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The wolves backed up, but didn’t back down.

“The next one to attack I will protect personally,” Apophis promised.

“Oh my god, dude, fuck you!” I screamed at him.

The pack attacked as one.

I screamed and magick exploded, blinding us all. Something hit me in the side but I couldn’t even attack; all I could do was hold onto the goblin child and tuck him down against my chest as I leaned over Lust, protecting him as best I could.

“Juni–Wrath …” he rasped, struggling to get up. I pushed him back as teeth found my shoulder and bit down.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, white hot pain lancing through my shoulder.

More furry bodies piled on top of me. The goblin child was ripped away. I tried to move to get to him, to see if he was safe, but I couldn’t move!

Lust was somewhere underneath it, crushed. I didn’t want to use my magick and kill the child or Lust.

I was trapped and it was just like when Xavier killed me. I couldn’t breathe as darkness closed in, and suddenly I was back in the dirt–back to being buried like I was someone’s dirty secret, or trash being discarded.

Some Sin I ended up being.

I could use my magick and destroy everything around me. It’d be easy, even.

But I wouldn’t hurt Lust.

I wouldn’t hurt the goblin child.

We are more than our sins.

I refused to be controlled by mine.

Movement fluttered under me and magick stirred, flaring down a bond I’d forgotten I had. Voices whispered to me, male–the other six sins.

You do not bend. You are Wrath. One of us.

One of us.

Family.

My fucking family.

“Relax! I have him! Let loose!”

That voice–no. There was no way! It didn’t matter. I would take it.

I focused the magick inwards and pushed, just as two of the writhing wolf bodies on top of me were flung away. I took a gulp of clean air as a familiar face filled my vision, grabbing Lust by the arms and yanking him out of the fray, the goblin child already on his back like a spider monkey.

“Gluttony–” I choked out.

A cold, pale hand reached out to cup my cheek. A smile with equal chill curled the edges of his lips, warm affection and desire in his eyes. “Give them hell, my Wrath.”

With vampyric speed he took Lust and the child and ran toward the edge of the trees. The wolves spun, confused, but it was too late.

I let the rage of being betrayed by Xavier mix a potent cocktail with the indignation at how he’d thrown me away and the fear and claustrophobia of being buried alive. Mixed with my fury and rage that his pack had been behind the child kidnappings? They didn’t stand a chance. My blood boiled with it all, until I couldn’t stand it anymore.

Wrath exploded.

The wolves’ whines and howls filled the sky, and a male voice laced with old, ancient power screamed into the night.