Page 51 of Bellamy

I leaned forward, so close my breath fogged up the glass. “Don’t.”

“Because we’re on a collision course?” Bellamy rested his forehead against the cage. If not for the glass, we’d be touching—heads pressed together. The sudden vulnerability in his voice clawed at my heart. “Destined to destroy each other?”

“Not all of us get happy endings. Some of us are destined to crash and burn. You and me? We’re a disaster waiting to happen.”

“A disaster. That sounds about right.” Bellamy’s hazel eyes met mine. The colors swirled, like watercolor paint smearing on a canvas, the green, brown, and flecks of gold bleeding together. “But now that it’s in motion, I don’t know how to stop it.”

“Would you stop it if you could?”

“In a damn heartbeat,” he said. “Nothing’s changed between us. I want to break you, Phoenix.”

I would’ve believed him had his eyes not looked so goddamn tender in that moment.

“I can break him for you,” a deep voice said from the shadows. Galen stepped forward, one eye black and the other iris light gray, as if his sin only had half of a hold on him. He’d only need half to rip me in two though. I’d witnessed his strength firsthand.

“You’ll stay the fuck back. That’s what you’ll do,” Bellamy told him, turning his back to me, putting himself between me and his brother.

“Step aside, Lust,” Galen growled. The deep baritone of his voice told me it was Wrath who spoke.

Bellamy’s shoulders tensed. “Fuck off, Wrath.”

The massive six-foot-eight Nephilim glared at me. “You think you’re safe in that cage. Just wait until you come out. Your blood will stain these walls.” He stepped closer. “Or perhaps I’ll stain them now.”

“I said fuck off!” Bellamy shoved Galen back several steps.

Galen’s wings exploded from his back, ripping his T-shirt to shreds. Dark wings with red tints to the feathers. Both eyes were completely black now. He bared his teeth—that were sharper now—and propelled himself forward. He crashed into Bellamy, and the two of them slammed into the front of the cage.

My heart was in my throat. I didn’t want Bellamy getting hurt. Not to protect me of all reasons. Which… confused me.

“I’ll tear his flesh from his bones!” Galen—more so, Wrath—roared. He knocked Bellamy aside with one of his large wings.

Bellamy quickly sprang back to his feet, releasing his own wings. His shirt ripped off and exposed his muscled torso. His midnight-and-royal-blue wings were slightly smaller than Galen’s and had more of an angled shape. They looked softer too. He put himself between us again, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand.

“Enough.” Alastair descended the stairs, his expression composed despite the brawl happening in front of him. That one word had force behind it though. Bellamy lost some of his momentum, the fight leaving him.

Galen’s head twitched to the side as he glared at Alastair. “Stay out of this, Pride.”

I recalled what Alastair said about not being able to fully control Wrath.

“Oh shit,” another voice came from the top of the stairs before Raiden poked his head down to look at us. “I’ll get Simon.”

Galen tore his gaze from Alastair and directed it at me. He shot toward the cage faster than I could process and banged both fists against the glass. The barrier held, but the whole damn cage vibrated. Bellamy tackled him from the side, and they became a tangle of wings and fists.

“Galen!” Simon rushed down the stairs.

With the arrival of his mate, Galen snapped his head that way. His eyes remained black, though the aggression lifted from him a little. Bellamy slid to the floor in front of the cage as Galen shoved him away and walked over to Simon. He enfolded the human in his wings, creating a cocoon with only them inside it.

“You okay?” I asked, kneeling down to where Bellamy slumped against the other side of the glass.

“Never been better,” he said, breaths rough. “Fuck, he cracked my ribs with that last hit.”

“Can you heal yourself?”

Bellamy smirked up at me. “You sound worried.”

“Well, I doubt many people would willingly put themselves in Galen’s path,” I said. “You did it to protect me. Is it wrong for me to care what happens to you because of that?”

“Wow, Phoenix.” Bellamy’s hazel eyes narrowed slightly. Became guarded. “For a second there, I almost believed you. But then I remembered who you are. And what you’ve done.” He braced an arm on the cage for support as he got to his feet. “Don’t expect me to save your ass next time.”