Page 60 of Rising Reign

“Me,” I said quickly. “I need to hit something.”

By the time the body had been cleared from Puck’s room and we’d all made it down to the gym, the sun was rising and sending beautiful pink rays through the forest. I rolled my shoulders, testing the tension that had made its home there. It wasn’t insignificant.

Even though Clara’s phone as well as her guards’ had been free of any communications with Bastian, the weight of the night’s events still felt heavy for all of us. A traitor had found their way onto our territory. Worse, they’d been invited in.

“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” Kingston said quietly. “You’ve been through more than your fair share lately, and your head may not be in the right place for sparring.”

“King—”

“He has a point,” Rhys cut in.

“Says the man willing to let me get jumped in the name of training,” I spat.

Rhys held up both hands. “Touchy, touchy. I was just thinking this might be good timing for Clara to help you with your shift.”

Clara’s brow furrowed. “What’s going on with your shift?”

“Noth—”

“It’s slow,” Rhys said, cutting me off.

I sent the vampire a look that should’ve had his balls climbing back up into his body. “Remember that knife in the eye from a couple of hours ago?”

Rhys just grinned. “Love your violent streak. Channel that with the shifting business.”

I pulled the knife from my pocket, opened it, and hurled it in Rhys’s direction. It just barely nicked his ear before coming to rest in the far wall.

Rhys clutched the side of his head. “That was uncalled for, Little Vixen.”

“That was exactly called for,” Clara argued. “The shifting process is incredibly personal, and you should never insult a shifter’s relationship with their animal that way.”

Pressure built behind my eyes, and my wolf let out a hum of satisfaction at Clara’s words. She rather liked Puck’s sister.

Clara moved toward me, hooking her arm in mine. “Carry on, the lot of you. Wren and I have some business to attend to.”

“What about me?” Puck asked.

“You, too, Pucker.”

He made a face.

“Don’t pout. It’s not attractive, and Wren is already too good for you,” Clara said, leading me toward the back doors.

Brix choked on a laugh, and Puck turned to him. “You and me, hand-to-hand.”

“That’s not going to end well,” I mumbled.

“It never does. The male ego is a fragile thing.”

A laugh bubbled out of me as I let Clara lead me farther into the trees.

“There’s something many alphas miss,” Clara began. “Submission is the ultimate power.” She released her hold on me. “Alphas only hold the cards because you let them. You can revoke it at any time. It is a choice. Always. And your tender, caretaking spirit is something all of us alphas yearn for, even if we don’t admit it.”

I studied Clara for a long moment. With her blond hair swept back in a ponytail and her face free of makeup, she looked younger. I couldn’t believe that she had so much on her shoulders already. “I know, I think you might hold some of those gifts.”

Clara’s mouth curved. “Caretaking, even now. You don’t want me to feel down about myself.”

My lips twitched. “Maybe so, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”