Page 13 of The Firebrand
Braelyn threw Rein an icy glare but tried to sound reasonable. “Let’s say I believe your story. Now what?”
At the moment, escape didn’t seem possible. If she was on Earth, she had no idea where she was. If she was on this fantastical Scath, she really had no idea where she was. For now, she would go along.
“Take me home.” Braelyn’s eyes misted.
Rein swallowed hard but shook his head. “Chay, get Malok to lock-up. I’ll give his jumper to the commander when I leave the female with him at the stronghold. Then I’ll visit Alarik. Find out how to break into her memory, wipe her, and send her Earthside. Or…”
That caught Braelyn’s attention. “Or what?”
Rein pulled his brows tight, eyes narrowing.
Chay broke the mood. “Okay, kiddies, this has been fun. Hey, man, I’m gonna drop off the fur ball and be on my way to the Shed afterward to throw back a shitload of shots. This is a fucking strange day.”
Rein stroked his chin, nodding.
“Oh!” Braelyn smacked her forehead. “I’m so sorry to be such a burden to you both. Did I make your day bad? How about mine? Fuck you both, very much.”
“You talk a lot.” Rein stiffened his spine as he advanced on Braelyn.
She raised a finger. “No. No. I am not going through that whirly stuff again. I lost my lunch the last time.”
“No whirly stuff when you travel around Scath or Darque,” said Chay. “Just between realms.”
“Hmm. But not the sack-of-potatoes thing either. I’m a little hysterical and set to do a Shelley Duvall fromThe Shining.”
Rein looked to Chay. “What’s that mean?”
“Movie. I doubt you’ve seen it.”
Rein’s predatory eyes morphed from ice blue to midnight. “Female, get something straight. For your health, be afraid of me. I am your worst nightmare.”
Not even close.Her worst nightmare was down the road when she would lay semi-comatose in a hospital bed plugged into tubes, riddled with pain that not even morphine could control, and dying from a cancer that turned her brain to cottage cheese.
The sharp, harsh bones of Rein’s face stood out, a startling contrast to the full softness of his lips. And his words were threatening. “You’ll do what I want, when I want, how I want. Now, shut up.” He snarled, his fangs gleaming points of light.
Braelyn stutter-stepped backward. Then she snapped. Her hazel irises sparked as she marched up to Rein, kicked dirt on his boots out of pure cussedness, tilted her head to glare at him, and poked a finger into his chest. “You kidnapped me. Took me to a world I didn’t even know existed. I’ve found there are creatures I thought were fantasies of crazy people. I’ve found out you’re one of them. I’m not in the mood to be afraid of you. Now, find a way to get me around that’s not over your shoulder. While you’re at it, stop trying to intimidate me with fangs. What are you going to do? Suck me dry? Just do it.”
It was Rein’s turn to step away while Chay snickered but quickly stifled a full-on laugh. The ylve tapped his wrist, disappearing along with the Kalli.
Nothing weird about that.
“Have it your way, human.” Rein stooped, slamming a bulging forearm under her ass, lifting her against him. He growled. “Hold on tight if you don’t want to fall.”
When she did, Rein planted a hand on her back, pressing her breasts into his hard pecs and weapons holster. “Nice fit. Is this more to your liking? Cuz I love it.”
Damn. Every time he touches me, I get hot and wet. And what’s with the sexy growling?
“You are so pissing me off.” Braelyn’s words were angry, but her body responded differently. Her cheek nestled against his shoulder as she took a deep whiff of manly musk and folded herself into the contours of his steely chest. Here, she knew nothing could harm her.
I am losing my ever-loving mind.
****
Silasprowled the corridor of a secret stockade where humans wasted away, cowering in quivering silence or weeping. His tall, silver-haired figure, marked with crazed, blood-red eyes, terrified the prisoners as he paced back and forth in front of their cell doors.
He loved this part of the job.
His half-brother Aisen ran alongside, trying to calm him with a touch or cautionary word, but Silas could not be distracted when the frenzy struck. Only one thing soothed him, a female rich with blood.
