Page 82 of Rising Reign

“You already know everything you need to.” She licked the side of my face.

I curled around her, my wolf wanting nothing more than to be close to his miraculous mate. “I love you.”

“More than you could ever know. We’ll do this together. One thing at a time, and only when we’re all ready.”

I held her tightly to me, breathing in wildflowers and rain. “I’m ready now.”

A laugh sounded through my mind. “Maybe we should dispatch our long list of enemies first.”

I let out a chuff. “Fair enough, Little Warrior. Fair enough.”

48

WREN

Puck flipped a coin, catching it on the back of his hand as he stretched out at the table on the back patio. “I’m so bored, I think I’d take an attack at this point.”

Brix sent him a grin that was a little feral around the edges. “I could always kick your ass in the gym.”

Puck made a face. “You could try.”

Three weeks had passed since the dark mages spelled Franco, and nothing had happened. Everything had been eerily quiet. None of Ender’s contacts had heard any signs of movement from the dark mages or the Red River pack. And Rhys hadn’t had any more visions either.

So, we’d simply been stuck in limbo.

“Maybe we need a pack run,” Kingston suggested.

“I think I need a dirt bike or an ATV so I can keep up with you guys on those runs,” Juan muttered from his spot on one of the chaise lounges.

Franco’s lips twitched. “They’d still leave you in the dust.”

My gaze moved from the two of them to a quilt spread out over the ground at the edge of the forest. Hera and Clara were bent over one of Hera’s grimoires, studying something. They’d been thick as thieves the past few weeks, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more going on there than friendship.

They both deserved that kind of happiness and more, and I could see the ways in which they’d balance each other out and make each other stronger—as every partnership should be.

Strong arms lifted me from my chair and deposited me on a lap. Locke nuzzled my neck. “What are you smiling at?”

I burrowed deeper into him, relishing the fact that there was nothing quite like a Locke hug. “Look at the two of them,” I whispered.

My voice was low enough that only the shifters around me could hear. My bondmates followed my line of sight, studying the couple. Puck frowned. “I need to have a talk with Hera.”

I kicked lightly at his knee. “No, you do not. You’re not going to ruin this for your sister.”

“I just want to make sure her intentions are good,” Puck argued.

Ender scoffed as he stroked Princess’s fur. “You want to threaten Hera to within an inch of her life.”

“And she’ll probably give you limp dick for the rest of your days if you do,” Brix muttered.

“Who has a limp dick?” Juan called from the chaises.

“Puck, always Puck,” Ender called.

Puck leveled Ender with a glare. “Careful. I’ll go sabotage your bow collection, and then we’ll see how you feel.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Stop being an asshole and you won’t have to find out,” Puck shot back.