Page 48 of Reign

Rex’s face paled, his mouth dropping open. It was fleeting, but that shock was unmistakable. His face hardened at the same time as his eyes did.

“You? You’re my son?” he jeered before a gleeful look crossed his face. “That woman, the phoenix. She was yours.” He laughed loudly. “You always were a weak little shit. You lost your woman to me. Fuck, you might not be small anymore, but you’re still that pathetic boy who couldn’t do anything right. Did Hawk tell you how he fucked her? How she screamed his name right before I took her memories….”

I wouldn’t show him how much fury was burning beneath my skin. Not yet. Jed had never touched her… I swallowed. He couldn’t have. He’d never have been able to hide it from me. It wasn’t true. I didn’t answer, just stared at him.

“Connor.” Owen’s voice held a warning. Yeah, we needed the Halo before I killed the fucker.

Rex grinned, his eyes wide, almost crazed. “She can’t tell you, can she, what he did? Because she doesn’t remember. Mm…She doesn’t remember my cock pounding into her either, does she? I wanted her pregnant with a child. It didn’t matter whose. Can you imagine how much an offspring of a phoenix is worth?” On and on he went. I didn’t say a word. I didn’t flinch or move. I just stared at him. Slowly he ran out of steam and stopped, panting hard.

Balthazar watched curiously but didn’t let go of Rex’s hair. I moved my gaze from Rex’s face to Balthazar’s grip. “Do you have the Halo?”

Balthazar hesitated, then nodded once.

“Then let him go.”

The Count raised his brows at my order but pulled his grip from Rex’s hair.

Rex cracked his neck. I met his glee filled gaze and smiled right before Prime burst through my skin. I allowed the piece of shit to get to his feet and take two steps towards me before I sent a wave of compulsion his way. He snarled, still fighting even in the face of the monster I had become. He had no chance against me, but he was too arrogant to believe he was weaker than the son he had beaten and humiliated. I was still that feeble little boy to him. He yelled and cursed but had no choice but to drop to his knees as his wolf succumbed to my greater power. I stalked closer, letting the fire that burned in my soul blaze in my eyes. With one claw, I slowly cut him open across his throat and watched as he bled out. “Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it...dad? Your weak, pathetic son is the King of all shifters.”

His gaze widened, panic entering his eyes as he tried to stop, his blood leaking out over the floor. And found he couldn’t move.

“The woman you raped and then sold—my mother, gave me the power of a shadow beast, and my wolf gave me the strength and ancient wisdom of the King of Hell-beasts. You were never stronger than me, Rex. And you will never be as cruel as I can be.” I cut a deep gash across his torso, watching as his guts slithered onto the floor. He coughed and choked on his own blood, his eyes wide and filled with pain.

“Mercy,” he gurgled.

I had none.

“Know this. Sophie is alive, and she is part of my pack.” I leaned in and rumbled in his ear. “I saw all of your records: how many of my siblings you pushed to break, how many women and children you tortured and killed with your struggle for more and more power. As your son, I will claim your money, and Sophie will help me fight the evil you intended to bring into this world with that Halo. And you? You will be gone. From this day on, neither of us will mention you again, nor will your name be uttered among my people. As far as anyone else is concerned, you never existed.”

I stood tall. Not for one moment did I look away. Rex’s death was just as he’d made life for so many people, full of pain and cruelty.

Chapter 18

Ember

“So?Are you going to get me a real drink now he’s gone?” I grinned at Sophie, who grinned back apologetically.

“You’re kidding, right? Connor’d kill me.”

I cocked my head, keeping my grin in place and hiding my irritation. Wouldn’t anyone stand up to him? “Aw, come on, Sophie. It’s been a tough few weeks, and I’d really love the burn of some alcohol right now.”

She laughed. “Gods, you're persistent, aren’t you?”

“Yep!” I put my back to the bar again and swayed my hips to the music, letting the beat vibrate into my bones. I’d been here before, and each time Connor had left me with a babysitter while he’d gone to talk to the Count, who I’d yet to meet. The last time he'd left me with Shannon, which had been fun, especially when I’d noticed Connor leaning against the bar after his meeting, watching me on the dance floor with heat in his eyes as I swayed. Stone had ground his teeth hard enough it looked like he might do himself an injury. Shannon had just pretended he wasn’t there, to the delight of the shifter she was flirting with.

While Connor and Stone had glared at all the other males, Shannon had pointed out some of the vampires and different supernaturals to me. All the supernaturals looked more or less human while they were in the club. She’d also explained why a few unfortunates were chained to poles, dancing as if they couldn’t stop, which they couldn’t, thanks to Balthazar’s compulsions.

While Sophie debated buying me alcohol, I watched as customers negotiated with Balthazar’s vamps for time with the bespelled prisoners. I was uncomfortable knowing they were being bought and paid for, but this wasn’t my domain. I knew nothing about this world, not really. Interfering in the Count’s business would piss Connor off big time and quite probably get me killed.

I’d no idea if I’d liked clubbing in my life before Rex, but no matter the weird clientele in here, I was enjoying it now. I leaned back with my elbows on the bar and moved my hips to the music. Sophie, the coward, ordered us two diet cokes. I rolled my eyes, sure the barman in a place full of demons, fae, shifters and other supernaturals didn’t get asked for soft drinks often.

“Here, that’s the best I can do, I’m afraid.” She pushed the cold glass into my hand.

“Thanks. But it’s not as if I can really get drunk,” I pointed out as I accepted the drink.

She grinned. “You can on the demon juice the Count sells in here. It's some lethal shit.”

I waggled my brows, my interest piqued. “You mean there’s some juju juice that we supernaturals can party with? Really?”

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