Page 59 of Rising Reign

“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.”

36

WREN

Angry energy crackled through the air. It swirled and pulsed, making a home in all of us for one reason or another. But a sense of true dread settled in my bones. Because even with King’s warning to all supernaturals, there would always be beings willing to team up with Bastian for one reason or another. None of this would end until Bastian himself was ended.

Clara muttered a series of admirable curses as she turned to the rest of her guards. “Your phones. Now. And I’ll give you one chance to come clean. Tell me if you were in on this, and I’ll make your deaths merciful. If you don’t, and I find out that you were a part of this, I will torture you for months on end before I kill you.”

A grin spread slowly across Rhys’s face as he turned to Puck. “I like your sister.”

Puck glared at the vampire. “Stay the hell away from her.”

Clara gave him a head-to-toe sweep. “Under different circumstances, I might dip a toe in that pool.”

Puck gagged.

She flipped him off, but the amusement slipped from Clara’s face as she turned back to her guards. “Phones. Now.”

All three instantly turned over their devices. Clara collected them and handed them to Locke. “Feel free to search all our belongings, as well. My personal phone is on my nightstand.”

King’s brows rose. “You’d let us search yours, too?”

“You’re my brother’s pack. Your trust is important to me.” Clara cracked her neck. “Now, I really need to spar. Who’s in?”