Page 153 of Burning Embers

Emery opens his mouth to answer, but I never get to hear what he has to say.

Somewhere above us, a window creaks open, and footsteps echo.

What the fuck is happening?

Fifty-One

REID

Must protect mate.

Mate. Protect. Yes.My wolf paws ineffectually at his cage, and for once, we’re in agreement.

Nothing matters but protecting Izzy.

I wouldn’t be able to explain the terror I felt when Emery called a pack meeting an hour earlier and told us that Izzy is in danger. Ethan and Ashton are still a little cautious—the latter doesn’t believe that anything is ever this simple, and he won’t act until he gets all the facts—but I don’t give a shit if this is a false alarm.

I’ll protect Izzy, no matter the cost.

I take the stairs three at a time, my mind consumed by one thing and one thing alone.

The hunt.

Blood. Need blood.My wolf salivates.

Somebody calls my name, but I’m too lost to my rage to respond.

Someone is in the house.

Near my mate.

Must protect.

The unfamiliar smell gets stronger the farther away from the stairs I go. Soon, it blends in with the enticing, sweet aroma of Izzy’s floral scent.

Bedroom.

He’s in her bedroom.

With a roar, I throw open the door, not even caring when it cracks and splinters. My chest heaves with the force of my unencumbered rage, and I’m sure my eyes flash amber in the darkened room.

There, near the window, is a tall, muscular figure dressed entirely in black.

Intruder.

Must protect.

I can’t even differentiate my thoughts from my wolf’s at this moment.

I lower my head like a charging bull and rush the stranger, forcing him to the ground. One sniff confirms that he’s not a wolf, but I don’t get the sense that he’s completely human either. There’s something about his scent that tickles the edges of my subconscious…

“Reid!” Ashton barks, and footsteps thunder behind me.

The light flicks on, and the room is instantly engulfed in soft, golden light.

“Oh my god. Grayson!” Izzy.

The man beneath me—Grayson—tenses at the sound and instantly throws a punch at my jaw. Pain reverberates through my face, but I maintain my position overtop of him. There’s no way in hell I’m releasing him.