Page 36 of Pack Rage
“He’s as much a part of my soul as Finnick, or Glen. I’m not certain they have any cause to rejoice at the connection with me, but I know precisely how little I deserve to be called their brother. I do not regret giving my power to them.” I glanced at him. “Or to you, when you had need.”Brand grumbled a thanks, and I went on. “The scar on Flor’s chest was formed in the womb; I am certain of that. A witch—perhaps Elina, more likely her coven leader—used a spell to break a mate bond on the mother.”
“Lily.”
“Yes. And when the witch discovered there were two souls standing against her… I assume she died. But not before Flor was injured.”
“She could have died then.”
“Could she have?” I met his eyes, and recognized the moon’s power in them again. “I believe the moon has Her ways. I believe our little queen was tethered to this world with the five points of that star, with the same magic I see in your face now. And I hope that the moon’s guiding all of our steps. Even those of us who live in the darkness.” I exhaled slowly.“It doesn’t matter who her intended mates were. She may have been destined to have one, or even two. We should just thank the moon that she was born requiring five.”
Brand opened his mouth to say something, but a sound in the hallway had us quieting. Boots moved down the hallway, though no one entered.
“The full moon is tomorrow night,” I mused quietly. “I don’t have enough power yet to face Elina on my own.”
Brand hesitated, then offered, “I will fight beside you, if you teach me how to face a witch.”
I shook my head immediately. “She has a connection to you through that mark, which exposes our little queen to danger aswell. I am the only one unbound. The only one who can be sacrificed if need be.”
“She won’t like that,” he muttered. “For some reason, Flor wants you to be… hers.” He wrinkled his nose and for a moment, looked like a small boy taking a bite of some bitter vegetable. I stifled yet another smile. What was it about my queen’s mates that made my pitch-black spirit feel so much brighter?
“I cannot teach you how to face a witch. But I can face her for you, for Flor. For my little brothers.” I sighed. “If I had the strength. I can hardly sit upright.”
“Blood, Finn said. You can feed from the moon, pain, and blood.”
“And electricity, among other things. There isn’t enough power in these walls, I’m afraid, and pulling it out is tiring.” Before he could offer, I hurried on. “And I won’t take your blood, Brand. You’ll need your strength as well.”
He took a breath as if he was going to speak, then let it out and looked to one side, rubbing his brow. “I can’t,” he murmured. “I can’t do it.” He slumped down on the floor, and I let my own weight fall on the wall, both of us lost in our thoughts. Not a moment later, though, we both sat up straight, as if we’d been shocked, or stabbed.
His white eyes met mine in horror. “She’s here.”
Chapter 17
An Unexpected Bond
BRAND
The quiet hours of the long day I’d spent learning about Grigor vanished in a second of panic. She washere, the last place I ever wanted my wildflower to be discovered.
And she would be, I had no doubt. The Eastern Mansion was still on lockdown, and that meant dozens of armed Enforcers on alert both inside and out. Aidan might be an evil Alpha, but he was a thorough, paranoid one, and his shifters were well trained.
I’d been keeping my bond with Flor closed down to make certain Elina’s slight drain didn’t affect her, so I hadn’t dared to reach for her with my mind and read her thoughts. The only way I would be able to sense her would be if she were so close…
“She’s touching an exterior wall. Sleeping, I think. Her mind is quiet.” Grigor had risen to standing and had a hand pressed as close to the air circulation holes as he could reach. He had his eyes closed and moved his fingers in a small circle on the concrete, like he was picking a lock. “She’s no more than a few hundred feet away.”
“Why the hell is shehere?” My wolf was enraged that we couldn’t get out of the cell to rush to Flor’s side. I was horrified.But as he lowered himself calmly to the floor again, Grigor didn’t appear concerned.
When he lifted his head, I realized I’d been wrong. He was shaken to the core, his eyes filled with fiery sparks. “She’s here to save us. We don’t have time to gather our strength. When she wakes, she’ll come inside. She may be waiting for nighttime.” He glanced at the door as if considering going to open it, then raised his hands, which were trembling with weakness.
“Pain,” I gritted out. “You can feed on pain. How?”
He blinked at me, his jaw dropping open. “If you think for one second that I’ll harm you,” he began, but I’d already let a claw shift, and ran it down my right arm, holding it up.
“How much pain do you need?” I demanded. I had silver on, and I twisted so it burned my wrists. The silver hissed and spat as my blood dripped down onto it. “We have to get out,now.”
“Stop!” He cursed in some languages I didn’t know, including one that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, then held out his hand. I gave him my arm, but instead of licking the blood—or however something like him fed—he pressed his fingers over the wound. A warm flush permeated the skin, and when he dropped his hand, I was healed. And he was even weaker.
Well, shit.“Don’t you want to go to her? Do you even love her?”
“Do you? I would burn the earth to a cinder for her.”
