Page 68 of Wrath

I panted, lowering my head so I could rest my lips against the curve of her neck. Gradually, the lust coursing through me receded until I felt almost normal.

And with that came the bruising slap of reality.

I’d just fucked Z with my tail.

Oh my god.

What had I just done?

My gut lurched, and I threw myself off of her and landed on the ground with an audible thump.

Z blinked at me, dazed and weary, and oh my god. Had I just taken advantage of her? The lust… It hadn’t been normal. It had felt like I was an entirely different person, one not in control of himself.

I lowered my face into my hands as emotions ravaged me from all directions.

What had I just done?

What the fuck had I just done?

TWENTY-TWO

LUPE

It had only been a few hours since Z had disappeared with Killian, but it felt like an eternity. What made everything even worse was that I had no idea if Z had returned yet.

And I wouldn’t, not until I returned to camp.

She would kill me, of that I had no doubt, but I had to do this. For her. For my brothers. For the humans who relied on us.

I lumbered through the forest in my bear form, sniffing the air, the wind bringing with it the acrid scent of piss and unwashed bodies.

We were getting close.

I jerked my huge, furry head in the direction of the smell and then took off in a run. I didn’t need to look to know that Ryland followed. The shadows were thicker here, more potent.

Tiny animals raced out of my way with cries of fear, but I paid them no mind. They weren’t my target.

The farther I traveled, the stronger the smell became, until it felt as if I was choking on it. Disgust percolated low in my stomach.

And then, in the distance, I heard the sound of twigs snapping and leaves crackling.

We were here.

Without preamble, I shifted back into my human form, and Ryland materialized beside me, a bag slung over his shoulder. He tossed me a pair of jeans that I quickly threw on.

The two of us remained silent as we moved through the forest, using the trees for cover. I wasn’t sure if Ryland could also sense the tension in the air, but I certainly could. Every instinct I had screamed at me to get the fuck out of here.

As a bear, it was rare that I wasn’t the king of the forest, but I knew with unwavering certainty we were about to face a bigger threat. A more dangerous one.

A shiver rippled through me.

Then, through the tree branches, I saw them.

My breath left my body, and I quickly lowered myself to a crouch, feeling more than hearing Ryland do the same beside me. Wordlessly, I held out a hand, and Ryland passed me my glasses and the bestiary.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of these creatures walking in perfect rows of four towards the capital. They moved in eerie synchronization, not a step out of place, their russet eyes glazed over.

I took in their appearance quickly, cataloging everything that was left out of the descriptions I was given.

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