Is it about the mermaids?” Juan asked. “Because I still want to know about that.”

Clyde sent him a withering stare. “No, it’s not about mermaids.”

“Damn.”

“Jesus,” King muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Clyde turned to our alpha. “Do you think there’s a good chance the dark mages and Red River will attack here? Or will they try for something more public?”

Kingston mulled that over for a moment. “The last time the mages attacked, it was public, but…not. They waited until everyone but us had cleared out of the gym. And Red River, they hit in disguises. But now, they know we’ll be on guard for that.”

Clyde nodded slowly. “If you don’t all gather in one spot outside of this property, you might be able to force them to attack here.”

I frowned at the man who’d become like a father to me. “And what would that get us?”

A grin spread across his face. “You guys have all the supernatural and high-tech stuff handled, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more defense. I think we should add a low-tech line.”

Kingston nodded. “It’s not a bad idea. That’s not something either party would expect.”

“I could position myself with a good vantage point of the traps,” Ender suggested. “Take them out as they hit each one.”

My stomach dropped as I thought about Ender alone in some sniper’s nest. I moved to him on instinct. “It won’t take them long to figure out where you are, and they will try to take you down.”

End wrapped his arms around me and breathed deeply. “I have ways of escape.”

“And I can be backup,” Franco offered. “I’m a damn good shot. My dad’s into target shooting.”

Ender arched a brow but nodded. “All right.”

Locke took a sip of his drink and then adjusted his glasses. “I can put sensors on the traps to let us know when one is tripped. It’ll be another early warning system.”

Kingston clapped his hands together. “I think we’ve got a plan. Let’s pair off and get started.”

“Wren,” Hera said, rising gracefully from her seat. “I think we should check the wards. See if we can reinforce them.”

Ender’s grip on me tightened. “If you’re going that close to the territory boundary, I’m coming with you.”

One corner of Hera’s mouth tugged up. “Come along, Cat Daddy. ”

Ender jerked back, sending me an accusing look. “You told her?”

I grinned. “I don’t know. It’s pretty obvious that you’re king of the pussy palace.”

Franco choked on a sip of tea, and Puck thumped him on the back. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

Ender cursed as his shovel hit another rock, and Hera let out a soft snicker.

“I heard that,” Ender called from the pit he and Franco were currently digging.

“I don’t care,” Hera singsonged.

That had my lips twitching. Ender and Franco had been working on a trap for almost two hours already.

The hope was that we could force any intruders that made it past the wards toward one of those by our camera placement.

If an intruder was smart enough to make it past the energy field and the metaphysical wards, they’d likely be on the lookout to avoid any cameras, as well.

And we’d have traps in each of those spots.

“You know,” Franco yelled. “You could help.”

“We’re quite fine up here,” Hera assured him.

Ender hit another rock and cursed again. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing this time.

“Okay,” Hera said. “What do you sense from the ward?”

I lowered to the ground and sat cross-legged, holding my palms to the ward. The moment they connected, the air in front of me sort of rippled. But I frowned. We’d reinforced them not that long ago, but this one felt…weaker somehow.

My brows pulled together. “It’s not as strong as it should be.”

“I feared as much,” Hera said, pulling her grimoire out of her bag and flipping through the pages .

“Why?” I pressed.

“Magic is all about balance. Give and take. Too many beings wish you and your pack harm. Even though they aren’t actively trying to break through the wards each day, they’ll still drain them.”

I tugged the corner of my lip into my mouth and worried it between my teeth. “How do we stop it?”

“We can’t,” Hera told me honestly. “For now, we simply reinforce.” She fished in her bag for something.

“Do you have a whole magical grocery store in there?”

Hera chuckled. “You never know what you might need.” She offered me a stone that was rock on the outside and a beautiful crystal inside. “This will help feed the ward.”

As she handed it to me, our fingers brushed, and Hera stilled. Then her hand moved to my forehead, and she pressed her palm there.

“What?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”

Hera glanced around furtively, her voice dropping so low I could barely hear it. “I can feel a shift in your energy. Your heat is coming.”

Panic swept through me like an icy inferno. “It’s not due for months.”

She sent me a sympathetic smile but kept her voice quiet. “You’ve bonded with your final mate. It can send a signal to your body that it’s time.”

“I’m not ready for pups,” I squeaked.

“Just breathe,” Hera encouraged, then dug through her bag again. “I’ve got some herbs that will protect against that.”

I took the small capsules and swallowed them quickly. “Is there something to keep it from coming on altogether?” I asked hopefully.

She squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry. Nothing can keep a heat from coming if you’re healthy.”

Fear struck in the deepest recesses of my mind, memories of all the threats Bastian had hurled at me rising. If he got me while my heat was in place, my life would be over. Or worse, I’d wish it was.