Page 34 of Ruin

“Just remember this isn’t Connor. Whatever filth comes out of his mouth is not your mate.”

I nodded, took a fortifying breath, and unhooked my arm from Stone’s before jogging up the steps, Stone and Owen behind me. Pulling open the door, I stepped inside. Warmth hit me along with the scent of other male wolves. Under it all I could scent the demon; a burning, slightly sulfurous scent that had clung to Connor’s body in the cave. I walked towards Connor’s door.

Determined not to chicken out, I raised my hand to knock when I noticed it was slightly ajar—and was thatShannon'svoice? I choked back a snarl, my heart rate rocketing.No fucking way!

“Come on, baby. You know you still want me.”

Using every bit of self-control not to react to that deep bass voice, I slowly pushed open the door. And blinked. And blinked again. My brain tried to process what I saw. Shannon was utterly naked and straddling Connor’s, or rather, the demon’s lap. All he had on was a towel around his waist.

Connor’s torso was covered in new scars; his skin pallid and missing the muscle he’d once had. With his large hands he grasped her hips as he ground up into her, only the towel separating them. Fury rushed my throat even as pain ripped at my heart. I knew this wasn’t really him, but the sight of my mate with another woman sent me to my knees.

“No…” My voice was nothing but a pained whisper, but it was enough. Connor turned his head. His eyes glinted, a dark smile curling his lips. Shannon looked at me. Her face paled and she froze. “Ember?” she whispered.

The demon smirked, chuckling, and his towel seemed to just melt into nothing.

“Oh, fuck no!” Shannon muttered, and before it could grab her hips and slam Connor’s hard cock into her while looking right at me, Shannon yelled: “Now!”

Shadow erupted on the other side of the bed and a huge horned demon with wings and burning red eyes materialised. There was a flash of yellow. Something slapped into Shannon’s outstretched hand and she yelled, a deep sound that was more male than female, as she shoved the circle of glowing yellow metal against Connor's skin, right over his heart.

Connor roared and bucked his hips, punching Shannon in the jaw.

“Shannon!” Stone came barrelling through the door. He skidded to a halt taking in the scene. I turned my tear filled eyes up to the half-fae, so sorry he had to see Shannon naked on the floor of another male’s bedroom.

“Oh gods, Stone, I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Stone’s wolf emerged in a second. It leaped towards Connor, only to be tackled to the ground by another wolf—an identical one.

What the hell was happening? Shannon had disappeared, and Connor was rolling around the bed in agony.

“You fucking traitor! You will not beat me, Zander. You think being my son will save you? I’ll destroy you, and everything you love. There will be nowhere you can go; I will hunt you and your mother down!”

Zander calmly walked around the bed, ignoring Connor’s ranting. Except…that voice. It wasn’t Connor’s voice anymore, just the same as that burning, and now overpowering sulphurous smell wasn’t his. Zander stopped in front of me and reached down a hand, his eyes burning. “I will not hurt you. Take my hand.”

I swallowed against my dry throat. “Zander?”

“Yes. Now stand. That thing on the bed is not Connor—but you already knew that didn’t you?” For a moment pain flickered in his eyes before being swallowed once again by fire. I took his clawed hand and got to my feet.

“Enough!” Zander waved his hand and uttered some words in a language I’d never heard. Both wolves froze mid-fight. “Alex, turn back before Stone rips you apart. You are no killer, my friend.”

In front of my eyes, the wolf morphed back into my friend, clad in jeans and a t-shirt and boots. “Oh, my god, Alex? But you...you...” I motioned with my hand to Connor’s writhing form.

He cringed. “Yeah, well, needs must. Please don’t mention it again.”

Stone changed back. Totally naked, eyes wholly purple and so full of fury, I almost stepped between him and Alex, but the demon that was Connor let out an almighty bellow. I whipped my head around to watch as the metal disc began to spin in his chest wall, searing away his skin.

“Oh Mother, you found the disc?”

Zander carefully wrapped his huge arms around me. They were covered in thick black leathery skin with bone spurs sticking through his forearms and triceps. “I did. And no matter what he says, or how much he screams, you can’t help him, Ember. That disc is an angel's Halo, an ancient one; Lucifer’s to be exact. When he fell, God took away his Halo. It is the only way known to our world of extracting an unwanted spirit from another’s body. That isn’t Connor.Thatis Berith.”

Unable to tear my gaze from Connor, I gaped as light engulfed him.

“Ember? Ember? Stop it, stophim. He’s lying to you. He’s a demon! He’s trying to kill me and take me from you again!”

I shook my head, my lip curled into a snarl. Prime growled and together we spoke. “Go to Hell, you mother fucker!”

The demon reached out, and with a sudden roar launched himself up off the bed, charging towards me, utter hatred and fury blazing in a set of black eyes that were nothing like Connor’s. Zander thrust me towards Stone, who caught me and slammed down some kind of shield between us and them.

Zander twisted, and with his wings, knocked Berith back. Berith slammed into the wall, his body contorting. Shadow danced around his body, mixing with the burning white light from the Halo. Connor’s spine arched as Berith forced himself from his flesh causing Connor to fall back on the bed. Berith wasn’t whole, though. His form was flickering in and out of translucence, but the longer he was out of Connor’s body, the more solid he became.

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