Page 28 of Reign

Gods, I hadn’t meant to bring her so much pleasure last night, but being so close to her, touching her, after thinking she was dead, had sent both Prime and me into a storm of emotions. I’d tried to control us both, but the lure of her had been too much. Prime had found his mate, but Ember’s mind had her locked down tight. It had been a harsh reminder. My mate was confused and vulnerable, and I had taken advantage...Gods, what must she think of me? I rubbed my face, exhaustion and no small amount of guilt weighing me down.

I sensed Sophie before I saw her.

“Hey.” She sat down beside me. “How are you doing?”

I blew out a long breath. “Honestly? I’ve no idea. I know I need to sort out Manivera—and deal with Jed, but I don’t want to leave her. Not for a second.” I didn’t look at Sophie. Sharing my feelings was a weakness I never allowed, but I needed to tell someone. My gut twisted, my palms sweating as I spilled my greatest fear. “I’ve been without her for so long; both of our lives have been ripped apart by the actions of others. What if she never remembers who I am, what we are? What if she runs, or someone takes her again? Gods, I don’t know if I’ll survive it, Sophie. She’s my world. I didn’t think I could feel more for her, but her carrying our child…” I clenched my shaking fingers. “I’ll kill anyone who tries to harm them.”

Sophie took my hand. It was funny. I'd never let anyone but Ember comfort me physically, but it seemed right to allow my sister, my blood, to do this. We didn’t know each other well, except we did. We had both survived a childhood at Rex Manivera’s hands. I met her gaze, and she smiled, no judgment in her eyes. “Rex will still be there when you’re ready to deal with him. So will Jed; however long it takes.”

She let her glamour fall away and let me really see her. Her golden hair shone, falling down over her shoulders. Her facial piercings disappeared, her eyes as vivid and blue as mine had ever been, just more almond-shaped. Not for the first time, I wondered about her mother; who she’d been, if she was still alive, or if she’d been sold off by my father. Sophie smiled, and my whole being relaxed as light and warmth flooded me, easing my fears. I knew this was my sister’s influence. Just like I could use Prime’s power to influence the mood of others, so, it seemed, could Sophie.

“And she will come back to you. Have faith in her. But, yeah, maybe use a bit more patience than you did last night.” She grinned and winked.

I smirked but couldn’t hide my guilt. “You heard that?”

“Ha, I think the whole compound heard her scream, brother.”

Someone coughed quietly. I’d heard Drake approach, even though one ear was trained on Ember’s steady breaths as she slept, but part of me wanted him to see Sophie, really see her, not just the version she put out to the rest of the world.

She scowled at me. I grinned and shrugged.

Drake blinked and shook his head as Sophie put her glamour back in place.

“Everything alright here, brother?” He asked, his brow furrowed as he watched Sophie clamber up off the floor without her usual grace.

“Yeah, as good as it can be.”

He nodded and held out a cup of coffee for me. “Here, thought you might need this.”

“Thanks, man. Could you sort out some food for Ember and me? Jed said she’s been sick a lot in the mornings, though, so nothing greasy.”

“Probably some dry toast and ginger tea would be best,” Sophie chimed in. “But what she really needs to keep her settled and comfortable is her mate by her side.”

We both looked at her in surprise. “Oh, for goodness sake. I may be an assassin, but I’m not heartless or clueless. Ginger is supposed to help with morning sickness, though I’ve no idea if it works. And one of the females who worked for my…” She inhaled sharply at her verbal slip up. She glanced at me, then back at Drake. “Withme once, years ago, told me when a female is suffering, the bond with her mate can soothe her.”

“Of course,” rumbled Drake and me together. But I was convinced he hadn’t known that any more than I had. We exchanged a look and a shrug. Neither of us had been near a pregnant female who’d had a mate.

“Sophie, would you send Owen and my brothers to me? I need to sort out a plan for Manivera.”

“I will.” Sophie walked quickly away, her black leather trousers and fae armoured top hugging her trim figure, which I noticed Drake was having a hard time pulling his gaze from.

Drake coughed, clearing his throat. “I’ll go and sort you both some food,” he managed to say before he strode after my sister.

Silence settled. My mate still slept. Her breathing remained steady and deep on the other side of the door, and I let it soothe me as much as I hoped I could soothe her.

Chapter 10

Ember

I awoke slowly,my whole body relaxed and at ease. I hadn't slept so well for as long as I could remember. Granted, that was only a few weeks, but even so… I bit my bottom lip. Was it the earth-shattering, no-touch orgasm that I'd had the night before? Or the man that I sensed outside my door who'd eased my mind enough to sleep? Something about him settled me, took away my headaches, and filled that empty ache in my chest. Turning my head, I stared at the door. I could stillfeelhim on the other side. Deep voices resonated in the hallway. If I strained my ears, I could even pick up the occasional word or phrase.

...Take the Halo… Manivera will pay but… The count will ….vampires on our side… You are the King…

I swallowed hard. Why were they talking about vampires? A count? A king? What the hell? I mean I’d heard the news, well, I’d read the subtitles, I couldn’t speak more than a few words of Italian. I knew that supernaturals lived in our world; that they existed. What I didn’t get was why they were discussing them like they were part of that supernatural world. I’d gathered that the supernaturals were bound by a different set of rules than humans, that they were ruled over by a powerful organisation called the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation. I’d even asked Jed about it before, but he’d not told me anything that I hadn’t heard on the news, so I’d let it go. But if the SBI ruled the supernatural community, then who was thisking? Had Rex done something to anger a supernatural king? I frowned, thinking about both Jed’s and Connor’s words from yesterday. If Rex Manivera was not my father, why the fuck had he kept me in his house pretending I was his daughter?

My bladder didn’t give me any time to contemplate all my questions. Rushing to the bathroom, I shut the door and relieved myself. My body felt stronger than it had since the accident. I didn’t want to think too deeply about why I felt this way, but I knew I didn’t want to look like a hot mess when I saw my drop-dead gorgeous captor for breakfast. Besides, a shower was a good way to start what was sure to be a very strange day. I reached in and switched it on. My mind was clearer, my heart not as heavy, but the memory of ‘my father’ unconscious on the floor made my stomach twist. He’d seemed so powerful, with his army and his money, and his business, but not just that, he’d always maintained distance, which gave him an air of authority. I huffed.There is always someone more powerful and more ruthless than the most powerful and the most ruthless.

Water cascaded over my red hair and down my back. I still didn't know what to believe about Connor and Jed. Jed had lied to me, and explosive orgasms and tingly warm feelings aside, I didn't know Connor. I switched off the flow of hot water and stepped out. I was drying myself when there was a knock at the bedroom door. My heart rate spiked, and I took a deep breath. I could do this; I could face the stranger who told me I was everything to him, the one I remembered nothing about; the man I had totally lost control with the night before. It occurred to me he hadn't needed to knock; he could easily force his way in and put me at an instant disadvantage. But he hadn't.

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