Page 46 of Pack Rage
“How’d you shift so fast?”
“I don’t know how.” I moved to the door, picking up an unfamiliar, discarded short sword on the way. I had a feeling I wouldn’t need it, though. “I mean, I bonded with Grigor?—”
“You did?” She spun around, her mouth open, and it was my turn to laugh.
“Not a mate bond,” I explained, but she was holding onto the edge of the table, one hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
“Yeah, that’s what he always says. Just a little bond here, just a connection. It’s not a mate bond, we’ll talk about that later,” she teased when she could talk again. “He’s got Luke and Glen and you, too. Brand better watch out.”
The energy I’d felt crested, and I jumped back just in time, sword raised. Inches away from me, the door flew open,slamming against the wall and leaving an enormous, dented line.
“Too late for that, wildflower.”
Chapter 22
Family Reunion
FLOR
“Bearman!” I ran across the cell, kicking scattered clothing and beer cans out of my way. My Mountain mate was dressed in a dirty collared shirt and a pair of equally filthy jeans, and no shoes. His beard and hair were wild, but not as wild as his eyes as he held up his arms to catch me when I leaped onto him, giving him a kiss almost as hot as the one I’d shared with Finnick a few seconds before.
Finnick muttered something about wanting to be climbed like a tree as well, but we ignored him. Brand held me out, examining me for injuries or something, until I kicked him, forcing him to let me down. “Are you hurt, little flower?”
“I’m fine. Not a mark on me,” I said. “Though I can’t say the same for you.” His sleeves were pushed up, showcasing two very obvious bite marks. “Looks like you’re a favorite chew toy, Bearman. Should I be jealous?”
He growled and lifted me back up, giving me a thorough, chastising kiss, and a soft swat on the bottom before he put me down. He nodded at Finnick, taking in the new scar on his neck, his silver eyes widening as they snagged on the bite mark I’d justgiven. “I could ask the same. Should I be jealous? You’ve given Finn two marks now.”
“Never. You were my first. And you gave me a lake. Hard to top that.” I wrapped an arm around his wide waist, or tried to. It almost seemed like Brand had grown bigger in his human form since he’d become Alpha. My own wolf purred in approval. More of him to love.
He leaned down and nuzzled my hair, breathing in my scent. “I wish I could take you there now. But I’m afraid we’re stuck down here.”
My heart raced. I hated feeling trapped. “Yeah, I heard the guards have silver weapons.”
“The lower-level guards aren’t a problem currently. But we can’t get out. Aidan has dozens of Enforcers at the only exits and, yes, they’re all armed with silver.” He sighed, then straightened and turned his head to the side. “Hello, Finn. I’m glad to see you’re still alive.”
“Same here, but sorry our plan didn’t work,” Finnick replied, standing. “Are you alone?”
Brand rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Ah, no. The little psycho’s still not at his best, so he’s having a snack in the hallway.”
The serial killer in question ambled through the door, licking what looked like blood off one of his thumbs. He shot an amused look at Brand. “Call me Grigor, brother. You can use my name now. After all, we’re mates—I mean,brothermates. Isn’t that what Glen calls us?” He was wearing a guard’s uniform that was only a little too big on him, the shirt still unbuttoned.
Brand grumbled something rude and tried to hold my hand to keep me from approaching Grigor, but I pressed a kiss to his wrist and pulled away. I’d been so worried about Grigor. I had to touch him, though the flickering sparks in his eyes had me wary.
He looked thinner than the last time I’d seen him, and he had marks from what had to be silver, all over him. Some of them were stripes, as if wire had been wrapped around him. Others were small and round, from tiny bullets or… nails? I peered at one in the middle of his cheek that obviously had been a puncture, but was healing quickly, the skin returning almost to normal as I watched.
“Hello, littlebehrserk,” Grigor half-purred, obviously not in any pain now, as I reached up to feel the healing skin.
“Hello, boogeyman,” I teased. My voice came out breathy as the familiar tingles started up from his touch. I could get addicted to those. “Where’d you get the uniform? Any chance it belonged to a guy with a black goatee?” I asked, slightly disappointed as he buttoned up the shirt, and trying not to blush at the lust in his dark eyes when he noticed.
“Did you know him?” He moved so close, I could feel the heat of his body in the air between us, and stroked my hair with the back of one bloody hand.
“I just knew he was down here.” I had to drop my gaze—though it might have been from embarrassment that I was getting turned on so fast—and noticed he’d misbuttoned the shirt. I took the excuse to touch him again, unbuttoning him halfway. The tiny divots in his skin went all the way down, and I touched each one lightly as I uncovered them, making a promise to return the insult to whoever had done this. Though Grigor may have already taken care of them. “Did you kill him?”
“No, I left him for dessert, my queen,” he murmured, halfway closing his eyes as my fingers brushed his chest. “He’s down the hallway. Tied up, of course. Why?”
Dessert?I wouldn’t ask. I finished buttoning him, taking my time, before I pulled away reluctantly. “He needs to die horribly.”
Grigor dropped back with one leg extended, doing some old, courtly bow. He murmured, “As my queen commands,” planted a soft kiss on my hand that gave me more electric shocks all up my arm, and raced back out the door.
