Page 36 of Reign

I huffed a laugh. “Maybe, but not yet. Let’s give her some time to remember us all.”

“Is there no other way to help her memories come back?” Reed looked at Jed.

Jed sighed and leaned his head back. “Not that I know of.”

“Fine, for now, we keep her in the compound and treat her with kid gloves. No one lets her fight or go out alone. She’s my mate, and she’s carrying my child. And for Mother Wolf’s sake, remember to keep that to yourselves.”

There was a general murmur of agreement. Even Jed nodded.

“Good. When we get back, I’ll get an update from Lance, Ava, and Alex, and we’ll come up with a strategy for dealing with the demons and the Rift without Ember.”

Their faces tightened. Yeah, I didn’t know of a way to shut the Rift without Ember’s phoenix either.

I walked down the aisle and towards the cabin where Ember slept.

“Hang on a mo’.” Sophie stopped next to me and lowered her voice. “I might know of a way to get Ember’s memories back.”

I looked at her with my brows raised.

She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “Balthazar.”

“Shit,” I muttered. It didn’t surprise me. As one of the most ancient vampires, he had mind tricks and magic not many supernaturals would understand. But he’d need her blood, and he was never getting his hands on that. She was mine, and I would never allow another being near enough to her to bite her. I growled.

“Connor, if you want her back, at least consider it. He might be your only option.”

I ground my jaw but nodded. “We’ll wait and see if she comes back to us without him first. I might need his army and his help, but I sure as shit don’t want him messing around inside Ember’s head.”

Chapter 13

Ember

Connorand I travelled from the private airstrip in the back of a new Range Rover. Owen sat in the front passenger seat, and the guy called Drake drove us. They didn’t speak much, though the silence was not uncomfortable. The radio played in the background, providing a welcome distraction. I tried to watch the rain-soaked countryside pass by, but my mind constantly went to all I’d learned in the last forty-eight hours. It was hard to understand what it meant to be a shifter. Connor had reassured me, and I trusted him when he said I shouldn’t worry about it for now. Once the drugs wore off, if I felt my wolf pushing through, he would be there to help me. I swallowed, trying to control my fear of that unknown.

My attention slid to Connor. I couldn’t help it. His presence overwhelmed me inside this confined space. All I wanted was to crawl into his lap and wrap my arms around him. His scent was driving me mad, and whenever I touched him, my anxiety settled. I snuck a look at his neck. Two white scars peeked over the collar of his button-down shirt, and though I had no idea what they were, they turned me on each time I saw them. I shivered and ran my tongue over the tip of my canine, sure it was longer and sharper than usual.

He glanced at me and smiled, though I could tell his thoughts were elsewhere. “You okay?”

I nodded. He’d been nothing but attentive since Valentina had cut me. He reached out and pulled the neck of my sweater aside to check my wound dressing. My chest tightened as his fingers brushed my skin and gently peeled the tape away. “It looks fine. You’ll be healed by tonight. It’s just taking a bit longer than usual.”

“It is?”

“Yes. Those drugs Rex and Jed gave you have suppressed your wolf. It will take time before Mea can heal you.”

“That’s her name? Mea?” He nodded. “What about the phoenix part of me?” I wanted to know more. It was still a lot to get my head around, but I needed to understand.

Connor sat back and studied me. “I don’t know. When you were a young girl, you used to burn, as in setting on fire, when you were really upset, or you felt threatened. But that settled as you got older. You told me recently that Fire, your phoenix, only appeared when your life was ebbing away. Or, that was the case until you were taken to Faerie where the High King and his son, B’nar….”

“The one with the blue hair, right?”

He grinned. “Yeah, that’s him. They helped you learn to control your phoenix, so maybe she’ll return when your wolf does, or maybe you’ll have to learn how to call her all over again. Either way, we’ll figure it out together.”

I nodded and bit my lip, staring at the passing countryside. “Do you think I’ll ever get my memories back?” My voice was quieter than I liked. I needed to be stronger about this. Yes, I’d had my life stolen from me, but I had it back now. It was up to me to learn who I was, to find my own way through this shit show.

Connor leaned forward and took my hands in his. “I really do. We are your family, your pack; we’ll find a way to help you remember.”

I offered him a small smile and gripped his hands back. I may not know him, but this felt right. He looked at our clasped hands and swallowed, closing his eyes like he was in pain.

My gut twisted, my eyes burning, not for me, but him. Not once had I considered how hard this must be for him. I’d been his mate, his partner, and he’d lost me. It was obvious he’d loved me enough to hunt me down, only to find out that I had no idea who he was anymore. It must be heartbreaking for him. On impulse, I scooted closer. His huge body stiffened, until I looked up and gave him a cheeky smile. “This okay?”

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