Page 125

When the dust settled, I was surrounded by concussed and twitching werewolves.

They aren’t dead. Kill them. All of them.

My sin burned in my veins, screaming for retribution and vengeance. I took a step forward and the whining increased.

Apophis lingered at the edge of the tree line, his broken mirror in one hand and his expression one of hate.

I’d kill him too. I didn’t care. Everyone would burn. The world would burn. I–

A hand landed at the base of my neck, cool and firm. It didn’t squeeze, but it simply sat there, applying firm pressure.

“My Wrath, stand down,” Gluttony growled in my ear.

Fury funneled my senses down until I couldn’t see straight. His hand on the back of my neck squeezed harder.

It grounded me. I focused on the feeling of his fingers digging into my flesh and spine.

“Wrath often reveals itself to wreak vengeance,” he continued, voice low and gravelly. “It is a right and just force in the world, but becomes a sin when it is directed against an innocent person, or excessive.”

“They all–” I protested.

The hand clamped down so hard I couldn’t breathe, forcing me to stop. My magick didn’t rise to defend me, the fucking traitor.

Because it knows Gluttony is not a threat. He is part of you.

I took a deep breath.

I hadn’t wanted to kill them all. Not really. Xavier was the one who had done me wrong, and he’d gotten what was coming to him. The rest of his pack was just doing what they thought was right. They didn’t deserve to die. They had mates and pups.

“That’s it, my Wrath,” Gluttony soothed.

Yet as soon as I felt my magick recede and calm, another voice entered my head.

You have been wronged. You have been hurt. They will continue to hurt you until you make them stop. Make them stop.

“Apophis. Don’t you have the ghost of a Victorian child to munch on?” Gluttony taunted.

Apophis turned red and swelled, easily tripling his size. One by one, the werewolves slunk off and melted into the trees, heads lowered, tails twitching, until only the scarred leader’s broken body remained.

“Gluttony,” I begged. “I don’t think–”

“Ssh, he knows what he’s doing,” came a tired voice. “Or at least, I hope so.”

I whipped around to see Lust limping toward us, awake and covered in dirt and bruises, but otherwise fine. He carried the goblin child on his back. To his credit, the kid looked thrilled to be involved in such a great adventure.

I wish I had a tenth of his resilience.

“You sins think you’re immortal,” Apophis snarled. “It’s been awhile since you were reminded you aren’t. You remember what happened to the last Wrath, don’t you?”

Gluttony reeled back as if he’d been physically struck. Lust put a hand on his shoulder, supporting him.

Apophis advanced, his giant stature casting a shadow over us.

“We need to run,” I whispered. “We–”

In a swirl of gray and black smoke, the others arrived to flank us. Greed, Envy, and even Sloth. Pride came last, a smirk on his face so smug that my tension and fear released slightly.

“Alright there, Wrath?” Sloth asked, a small smile at the corner of his mouth.