Page 82 of Wrath

He sighed heavily. “Fine. Ruin my fun.” He placed his hand over his heart. “I solemnly swear to only stab assholes who aren’t loyal to my little sister and her sexy mates.”

“Better.” Ish.

At the very least, it was the step in the right direction.

Atta gave me one last squeeze. “Be safe.”

“You too.” I turned towards Axel. “Both of you.”

Axel, his expression uncharacteristically serious, nodded once—a promise to look after both himself and Atta.

And as the two of them retreated in the opposite direction, the shadows of the town swallowing them, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would keep their promise. I wasn’t sure I’d survive if this was the last time I saw them.

TWENTY-SEVEN

DEVLIN

Ididn’t like how silent Z had become.

Tension permeated her body, bunching the muscles in her shoulders until they practically reached her ears. She didn’t say a single word as we drove away from town and back towards camp.

The sun began to set in the distance, its spindly orange rays desperately grasping at the edges of the land. The sky had turned a metallic shade of pink streaked here and there with orange and green.

Bash, who was driving, began to tap his fingers against the steering wheel. We told him what Atta and Axel had said a while ago, and I could tell he was having difficulty processing this revelation. I didn’t blame him. Heaven only knew my own head was spinning. We all had a thousand questions.

But all Bash said was, “Are you okay, baby?”

Z blinked and turned away from the window, a frown touching the corners of her lips. Instead of answering verbally, she nodded once and resumed her perusal of the countryside.

Bash met my gaze in the rearview mirror. I imagined his worried expression mirrored my own.

“Z—” Lupe began, attempting to swivel in the passenger seat.

“I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it,” Z replied stiffly.

None of us pushed her.

When we finally arrived at the camp—greeted by five human guards carrying crossbows and guns—Z stormed out of the car before I even unbuckled myself. I watched her retreating back with a lead weight in my chest.

Bash blew out a breath and lowered his forehead to the steering wheel. When he spoke, his voice sounded slightly muffled. “She’s going to be okay, right?”

“Her mother is putting her through hell trials, her murderous father is on earth, and her sister is trying to kill her,” Lupe responded darkly. He fixed his glare out the window, though he didn’t appear to be staring at anything in particular. “No. I don’t think she’s going to be okay.”

With that, he slid out of the car, the door slamming shut behind him.

Bash and I didn’t move for a solid minute. Through my periphery, I could see his fingers tapping rhythmically against the rubber. Then he sighed, turned off the car, and exited the vehicle as well.

Finally, I was alone.

All of the questions I kept locked away, all of my fears… They rushed out of me like a dam shattering.

What did all of this mean? Was Z’s angelic father another threat we had to take care of? What would he do to her once he found her? Kill her? Torture her?

Fear for my mate threatened to bowl me over.

I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

I’d fight tooth and nail if I had to.

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