Page 156 of Wrath

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“We have to stop this,” I told Mali, and she gave me a look that clearly stated, “No shit.”

Lupe would never forgive himself if he hurt someone else, especially now that the battle was over.

“I’m going to regret this,” I murmured, and then allowed the shadows to converge around me once more, carrying me away from Mali and towards Lupe.

I materialized behind him instantly, and the beast spun towards me, teeth bared.

My chest compressed, my ribs too tiny to contain my heart and lungs. I stared into the eyes of a predator who didn’t just want to play with me, but kill me. His amber eyes were like shards of ice, sharp enough to do irreparable damage, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. To stophim.

“Lupe!” I snapped. “This isn’t you. You need to?—”

Lupe roared and swiped at my face with his claws. I just barely ducked in time to avoid getting my entire head cut off. Fuck.

“Lupe, resist! I know you’re capable of resisting. You did it before. You can do it again. Don’t let that bitch win.”

Briefly, I wondered how this was even possible, considering Aaliyah was dead. But…was she? What the fuck was happening over there? I needed to snap Lupe out of this, and quickly. I was more determined than ever to get back to my mate.

Lupe lowered his head like a battering ram and charged at me. I called on the shadows and demanded they pull me into the air, out of harm’s reach.

The bear shifter slammed into the side of the capitol building and staggered back, his eyes dazed.

Prickles ran across my skin.

Goddammit, Lupe.

Now isn’t the time to lose your shit.

“LUPE! SNAP OUT OF IT!” I dropped to my feet behind the shifter and took a tentative step closer.

He felt like a live wire. One wrong move, and electricity would strike me. I had to be careful.

“Z needs you. Do you remember Z? Your mate? She needs us, dammit. And I can’t go to her until you snap out of this. So calm the fuck down, let go of your rage, and return to me. Can you do that? I swear to fuck I’ll stab you.”

I wouldn’t, but he didn’t need to know that.

Lupe cocked his big, furry head to the side and blinked at me. There wasn’t coherency in his gaze, not really, but he no longer looked out of his mind with wrath.

“Think of Z. Come on, Lupe. Snap out of this.”

Lupe continued to stare at me, his flinty gaze striking a chord of fear in me. What would we do if he never snapped out of this? If we lost him to his beast once again?

I would do whatever it took to ensure that didn’t happen.

No matter the consequences.

FIFTY-NINE

LUPE

Wrath.

All I knew was wrath.

The need to kill, stab, maim, and destroy was a living, breathing entity inside of me that defied all reason. I couldn’t think through the red haze that consumed my mind and vision.

Everyone here had to die.

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