to go to hell. Lyss was able to manage Ember’s temper by persuading or manipulating her into doing what she wanted, rather than demanding it. I stared down at the mats, my hands resting on my hips. I missed Lyss and her calm and sweet nature. I sighed heavily, she hadn’t deserved to die, violently or otherwise. Someone had killed her and I’d find them eventually—or Rawson would.
My heart stopped, my breath getting stuck in my lungs when Ember walked in at Drake’s side. His choice of new recruits followed—and Shannon. Shannon glared at me before her attention moved to where Stone had his shirt off and was instructing a young male shifter in the ring nearest to her. I ignored her; my attention fixed on the woman who held my heart in a vice.
Ember’s gaze lifted and she looked right at me. She was too far away for me to see the green of her eyes, but I forced myself to release the breath I’d been holding. I couldn’t take my attention off her, absorbing the sight of her lithe yet strong body. I’d teased her once, not only about being skinny, but that she’d become a handful for any lover to deal with. Well, I was right. Ember was a stunning woman. Her torn vest top was knotted just under the generous swell of her breasts, baring a toned, flat stomach that flared into the gentle curve of her hips. She was perfection in a petite package. I allowed myself to study her closely, which wasn’t something I’d done so far. There was enough muscle on her arms and shoulders to tell me she’d not been working behind a desk for the past four years, even if I hadn’t already observed her skills as a fighter; and that tattoo on her right arm and hand was like nothing I’d seen before. It wasn’t especially pretty, but the vines were intricate and the thorns and blood vivid enough to look real from this distance. The thought that she might have been forced into serving a fae made me want to crush something. I doubted such a vibrant and detailed tattoo was done by any human.
Drake tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to an empty ring on the other side of the hall before he gestured to where two females fought each other. She shook her head and pointed to the women. Drake frowned, but nodded in agreement and glanced at me before walking off.
Ember’s gaze met mine and her smile slipped.
I cursed. In my haste to protect her, I’d ignored everything I knew about Ember. After what had happened to her as a little girl, fighting—even killing, to survive on the streets of London, she needed to feel like she was in control of her life, that she had a choice, even in this prison environment, and I’d not given her one. I inhaled deeply through my nostrils. Drake had been her choice. I swallowed hard and held her emerald stare as I prowled towards her, trying to keep all the shit that was bouncing around in my head, off my face as her brows drew together.
A Choice. Fine. If that’s what she wanted, that’s what I’d give her, but I was determined she’d eventually come to me. I’d use every asset in my arsenal to ensure she'd want to belong to me and my wolf, just as we'd always belonged to her.
Chapter 10
Ember
* * *
Connor stood right next to me. Heat from his body bathed my skin, and this close, his musky scent was too hard to ignore. Unable to help myself, I inhaled deeply. Controlling my heart rate was as impossible as dousing the lust that had my core clenching. My wolf pricked up her ears and stretched languidly even as my stomach flipped, and I tried to hide my reaction to his nearness.
“Do you know why you’re here?” His deep voice vibrated into my chest, touching all the right places.
I still didn’t look at him, instead I concentrated on the woman who fought a male in the ring next to me. “Other than you told Drake to have me here for training, no.” And I’d come willingly because I wanted to see if there was anything here I could use in my escape attempt. There was a moment of silence. I looked up at Connor. His brows were dipped, and he twisted his head to contemplate me. The impact of his stare hit me right