Page 52 of Little Bunny

“I can be drunk and highly functional at the same time. I proved it when I snatched that sweet morsel,” Elijah murmured. “Oh my god! He was mocking me to my face, and I didn’t catch it.” He felt like he was going to be sick. Tito had known where Percy was the entire time, even when Elijah was going out of his mind with worry.

Tito had been bagging, only Elijah hadn’t known because he didn’t speak Spanish. He was going to learn the language if it was the last thing he did. “Tell me you’re going to make him pay.”

Matias let out a low, guttural snarl. “His mistake wasn’t crossing me. It was thinking he’d survive it.”

Chapter Thirteen

When they reached Percy’s room, Matias held up two fingers, pressed together, signaling everyone to wait. For a moment, he didn’t think Santiago would listen.

Pure hatred was pulsing off of him, but he stopped. Matias—index and middle finger—pointed to his own eyes then at the elongated glass in the door.

Tito was seated on the side of the bed, using his knuckles to stroke Percy’s cheek. “My wolf might not want you, but you are the most beautiful man I have ever seen. I just wish we could’ve experienced something wonderful together. Unfortunately, I can’t allow you to wake up. I won’t let you identify me, sweet morsel.”

A lethal calm settled inside Matias. The utter betrayal of what Tito had done. Matias had trusted his men, had left Tito in charge of Elijah’s and Percy’s safety.

And the son of a bitch had betrayed them all. How had Matias not seen the sickness inside of Tito before now? Was anyone else hiding dark secrets? This was why Matias believed in transparency.

Tito hadn’t taken Percy as some kind of bargaining tool or other nefarious reasons. This was about twisted, selfish desire. He’d seen Percy and decided he’d wanted the male but knew Santiago already had his sights on the blond twink.

For the first time, Matias felt as if he couldn’t trust his pack. That was dangerous when he felt like he couldn’t trust his own men to have his back.

What did that say about him as a leader? Tito’s sickness had been right under his nose, and he’d been blind to it.

Santiago snarled when Tito leaned forward, like he was going to kiss Percy. A farewell before he killed the male.

With brute force, Santiago slammed open the door, his canines bared, eyes glowing amber.

Tito jumped up, backing away as his gaze flicked between them.

“You bastard!” Elijah shouted. “I defended you when Matias wanted to choke you out!”

Matias quickly grabbed Elijah, stopping him from closing the distance. His mate wasn’t strong enough to take on a full-grown shifter. “Settle, conejito.”

Matias stepped forward, holding up a hand to stop Santiago from advancing. Not yet. He would allow Santiago his vengeance, but first…

One step then another. Matias rolled his shoulders, feeling his wolf trying to break free—to eviscerate the one who had betrayed everything Matias stood for and against.

“Explain.”

Tito’s gaze darted around, landing on Percy. Matias struck lightning fast, backhanding the wolf. “You are never to look at him again. Explain,” he snarled.

Blood spurted from Tito’s nose, dripping down toward his mouth. His jaw clenched, his gaze full of defiance, but he refused to speak.

Matias backhanded him again, striking the other side of his face, curling his lip when he heard bone shattering. “Explain to me why you would betray your own family, the men who would bleed for you, would kill and die for you,” he said in a low, venomous tone. “You know Santiago has feelings for the male.” Matias grabbed Tito by his shirtfront and pulled him in close. “Did you violate him?”

Elijah let out a sharp cry, but it was the despair in the single breath released by Santiago that gutted Matias. He wanted to spare them but was too enraged. What Tito had done shattered his faith in his own men. He felt as if he’d failed his grandfather’s legacy, let him down by allowing the sick son of a bitch to live among them.

Alverto Salvador had raised him, had taken Matias’s raw aggression and guided it onto the right path. Alverto ruled over thirty-five pack members. A legend. The alpha of wolves.

His blood ran through Matias’s veins, yet Matias hadn’t seen the signs that had surely been right in front of him.

Percy’s suffering was on Matias for not carving out the sickness from his pack.

“You wouldn’t understand.” Tito used his sleeve to wipe at the blood. “I’m not sick!”

He truly thought he was justified.

“No?” Santiago moved closer, his hands clenching and unclenching. “Then what do you call kidnapping someone and locking them in a shed to die in boiling temperatures?”

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