Page 54 of Pain

No doubt if we did get attacked, the bear would blame me.

We drove for an hour in agonizing silence. Omaera stared out the window at the unvarying landscape of depressing red dirt, and I gripped the steering wheel like it was going to spontaneously fly off at any minute.

My mind raced, my foot was seemingly made of lead, and before I knew it, we were going at a speed I could tell terrified my mate. I knew that it did, because her hand slowly slid to my thigh and she gave me a gentle squeeze. I met her gaze, and she smiled back at me right before an overwhelming sense of calmness filled me.

She was filling my mind withgoodthoughts. With thoughts of us. With thoughts of our future. With silent reassurance that no matter who my parents might be, deep down, she knew I wasn’t like them and never would be. “Easy,” she said softly. “I can read your emotions now too, Sparky. It’s going to be okay.”

With a swallow, I eased my foot off the accelerator a little and let go of the steering wheel so that my knuckles were no longer white. The bear released a noticeable exhale of relief in the back, but I didn’t bite.

She kept her hand on my thigh, continuing to send peaceful images and silent affirmations to me. With her other hand, however, she was busy playing with theflames she’d recently learned how to conjure. Now that we were mate-bonded, she was slowly developing some of my powers.

Much like I enjoyed letting flames dance along my fingers as a way to entertain but also relax myself, my mate was doing the same.

She gasped. “Look! I’ve finally managed to make the flames rainbow.” She was so freaking pleased with herself. She didn’t need to send any happy thoughts into me. I had them all on my own. Seeing her delighted in such a way brought me unimaginable joy. She’d been working on the rainbow flames for a few days now. Ever since the first time she managed to snap her fingers and get more than just a tiny spark.

The little colorful flames bounced along her knuckles as she wiggled her fingers like she was playing a piano. “This is so freaking cool.”

The bear growled.

She spun in her seat. “Just because I mate-bonded with Maxar doesn’t mean I’m any less bonded with you, Pooh Bear. That’s not how this works. I can feel your jealousy.”

He grunted. “Not jealous.”

Smiling and rolling her eyes, she faced forward again, snapping her fingers again to make a new flame ignite.

I glanced in the rearview mirror at Drak, who simply stared helplessly out the window. He’d retreated so much into his own head. A part of me was worried if he’d ever make it out again. He was a cold-blooded being. So being in Hell wasn’t doing him any good, but everything else going on in his head was fucking with him too.

With her hand on my thigh for the rest of the drive, it was as if she had placed a block in my brain to keep me from worrying about what was going to happen when we arrived at the prison.

Was that even possible?

Maybe for the Demon Queen with two bonded mates. It seemed like anything was possible for Omaera at this point.

With the sun high overhead in the sky trying to boil our brains in our skulls, we reached the enormous gate for Helltower Penitentiary, themassive, black brick building looming behind it like a shadow waiting to consume us all in its darkness.

There was a guard at the gate like there was at any prison. An ugly demon with terribly greasy hair, a wart on his left eyelid, and two fingers missing on his right hand. He sneered at me when I pulled up to his little box and rolled down my window. “Maxar Rane. Here to see Gwinn and Nulon Rane, please.”

“And who are the rest?”

“I’m his mate,” Omaera said, giving my thigh another squeeze while smiling at the guard.

The guard glanced into the back of the truck. “And these two ugly fuckers?”

My lip twitched only slightly.

Zandren growled.

Drak retracted his window, his voice even, almost bored. “Lord Drak Ferrin. Nephew of Quintella Volmark.”

The guard stiffened, and his shoulders went back. The gate opened immediately.

“Thank you very much,” Omaera said, grinning and giving the guard a wave which seemed to make him choke on his own spit in surprise. “Does this mean you’re going to see your aunt?” Omaera asked Drak as we pulled through.

“No,” Drak said softly. “As far as he knows, I’m still part of Howar’s court. You can’t deny a member of the royal court entry. And we’re trying to keep a low profile for you.”

And sharing Zandren’s name wouldn’t have helped since shifters weren’t imprisoned in Hell.

“Will this tell Howar that we’re still alive?” Omaera asked as I found the parking lot and a space.

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