Page 34 of Reign of the Beast

Ryker glared up at Jaxon. “Go!” he bellowed. “Get out of here now! Both of you!”

“Ry, I had to,” Jaxon started.

“I know, all right? Just go. Get to the farthest corner of the house! Your blood—both of yours—he can smell it.”

“What? How?” I asked.

Ryker looked at me, his expression grave. “You’re weak, soyourveil has fallen. And now, that ringing you heard? That was Cornelius' backup veil surrounding the both of you falling. As you know, Immortal blood makes vampires rabid. So, go! Get away from him until I can find a way to help him deal with it.”

I heard the urgency, the desperation in Ryker’s voice, but I couldn’t seem to move a muscle.

My father’s veil had fallen?

The block he’d erected between me and Jaxon had too.

It could only mean one thing.

“He’s dead, isn’t he? That’s how you found me, yes? His magic fell and it’s begun to fall all over now too, hasn’t it?”

“Draco took him two weeks ago.”

“Oh my God.”

Lucian snarled all of a sudden and fought against his wound to get up.

“Shit. Go, fucking now!” Ryker yelled. “Get her out of here, Jax.”

With a burst of speed, Jaxon was on me, hauling me into his arms. “Come on, princess. It’s all going to be okay,” he whispered in my ear.

I couldn’t respond. I barely even acknowledged what he was saying.

I felt him carrying me through the house, but it was all basically a blur as my thoughts consumed me.

My father had been captured by Draco.

He could be dead.

And I’d had no idea.

God.It was all my fault.

If I hadn’t taken off and hidden myself away like a coward, I could’ve stopped it.

I should’ve followed his orders immediately and fulfilled his Covenant plan.

Now Draco had him, he’d murdered Jaxon’s pack, and hell knew who else.

“I’ve got you, babe,” I heard Jaxon telling me.

“Thank you,”I murmured tiredly as Jaxon laid me down on a bed in one of the rooms farthest from Lucian’s current location.

“For what?” he asked, settling himself on the edge.

“Saving me from having my blood drained by a rabid vampire, for one.” Groaning, I shifted into a more comfortable position, something incredibly difficult to do considering the extent of my wounds. “Trying to protect me from Draco.” I smiled. “And for not hating me for disappearing like Ryker does.”

“Yeah, well. I know all about what happened at the Maven Coven. Figured you needed time to get past it. You nearly fucking died.”

The pain in his voice cut at me. I reached out and grasped his hand. He started at my touch. “What is it?” I asked him.

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