Page 48 of Rising Reign

Stepping between them, I bared my teeth at Hera. “You tell a single soul, and I will end you. You try to sell her out, and I’ll make that end the most painful thing you can imagine.”

My hold on my control was fraying. All I could think about were the mounting threats. So many things circling. So many possibilities for danger. But if word got out that Wren was an empath? What we currently faced would feel like nothing.

Hera rolled her eyes. “Relax, Alpha. I mean her no harm.”

“And we’re going to need her,” Rhys said, still rubbing his neck. “The witch can help strengthen Wren’s gift.”

A different sort of energy crackled through the room. A second later, Rhys was flying through the air and landing in a heap against a pile of mats. Hera rubbed her fingers together. “Call me a witch again, and you’ll find yourself struggling to breathe.”

Rhys simply beamed up at her. “You know, I’m half in love with you.”

“I told you,” Hera ground out. “Not my type.”

“It can be an unrequited love,” Rhys said, leaning against the mats.

Hera let out a sound of disgust.

“Can we focus on what’s important?” Locke broke into their standoff. “How can Hera make Wren’s gift stronger?”

“I can’t,” Hera said, brushing herself off as if having her magic come into contact with Rhys had tainted it in some way.

I let out a low growl. “Someone explain.”

Rhys stood and gestured to Hera. “My lady.”

She snorted. “I can enchant herbs that will open Wren’s mind.”

That tidbit of information had Wren pushing to her feet. “Opening my mind just means I could get overloaded more quickly.”

Five growls lit the air. None of us was particularly happy about that possibility.

Hera held up a hand. “Wait. When your mind is open, so is your gift. You will be hit with more emotion, but you will also be able to reach more deeply within yourself to deal with it.”

Wren frowned as she mulled that over. “It could work.”

“No,” I clipped.

Wren bristled and sent me a scathing look. “Not your decision.”

“I am the alpha of this pack,” I shot back.

“And I’m not a member of this pack until Ender bites me, so I’m not under your rule.”

“The little vixen has a point,” Rhys singsonged as he glanced at Ender. “For once, your fear of commitment is coming through to help us.”

“Fuck off. Like you’re any better,” Ender snarled.

A headache began to gather at my temples, the mounting pressure making itself at home there. And not for the first time in the past few months, I wanted to deck Ender.

Wren tugged her lip between her teeth, worrying the corner of it.

“What is it?” Hera asked gently.

Wren’s gaze lifted to hers, and I saw so much uncertainty there. “I’ve spent my entire life trying to shove this gift down. I have layers upon layers of shields that my mother helped me create. I’ve only ever let myself open it in tiny slivers. I have no experience with letting it free.”

My back teeth ground together. “Because it could kill you.”

“Not helping,” Brix warned.