Page 49 of Reign

She grinned and shook her head, making a zip over her lips.

I rolled my eyes but grinned. “Killjoy.” My throat was as dry as a bone, so instead of bitching more, I took a big swallow. “Mmm.” No matter how much fitter I’d gotten recently, my legs were still shaking after our run through the dark streets. I smiled, thinking about my mate’s hands and mouth on me...Yeah, sex on top of the training regimen Connor insisted on me doing every day definitely hadsomebenefits—fitness was only one.

Sophie nudged me with her elbow. “Hey, that guy over there’s been eye-fucking you since he got to the bar.”

Grinning, I peered over my shoulder at the big male. He sat on a barstool staring right at me. Jeez, did all supernatural men, males, whatever, have to be so damn hot? He had a close-cropped beard and shoulder-length hair streaked with a little grey, which only made him hotter. Lines etched the strong planes of his face, and his brow was heavy. It dipped down a little as I held his gaze. If anything, he looked confused, not lustful.

I downed my coke, for some reason uncomfortable with his regard. Hefeltfamiliar, though he definitely wasn’t one of Connor’s...I shook my head...ourpack.

“That’s not eye-fucking, Sophie.” And it really wasn’t. The male’s jaw tensed, and his fingers turned white on his beer bottle.

“What is it then?” Sophie asked, turning and cocking her head in the male’s direction. “‘Cause he sure looks like he’s fascinated with you.”

“No idea.” I turned away, discounting the male, and grinned at Sophie. “Ignore him. I’m going to pee. That coke’s gone right through me. Then let’s go dance!”

She giggled at my enthusiasm. “I’ll come with you.”

“Nope. No, you won’t. I can get myself to the bathroom without supervision, even in here.”

Sophie raised a brow. “What about your stalker?”

I grinned and glanced at the other end of the bar. “I wasn’t that fascinating. Look. He’s gone.”

“Fine. Go on then. I’ll wait here in case Connor comes back and freaks when he can’t find you.”

Thankfully the bathrooms were near our end of the bar. I could even see Drake as I walked past the entrance to the Count’s offices and back rooms. He raised his hand, and I smiled back. He was a nice guy, except he sometimes seemed hard on Sophie. I wasn’t sure why other than I’d discovered she hadn’t been in the pack that long and already had Connor’s ear. Jealousy tightened my gut, but I pushed it away. Connor was mine. I was the one he slept next to and made love to every night, and every morning, and whenever else we could fit it in.

Grinning to myself, I turned into the small corridor that led to the bathrooms, happily distracted by thoughts of Connor’s naked body. I screeched when a large hand landed on my shoulder and spun me around with such force I stumbled.

“Ember?” rumbled a deep voice.

Instinctively, I let my fist fly...right into the stranger's jaw. He didn’t even flinch.

Shit!

“Ember, stop! I’m not going to hurt you.” He grabbed my hand like it was the most normal thing in the world and pulled me towards the dark end of the corridor.

“Come on. We need to talk.”

“Oh, no, we really don’t. One, I have no fucking idea who you are, and two, things are going to get messy real soon if you don’t let me go and pee.”

“No. We need to talk. Now!” He growled, his voice deepening. “I’ve only just found you. I thought you weredead. So no, I’m not letting you go. Zander got me out of that shithole of a prison, but it was Walker who found me and got me back to London. He ordered me to watch the new Rift.”

He dragged me further down the corridor, and even calling on Mea wasn’t enough to stop him.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, just let me go…” And I dug my heels in the floor.

He halted and looked sideways at me. “Stop messing about, Em.” He ran his other hand through his long hair, and his eyes changed colour. Power seeped into the air along with the acrid scent of frustration—and grief. “I thought you were dead, just like Lyss.” His face twisted and his voice broke as he pulled me into a tight embrace.

Okay. That was enough. I kneed him in the balls and ran. There was a fire door at the end of the corridor. Was that where he’d been taking me? Was he trying to kidnap me?Shit.I rammed through it and burst into the alley beyond.Outside of the club, I was totally alone.Damn! Bad idea, Ember.Okay, all I had to do was avoid the guy until Connor came. I wasn’t sure how our bond worked, but I tugged on the tight feeling in my chest that I always got when I wasn’t with Connor and felt a faint pulse in reply. My chest squeezed, and my breath caught. I hadn’t even thought about using this connection before. Would he realise I needed help? “Dammit, Connor. Where are you?”

Mea howled, reaching out for Prime. There was another tug. This time it was harder. Mea sent me a pulse of reassurance.They are coming.

Not wanting to wait around to see who found me first, I took off into the darkness.

“Stop!” roared a voice that sounded anything but human now. Power rippled over me.

I looked over my shoulder. Big mistake! A huge Kodiak bear lumbered after me, getting closer with every stride.

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