Desire Unchained

Shit. “Screw you.”


“Don’t make me take them off for you.”

Shade’s heart went double-time. Wraith knew. At the very least, he suspected. “Why don’t you tell me what’s gotten up your ass.”

Wraith looked up at the ceiling, and Shade knew this wasn’t going to be good. Then again, with Wraith, it never was. “I meant to tell you this earlier. I went to the Seminus Council. Know what they said when I asked if they knew of any matings to wargs?”

“No idea, but you’re going to tell me, aren’t you?”

Wraith nailed Shade with an uncharacteristically serious stare. “One, Shade. One mating that ended in disaster. The bond was one-sided. Sound familiar? Wargs can’t bond with our species, so when she went into heat, she took another warg as a lifemate, and together they killed the Seminus.”

“I’m not worried about it,” Shade said, though he felt like he was going to hyperventilate.

“Does that mean you’re ready to put her down?”

“Wraith …” Shade’s voice was a low, guttural growl.

“You said you’re going to kill her. It’s time.”

Shade launched out of his chair and took his brother to the ground. Wraith’s fist tunneled into Shade’s side, sending white-hot bursts of agony through his midsection. Anger gave him the willpower to get through it, and fists flew, the sound of leather on skin as satisfying as anything. One of Wraith’s blows caught him in the mouth hard enough to make him see stars and taste blood. Shade slashed downward with his elbow, catching Wraith in the throat, and that fast, Wraith was done playing.

In an instant, Shade was flying backward. The desk broke his launch, and nearly his spine as well. Wraith struck with his foot, connecting with Shade’s thigh. Pain and fury shot through him in a haze of red, though somewhere inside he knew Wraith was pulling his punches, because he could have easily broken Shade’s leg.

Shade rolled, closed his fist around Wraith’s ankle and dragged him toward him. Wraith’s knuckles filled Shade’s vision, and he turned just in time to avoid a solid blow to the nose. Still, his brother’s punch crunched into his cheek, and a whole lot of ache sheared through his face. Roaring with rage, Shade dove on top of Wraith and jammed a knee into his gut. Wraith grunted, a major victory, since his brother usually suffered pain in silence.

Hands gripped his shoulders and wrenched him off his brother. Wraith rolled away, his eyes as gold as Shade’s own must be, his fangs extended.

“Knock it off!” Eidolon roared, stepping between them. Shade ignored E and lunged for Wraith, but E caught him around the waist and slammed him back into the wall. “You need to check up, brother.” Eidolon snarled, a vicious, nasty sound. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking I’d rip Wraith’s head off!”

Eidolon shoved him again. “Beating on Wraith isn’t helping anything.” Shade wasn’t listening. He wanted a piece of Wraith.

Wraith moved in close. “Ask him why he won’t take his gloves off, E.”

The taste of blood filled Shade’s mouth. “Shut the fuck up!” he snapped, still glaring at Wraith, who glared right back.

Eidolon released Shade. “What’s this about?”

“I was just heading to Ireland to hunt for Roag when Luc stopped me.” Wraith didn’t take his eyes off Shade as he spoke to E. “Said he’d seen Shade fading out. That’s why I came here. To talk some fucking sense into Shade.”

“Yeah, that was working real well.” Eidolon stepped back, mouth thinned in irritation.

“Go ahead, Shade. Take off the gloves. Prove you aren’t falling for your little wolf.” Wraith shook his head. “She helped you through The Change, but you don’t need her anymore. You said you’d kill her. Stop stalling.”

Eidolon frowned. “Shade? You okay?”

No. No, he wasn’t. Splinters of pain ripped through him. But it wasn’t his pain. It was Runa’s. He craned his head around to the door, where she stood, her face pale, her chin trembling.

She’d heard. Her sorrow slammed into him. Tears. Betrayal. Oh, hell’s fucking rings, she knew.

“Runa,” he rasped, but she dropped the soda in her hand and bolted down the hall. Cursing, he tore free from E’s grip, but before he made it to the door, Wraith tackled him, slamming him back against the wall again.

“We’ll get her. You need to let her go. Now. Forever.”

“No!” Shade didn’t possess half of Wraith’s fighting skill, but somehow he exploded out of Wraith’s grip and out of the office. He had to get to Runa before his brothers did. Before E or Wraith killed her out of love for Shade, or before Roag did the same … out of hate.