Page 13 of Under Crimson Blades

“He’s born of destruction. Unfriendly, without a doubt, and wholly aligned with the Citizens.” His lips twisted. “From the brief contact, I couldn’t tell with certainty whether he was clanless or not, but my gut tells me that he is. I wasn’t able to decipher anything else—we were quickly under fire.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

A muscle in Zeke’s jaw tightened, and Remmus instantly knew that his co-sovereign found his report lacking.

Failure.

His nails bit into his palm. When he tried to reply, a spike of pain lanced behind his eyes, momentarily disrupting his train of thought. When he had a spare moment, he’d ask Kaien to check him for silver poisoning. Though Nina said nothing, her eyes had darkened, and he knew she’d seen his display—and had kept his secret.

Nina wouldn’t reveal his checkered past, nor tarnish his reputation among his peers. She was the leader he chose to put his trust in, and she had never disappointed him or betrayed that faith—not even through the transition period of learning to co-anchor as a two-sovereign clan. She would wait until he was ready to share his burden—if he ever was.

“We’re at a place where we can afford for you to keep an eye on it, Remmus.” Zeke filled the silence and gently massaged Nina’s hand. “Be careful. We know nothing of the Citizens Raeth’s abilities, and this will put you in his firing line.”

“Remmus, are you—”

A cringe cut off her words, and three men jumped into action. Kaien leapt to his sister’s side, with Hemin, Zeke’s head healer, materializing next to her only moments later. After several tense moments with both experts concentrating their considerable energy on her, Nina’s face loosened.

Zeke remained focused on his mate as he muttered, “Keep us informed, Remmus.”

A dismissal. Dutiful soldier that he was, he left.

Taking a generous bite of his neglected apple, he emerged into the foyer and froze when he saw who was entering through the front door.

“Celeste.”

The whimsical woman had tied rainbow ribbons around her fuchsia-colored hair. Guileless, baby blue eyes widened at the sight of him, before either of them remembered to smile in greeting.

Until now, they’d managed to avoid being in a room alone together since he rejected her during the Heat. Clearly, this reunion would take awkward to a whole new level.

“I wasn’t aware you were back in clan lands,” came her forced small talk as she fiddled with her braid. “I thought you were at the werewolf den for a bit.”

“I am.” His shrug was anything but casual. “Bringing the paper in like a good pup and I’m off again.”

“Oh.”

“Yep.”

Even Remmus had to admit, this was downright painful. He knew the truth would eventually come out, but speaking about what’d transpired between them seemed wholly unsettling. For a beat, they simply stared at each other, the awkwardness escalating.

“Celeste, about what happened during the Heat—”

Another cry from the living room was his saving grace. Celeste rushed off without a backwards glance, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He was not mentally prepared to have a conversation on the topic he’d just broached.

It was best to escape clan lands for now and do as his sovereigns had advised him to. Loathing the subtle throb behind his temples, he reinforced the wall that kept his darkness at bay and reached toward Riaz’s psychic signature. The blonde she-wolf he’d taken a shine to was right next to the alpha … and they were sparring.

The teleport across country took only seconds. Beside him, an eager vampire was watching with bloodthirsty glee, grinning like a loon.

Ava was currently wiping the floor with an amused Riaz. Her long, golden hair was pulled into a knot at the back of her head, several tendrils free to frame her breathtaking features.

Shapely, lean legs were corded with enough muscle to confirm her enforcer role. Everything about Ava was enticing, from her narrow waist to the generous curve of her rear—and Remmus thoroughly enjoyed the view.

While he longed to wolf whistle in appreciation, he withheld the urge.

“Shall we make bets?”

“You’re about thirty minutes too late to the betting line, Raeth,” Cortana snapped back. “Besides, I’d never bet against my mate.”

Remmus bellowed a laugh to the ceiling and the vampire echoed the noise. That earned him a scathing look from the blonde beta who’d just realized he arrived. Baring her teeth at him, Ava renewed her efforts against Riaz, tackling with enough force to knock the wind out of the alpha.

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