Page 101 of The Devil's Wrath

As I turned to head back upstairs, a floorboard creaked behind me. I spun around, only to find Theo standing in the doorway. His hair was tousled, and his eyes were fixed on me. I recognized that look. I had seen it before. Theo was gone, and in his place was the Devil.

His eyes glinted with a predatory hunger, a twisted smile on his lips. “Well, well, what do we have here?” he purred, his voice smooth as silk. “A little midnight snack, perhaps?”

I swallowed hard, my hands gripping the edge of the counter behind me. “This isn’t funny, Theo.”

He moved closer, his movements fluid and graceful, like a panther stalking its prey. “Oh, but it is, little bird. It’s hilarious, in fact.” His laughter echoed through the kitchen.

“Have you been drinking?”

His eyes narrowed, the smirk never leaving his face. “Drinking? No. I’m perfectly sober. Just enjoying the thrill of thehunt.”

“Come on, Theo. I’m too tired for this.” I edged along the counter, trying to put some distance between us.

I tried to sidestep him, but he was too quick. In a flash, he had mepinned against the counter, his body pressing against mine. I could feel the heat radiating off him, the scent of whiskey and something darker, more primal, filling my nostrils.

“Let me go. This isn’t you.”

He leaned in close, his lips brushing against my ear. “Oh, but it is me, little bird. The one you’ve been begging me to be.”

I could feel how hard he was as he pressed himself against me.

Sick fuck.

This turned him on.

But I’d be lying if I said my thighs weren’t slick with my arousal thinking about him fucking me in the kitchen like a wild animal.

“What do you want?” I asked.

His fingers danced along my jawline, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. “To hunt.”

My breath caught in my throat as his fingers tightened around my neck, not enough to hurt but enough to assert his dominance. I knew I should be afraid, that I should fight back, but I craved this—the thrill of being at his mercy.

“And what exactly are you hunting?” I questioned him.

“You, little bird,” he growled, his hand squeezing my neck with enough pressure to make my pulse race. “I’m hunting you.”

I inhaled sharply. “Wh-what do you mean, Theo?”

“I’ll give you a minute head start,” he answered curtly, stepping back to give me room.

“For what?”

“Time is ticking.” He tsked as he slid his bronze devil mask over his head.

My heart pounded as I stared at him, his face now obscured by the sinister mask. The cold metal glinted in the moonlight, casting an eerie glow in the dimly lit kitchen.

“Ticktock, little bird,” he taunted, his voice changed by the box inside the mask. “Better fly away before the devil catches you.”

With a surge of adrenaline, I bolted from the kitchen, my bare feet slapping against the hardwood floors. I heard Theo’s deep, menacing chuckle echo behind me as I raced through the house. The rational part of my brain screamed at me to get as far away from him and thistwisted game as possible, but the part of me I liked better was thrilled by the prospect of being hunted by him.

I was about to run up the stairs when another figure with a silver mask stepped in front of me. Which brother was this? Kai or Archer? Or one I hadn’t met? I couldn’t be sure, but I wasn’t sticking around to find out. So I made a decision to run out the front door—the final girls in horror movies would have been proud.

I flung open the front door and raced out into the cold night air, running around the side of the house toward the woods. I thought I could hear the heavy footsteps of my pursuers behind me, their deep laughter carried in the wind, and I swore I could see robed figures moving through the shadows, closing in on me from the side.

I ran until my lungs burned and my legs ached, darting between the shadowy trees that lined the property. The forest seemed to envelop me, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers ready to snatch me up. I heard the men’s heavy breathing and the snap of twigs under their boots as they chased me. My breaths came in short, sharp gasps. I had no idea where I was headed, only that I needed to keep going. The cold night air whipped through my hair, and the oversized T-shirt I wore billowed around my thighs, offering little protection against the chill.

Branches scratched at my face and arms as I pushed through the undergrowth. The ground was uneven beneath my feet, littered with roots and rocks that threatened to send me sprawling.

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