Page 53 of Reign

“Good. But what did the bastard say that’s driven Ember away?”

I ground my teeth together. “He told me that both he and you raped Ember repeatedly before he took her memories.”

“What!?” roared Jed, his silverback pushing against his skin. He panted and fought for control. “That fucker!” he bit out as he took back control of his emotions. He raised his gaze, but kept it slightly below meeting mine. “No, Prime, no one laid a hand on her because I wouldn’t let them. Not only that, the night we took her, she woke from the drugs, and she fought. Fuck me, if she wasn’t the firecracker you’ve named her. I was flying the helicopter, and Rex and his men were in the back with her. She killed two of them before Rex managed to hit her over the head with a fire extinguisher. When she woke up in the cell under his home, he’d dressed it as a hospital. When we knew she’d live, he began giving her the drugs which locked her wolf away, just like I’ve told you before. I was with her most days, Connor. No one touched her.”

“Except you.” I couldn’t help the bitterness in my voice.

Jed swallowed and looked down. “I won’t apologise for that.” He put his hands on his hips and tipped his head back, looking at the city stained night sky and released a heavy breath. “I started falling for her way before we took her from you. I knew she’d never return my feelings, and she never did, not even when she believed I was her fiance. She always looked so sad, as if she was missing her heart and soul. The more time I was with her, the more I fell for her, and the more I knew I’d never let Rex hurt her. I’d already begun trying to find you when my informant in the town told me of the arrival of a group of alpha shifters. I knew it was you. You’d come to take her back, and that was the best thing for her. She was already pregnant, Connor. You are the father of that baby, not me, and certainly not Rex fucking Manivera. He played you. He couldn’t destroy you physically, so he sent his rotten words to eat at your soul and destroy your bond with Ember.” He raised his gaze, and I let him meet my eyes. “And he succeeded. Your mate is out there, alone, confused about who she is, maybe even whose baby she is carrying.”

I released a low growl. He didn’t need to remind me how badly I’d fucked up. “I told her it was mine,” I snapped. “But, yeah, she’s fucking angry with me and everyone else, including you, because none of us told her about the baby. She’s lost her trust in all of us, but mostly me. Now, I have to find her and work at earning it back.”

Jed didn't look away. He had balls. I’d give him that.

“So what the fuck are you going to do about it, Prime?”

I looked at my brothers. “Owen, Jed, you’re with me. Stone, get back on the monitors and search every dark corner of this fucking city. We work in the shadows; let’s use them to find her. Drake?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you feel your alpha bond with her?”

“No, boss. Not since you claimed her.”

I swallowed down my relief that I was the only one connected to her that way, petty as it was when she needed to be found. I was hers, and she was mine, and that was how it should be.

“Then use that clever brain to figure out another way to track her.”

Drake grinned. “I have an idea.”

“Good, show me. I’ll meet you back at the compound.”

And I walked into the shadows.

Chapter 20

Ember

The camera moved smoothlyas its mechanism whirred. Once it had stopped, I darted out of my hiding place behind the metal fencing and ran across the road. My stomach rumbled, and even though nausea had dogged me since I’d left Connor, I was still starving. I’d waited outside a busy MacDonald’s until someone had chucked their half-eaten food in the bin and then grabbed it. My stomach both rumbled and turned at the memory of eating someone else's leftovers. But my choices were limited. I was weak and desperately needed to eat something for the sake of my baby, if nothing else.

My limbs were so heavy it had been hard to drag myself from my makeshift den in the old warehouse. Still, I’d needed some food before I could think clearly enough to decide about going back to Connor.

I grimaced as my own stink wafted up my nostrils. I also needed a bath. I’d let Connor find me soon. I’d just needed to get away for a little while. To have some space to think about what he’d done and how I felt about it. It still hurt that he’d lied to me, even if it was only by omission. It must be these damned hormones messing with me because one minute I was roaring with anger at him, and the next I missed him so badly I just wanted to curl in on myself, lay down, and let him find me.

My head pounded where I’d hit it, and I hadn’t slept a damned wink last night. Every time I’d closed my eyes, flashes of disjointed memories hit me. My brain was already overloaded with images and questions of my past life. I had kind of hoped my memories would fully return before I let Connor find me. I could feel his fear for me, and it was making my own anxiety about our baby worse. I had no idea about being an expectant mum, but I didn’t think hanging out in an old warehouse was the best thing for either of us. I laid my palm flat on my lower belly as I walked. I really did understand why he hadn’t told me. It would have been a shock. But was he questioning if this baby was his? I blinked rapidly, swallowing down a wave of disgust. Had I been raped? I shook my head. No, I didn’t believe that Jed would be that depraved. He wouldn’t have done that to me. Rex might have, but I didn’t think he’d have given me to Jed if he believed I could be pregnant with his child. That thought sent a shudder down my spine.

I blinked, my mind fuzzy from all the flashes of the past returning and the exhaustion that rolled through me. What was I going to do now? Mea growled.Yeah, right. Sorry. I’m going to let him find us.

Even this upset with him, the desire to go back to my mate was a strong pull, right in my soul. Covering my head with an old hoodie I’d found, I sped up towards the warehouse. Aeroplane lights flashed, and there was the shadow of one of those drone things flying overhead, but there were no stars. The city killed them.

The thought of seeing Connor again gave me butterflies. Still, I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere else but by his side.

I headed back towards the creepy abandoned warehouse, and slipped through the broken fence, jogging inside the dilapidated building. Immediately, goosebumps erupted over my skin, and a sense of evil invaded my bones. Mea bucked wildly against my skin. It was the first time I’d felt her do that. I gasped, but I knew that she couldn’t push through. Since my bump on the head last night, she’d been able to communicate with me properly. She’d told me that shifts were prevented by the Mother Wolf while a female was pregnant. I hadn’t shifted, or even had the urge to, because that part of me was suppressed by nature. Connor had known about that too, which was why he’d avoided talking to me about Mea. I rubbed my face and pushed my disappointment in him away. There was danger here. That was my priority.

Fire sent me a pulse of power, sensing my tension. I cocked my head, examining the shadows. Slowly, I turned on the spot, ignoring the returning thump of a headache. It was too late to run. With all my might, I yanked on my bond with Connor. The answering blast of relief and joy almost made me cry.

“Our master wants you.” A sinister voice chuckled.

I whirled around. A man stepped from the shadows, except no….he wasn’t a man, he was a demon. I’d felt their energy while I’d been hunting with Connor. It dawned on me how alone I really was. It had been stupid to stay out here with no mate, no pack, and no friends. That didn’t mean I’d go down without a fight. My nostrils flared. I had another soul to protect now, and I’d fight the Devil himself to protect her. I squared my shoulders and flexed my fingers. “Really?” I drawled. “Well, I’m expensive, so what’s he offering?”

---