Page 141 of Wrath

Holy fuck.

He massaged my shoulders, my neck, my upper back, and then my lower back. We didn’t speak, but I was honestly prettysure I was incapable of it. My mind was nothing but color, drowning in sensation.

Lupe’s hands moved to my ass and began to massage. I wondered if he could tell how wet I was. Could he smell my arousal? See it? If he did, he didn’t give any indication as he continued on to my thighs, then my lower legs, and then finally my feet.

By the time he was done, I was a mindless heap, incapable of coherent thoughts.

Lupe chuckled as he playfully swatted my ass. “Up. You’re not done yet.”

I thought I mumbled something like, “I don’t wanna,” but it was impossible to know for sure.

“Z…” Lupe warned, and I huffed, pushing myself onto my elbows.

“Is it finally orgasm time?” I asked hopefully, peeking at Lupe over my shoulder.

His ravenous eyes were on my ass, but at my question, he turned towards me, amusement sparkling in his gaze. “You’ll just have to see.”

He reached for my discarded robe and then held it open for me. I stepped into it once more and reached for the tie. Lupe’s hands were there before I could finish, gently knotting the bathrobe shut.

I placed my much smaller hands over his large ones. “Thank you for this. I mean it.”

Lupe gripped my chin and lowered his face to mine. Our lips met in a kiss that was both sweet and sensual simultaneously. Goose bumps skittered across my skin.

“Later.” That one word, whispered against my lips, was both a promise and a threat.

I shivered.

“Now go.” Lupe grabbed my shoulders and spun me towards the bedroom.

I had no idea what my mates had planned for me next, but I couldn’t wait for it. This was exactly what I needed after the day—no, weeks, no,months—I’d had.

I stepped into my bedroom, my heart hammering, and focused immediately on the blanket spread across the ground. A picnic basket sat open beside it, and inside, I could see chocolate-covered strawberries, tiny sandwiches, and some sort of pastry. I had no idea which mate—or mates—was behind this particular surprise.

I smoothed the robe around me as I gingerly sat on the edge of the blanket, folding my legs beneath me.

My bed had been pushed to the side to give us more room, and the drapes had been bound away from the slightly opened window, allowing copious amounts of moonlight to spill inside. Wind stirred my hair and elicited a fresh round of goose bumps.

Now, what to try first…

I reached for the chocolate-covered strawberry just as the closet door opened behind me.

“Were you hiding from me?” I asked, nibbling on the tip of the sweet fruit.

Yet…

This didn’t feel like my mate. I felt no bond. No surge of awareness. No blaze of warmth.

Keeping my movements casual, I lowered the strawberry back to the blanket and reached for a wineglass. Then, with an almost blistering speed, I shattered the glass against the side of the basket, jumped to my feet, and held the mangled shard in front of me.

All of the air rushed out of my lungs at the face of the intruder.

“S,” I whispered, terror coiling around my heart and squeezing.

My ex-boyfriend smiled, revealing yellowed, chipped teeth.

“Hello, my love.” He tilted his head to the side, and ribbons of pink and red flesh pulled taut. “We need to talk.”

FIFTY

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