Page 52 of Reign

I turned on him. “Anything else, Beta?” I snarled, getting up in his face. Owen didn’t step away; he merely smirked at me. Yeah, he knew what I was after.

“You know what, Prime? Yeah, there is. We all told you that you needed to be honest with her and tell her about the baby. Even your mother did. Tyen knew this was coming, and so did we. Youshouldhave told her. I understand why you didn’t, but you should have.” His voice softened a little. “She just needs some time to think, that’s all, then she’ll be back. She loves you, brother, just the same as you love her.”

I didn’t like having my fuck ups pointed out so bluntly, despite the fact that he was right. I hadn’t wanted to address the baby with Ember for fear that she would shut down completely, or panic and run away, or even tell me that she didn’t want it. I’d known I’d have to tell her, and soon, but I’d hoped her memory would return first. Shit, I hadn’t known how she would cope with the knowledge she was going to be a mum when she didn’t even remember us surviving her heat together.

Knowing I’d fucked up didn’t help my temper any, though.

I hit out, my fist smashing into Owen’s face. “Anything else you wanna say, Beta?”

He spat blood on the floor and cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. “Yeah, did you for one second believe that shit Rex spouted about him or Jed being the father?”

“No.” But Ihaddoubted. Mother Wolf, for that split second, when Ember asked if the baby was mine, I’d remembered Rex’s words, and the image of my beloved mate naked with him or Jed rutting on her, using her body, had made me so furious that I hadn’t been able to speak.

I roared and hit out again, Prime as furious with me as I was with myself. The scent of that baby was mine as much as Ember was. I should never have let my bastard of a father sow any doubt in me whatsoever.

Owen was waiting this time. He blocked my punch and smashed me back. I relished the pain. It felt good.

“More!” I roared, locking my gaze on Stone and Myles. They both grinned. Yeah, they were all strong, strong enough to be alphas in their own right, but none of them alone could best me, not even Owen. They’d give me what I needed, though, which was an outlet for my fury and frustration and a distraction from my fear of what had become of Ember. Of how she was surviving in the city on her own with no money, food or shelter.

Stone attacked first; his speed fast enough a human wouldn't have seen him move, even a shifter would struggle, but a king…? I grinned and punched him in the belly before I landed one on his jaw. Myles jumped in, but I called on my shadow, melting in and out of existence. Drake and Kawan arrived late, their howls mixing with ours. Under my command, they all shifted, and we fought as wolves. Rawson watched from the sidelines. Yeah, he knew better than to get involved in our fights. He’d avoid it. He was an alpha, and he was strong, but he’d always avoided unnecessary violence, even in the prison. And I wanted him to watch Jed. That fucker would help me find Ember, and when we did, I’d make him reassure her that he and Rex hadn’t used her body.

Claws and teeth tore at me. I could stop them all with a thought, but I wanted to feel something other than my raging guilt at pushing Ember away. I’d hurt her so badly, and even though I couldn’t admit it to my pack, I was lost without her by my side. And this time, she hadn’t been taken. This time it was all on me.

Another deeper roar joined the wolves around me. I snarled and pushed Prime more to the fore until the King of Shifters was tall enough to stand. I homed in on Jed. His gorilla growled, showing his fangs, his eyes glinting, his heavy brow dipped. I grinned, showing my own teeth. The fury and fear that was in my eyes? I saw it reflected in his. He wanted this fight as much as I did. He was in love with my mate, and maybe I couldn’t blame him for that, but he had taken her from me. He had started all of this, along with Rex. And I deeply blamed him for that.

He charged towards me, and there was no way I could stop him, so I used his momentum. Ducking my shoulders, I rammed his stomach and flipped him up and over my back. He landed with a huge crash but rolled back to his feet. He lashed out, and I let his fist connect right before I slammed mine into his ribs. He grunted and fell to his knees.

Owen shifted back. “Prime! Stop! You have to stop! If you still doubt you’re the father, then ask him! He fucking loves her, Connor. He gave up everything for her, to give her what she needed—which is you! You can’t let this go on. Being without her again is killing you.”

I twisted my huge torso, and snarled down at Owen’s half naked form. He could shift with clothes now but his chest and back were cut and bruised and bleeding. He’d heal quickly. He was too powerful not to, but I knew from experience, clothes rubbing against the wounds we’d inflicted would be a bitch.

“Dammit, Connor. Fucking listen! You know she was with you and only you during her mating season, her heat. You know the chances of a female conceiving in between heats is little to nothing. So even if they did rape her, she would already have been pregnant with your child!”

I lost my mind at hearing that word. Rape. My gut burned hot, as hot as the Hellfire in my veins. Fury roared through me, and my skin split as power boiled through my veins—Hell-beast, wolf, human and shadow fae, we all burst through as one powerful nightmarish creature.

Jed released a bellow from deep in his huge chest, his eyes focused on me. I knew that look. He wanted to kick my ass for letting my mate go. He’d wanted her safe with me, and I’d been the one to drive her away. Maybe I deserved his wrath as much as he deserved mine, but I was still King of the Shifters, and he did not get to punish me.

“Oh shit!” Owen jumped out of the way just before Jed crashed right into me. I didn’t fall. I merely wrapped my arms around him and let his momentum push me backwards, my clawed feet ripping through the ground. He pushed away, swinging furiously. His punches hurt, but I refused to punch back. Instead, I grabbed his throat and used my power to help me lift him from the ground. Jed’s eyes widened.

Shift back.I commanded.I will not fight you—today

Jed couldn’t deny my compulsion. He shifted. I lowered him to his feet. He stood naked and panting, his face murderous, though he wasn’t stupid enough to hold my gaze. “Where is she? What did you do that has you so fucked up and her not at the compound?”

All of my brothers shifted. All decided on combat trousers and no tops, their torsos cut up and bleeding but already healing. I shifted, fully clothed and healed. I ignored his question, countering instead with the one that had been eating away at me. “Did you or Rex rape her before you took her memories?” Around us, the sounds of the city hardly registered, but Jed’s surprise did.

“Mother Wolf, Prime. I know I’m not an angel, but I have never, and would never inflict that kind of attack on anyone, least of all Ember.”

Prime rumbled, pretty sure he was telling the truth.

“He speaks truly,” said B’Nar, who appeared from nowhere and studied both me and Jed.

I nodded my thanks. B’nar was as good at reading emotions as he was a warrior. I wondered what he made of mine. I was a damned mess in my head and heart.

Jed crossed his big arms over his chest, his eyes narrowed and assessing. I refused to let him see the guilt that ate at me for believing anything that had spewed from Rex’s mouth.

“Where the fuck has this come from, and why has Ember bolted?”

“Rex. We caught him, or rather Balthazar held him for us. I killed him.”

---