Page 47 of The Devil's Wrath

I sped through the streets and onto the campus of St. Mary’s. The frat house was massive and had this whole 1930s vibe going on. Drunk girls were giggling and stumbling out of the house while frat guys dressed up as gladiators and Ghostface followed like little puppy dogs. I had beaten Kai here, so I called Wrenly.

It went to voicemail.

I called again, and while I waited for her to answer, I scrolled through the feeds of the cameras I had installed in her house. She wasn’t in the living room or the kitchen. But before I could look at the other rooms, Kai parked and stomped toward the front door, pullinghis silver devil mask on before I could look any further. I locked my phone and slid it into my pocket, mentally fuming that she hadn’t answered, but I knew that look on Kai’s face, and I wasn’t in the mood to clean up a murder for him tonight.

“I swear to god, if I see anyone touching what’s mine, I’m going to rip their heads off,” he growled.

I pulled my devil mask on in response and followed him inside. We walked through the front door, immediately assaulted by the stench of cheap beer and sweat. The living room had been transformed into a makeshift dance floor, with scantily clad bodies grinding against each other. I pushed past a few drunk girls dressed as nuns, who tried to flirt with me. Strobe lights flashed, and smoke from a fog machine filled the air, making it hard to see clearly. Kai was hyper-focused on a girl dressed as an angel.

Haven.

But it was the girl in barely there red lingerie with devil horns and matching red lipstick who caught my immediate attention. I would recognize her body, legs, and perfect tits anywhere.

Wrenly.

Her phone location said she was at home, but here she was, half naked, partying with no care in the world, running her hands all over a dude wearing nothing but a thong. I would kill him and make her watch. Had she forgotten I existed so quickly?

I watched her throw her head back in laughter at something Haven said, exposing the smooth column of her throat, and my fingers twitched with the urge to wrap around it. When she met my gaze, those gray eyes I could drown in widened in shock. It looked like my little bird might be regretting her choices right now. She mouthed something to Haven and then bolted, pushing through bodies. I didn’t know if it was the absolute murderous look in my eyes that had her running, but I didn’t care. I pursued her like a predator stalking its prey, my anger rising with each step. She stumbled down the stairs into the basement, her red lingerie barely covering her curves as she moved, glancing back at me with fear in her eyes.

Good.

She should be afraid.

I watched her dart through the crowd, shoving through drunk partygoers. I lunged after her, my vision tunneling until she was the only thing I could see. The pulsing music and flashing lights faded into the background as I chased her. She stumbled through an open sliding door and vanished into the backyard.

I burst through the door and stumbled into the chilly night air, my eyes scanning the dimly lit yard for any sign of her. I caught a glimpse of her red lingerie disappearing around the corner of the house and took off after her, my heart pounding with rage and savage anticipation.

She was fast, I’d give her that.

But I was faster.

I lived for the hunt—blame it on the primal beast that furiously clawed its way out of me.

I chased her down the side of the frat house, my boots pounding against the damp grass. She glanced back over her shoulder again, her eyes wide with terror when she saw how close I was.

“Wrenly!” I roared, my voice raw with fury. “Stop running!”

But she didn’t stop.

If anything, she ran faster, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Of course she didn’t.Mydefiant little bird thought she could escape me.

How very wrong she was.

FIFTEEN

WRENLY

As the night wore on, I lost track of how many drinks I had consumed, the room spinning pleasantly. Vera and I danced with abandon, and I welcomed the attention of masked guys, flirting and grinding against them. When Vera left to find a bathroom, I cozied up to a girl dressed as an angel. We danced and laughed together until the air in the room changed, and she noticed it too. We both looked toward the front door, tracking two men with devil masks, one silver and the other bronze.

They strode in confidently, their masks glinting under the pulsing party lights. The angel girl tensed beside me, her fingers digging into my arm. The devils surveyed the room as if they owned it, the crowd parting before them. Then the one in the bronze mask locked eyes with me.

I’d recognize those eyes anywhere.

Green like sunlight flickering through leaves.

Those eyes had captivated me from the moment we’d first met, drawing me in. But seeing them here, now, peering out from behind that bronze devil mask, sent a chill down my spine.

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