Bonds of Fire: The Bellum Sisters 2 (paranormal erotic romance) by T. A. Grey

the fluorescent lights beat off it in streams of golden reds.
    “Let go of me, Thane.” She’d quit struggling but a hard frown pulled at her mouth.
    Thoughtfully he said, “No, your hair isn’t the color of ginger but a beautiful copper that catches the eyes and makes it hard to look away.” He meant every word of it. What he’d said yesterday had been a barb at her but he didn’t know it’d upset her. He looked down at her unreadable eyes.
    Slowly she reached up and touched the hand he held her hair in. Then viciously she yanked it away and pushed him back. He went, startled at her anger.
    “I am not some submissive who will cow-tow to your pleasure on a whim.”
    God dammit. “I know that. That wasn’t what this was about.”
    She cocked a brow. “Oh really, then what was this about?” She crossed her arms and stared at him.
    Thane threw up his hands in defeat. “Never mind. I was just trying to pay you a compliment. Obviously your hard ass is too good for that.” He walked around her to leave.
    “The next time you want to flirt, pick a submissive. At least she will be flattered by your...charms,” she said after him. That tic picked up again at his eye. Thane turned just in time to see her giving him her back.
    Thane’s eyes flicked over her once. “At least she would know how to please a man.” He saw her back straighten and instantly hated himself.
    Whatever. He gave as good as he got; that was his motto. Why should she be any different? He turned back and left her alone.
     

 
    Chapter 12
     
    Lyonis wrapped up his workout as his lieutenants came into the room. Grabbing a towel, he wiped the sweat from his face. He noticed the tension between Jackie and Thane right away.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “We have a situation,” Jackie said. Lyonis’ gut tightened with fear.
    “Willow?”
    Thane shook his head. “No, the McLannahans reported their daughter missing this morning.”
    Lyonis’ brows shot up. “Stephanie?”
    Jackie nodded grimly. “Apparently she went for a run last night and never came back.”
    “Organize a search party, check the town, hell check the whole city.”
    Nodding, Jackie hesitated. “Sir, but we don’t have enough guards with the ones watching your...Willow.”
    “Use them. With that vampire Draven here, she has her own guard. Find Stephanie, see if anyone else was out running last night and saw her.”
    “We’ll take care of it,” Thane said then ran out of the room with Jackie on his heels.
    His mood infinitely diminished, Lyonis left the gym and headed to the McLannahans. When he arrived, there were already other pack members visiting the distraught family. Stephanie’s mother, Laura, rushed to him with tears in her eyes.
    “Alpha Lyonis, she’s gone. She’s gone!” A harsh sob left her as she broke down. Lyonis held her close to him. Nothing he could do would soothe her now, unless they found Stephanie alive.
    “Tell me everything that happened.” Her mate Rick came forward and pulled his wife into his arms.
    “Stephanie said she wanted to go out for a wolf run last night along the pass. It was about ten o’clock when she left—she never came back.” His wife cried harder and squeezed him tightly.
    “Has she been seeing anyone, dating anyone she’d want to sneak off with?”
    “Not that we’re aware of,” Rick said. “She said she was stressed about some school work but that was it.”
    Lyonis came forward and embraced both of them. When a tragedy happened in the pack, all of them felt it as if it were their own child that was missing. He pulled back with promises that the guards were out searching for her right now.
    “I will find her,” he promised. Rick nodded grimly, his face etched with pain.
    Lyonis started back to his truck when a hard voice stopped him. “Your mate should be here to comfort the family.”
    Lyonis slowly turned around, not surprised that it was Amy who’d spoken. The entire pack watched them both with wide eyes. Very