Page 115 of Roaring Flames

I sit on the cold grass, my bike discarded at the edge of the forest, my legs spread out in front of me. I’m exhausted, but I’m not sure sleep will help. I’m afraid of what I’ll dream of.

Michelle’s face pops to the forefront of my mind, and I shudder.

God, how could I have let her touch me like that?

But…

I didn’t, did I? She touched me without my consent.

Is that…?

I don’t allow my thoughts to wander down that road. I’m confused as fuck. On one hand, my body responded to her the way it would around any beautiful female. On the other, I feel dirty as hell, and I sure as shit didn’t want her anywhere near my dick.

I hear their footsteps a second before I see them.

The forest seems to shake with the force of their anger, the branches swaying erratically.

Dyson’s face is painted in raw, unencumbered fury as he stalks forward, Michelle a few steps behind him. Her face ispuffy and red, and she sniffles exaggeratedly, using the back of her hand to wipe away tears that don’t exist.

“You motherfucker!” Dyson charges at me and throws a fist at my face.

I’m larger than him, but I’m still sitting down while he’s standing. His knuckles connect with my cheek before I can move away.

“What the hell?” I bark, jumping to my feet.

I can feel my wolf clawing to the surface, his fangs bared. He wants blood to spill.

Dyson’s blood.

And Michelle’s.

“She told me what you did, you sick fuck!” Dyson roars.

What I did?

For a moment, I stand there, staring at him in confusion. It only lasts for a fraction of a second, but it’s enough time for him to come barreling at me.

I manage to step out of the way at the very last moment.

“Dyson, please!” Michelle sniffs again.

“How fucking dare you?!” Dyson comes at me again, and this time, I can’t hold back my wolf.

He rises to the surface with staggering intensity. Fur sprouts on my arms, and my face changes and distorts. My jawline elongates, turning into a snout.

Later, I’ll discover what, exactly, Dyson believed I did: take Michelle’s virginity by force and then break her heart.

Maybe a part of me doesn’t even blame him for the way he reacted. If I had a sister—or a mate—I’d do the same thing in his shoes if I didn’t know any better.

A flash of blue light encompasses me before I can finish my shift. It holds me immobile, locking my muscles together.

Dyson stands directly in front of me, his teeth bared and his eyes sparking with unbridled rage.

“I’m going to destroy you,” he hisses. “Michelle told me about you. You only care about two things, don’t you?” His lips curl upwards then, but the smile on his face is anything but friendly. “I’m going to take them both away from you.”

I try to open my mouth to speak, to plead my case, to tell him his sister is a lying bitch, but the spell keeps my lips firmly together.

A lighter wave of blue magic joins the one surrounding me. And…I can feel my body change. I don’t know how else to describe it. Suddenly, my face feels itchy, and my hair hangs in greasy, limp strands around my forehead. A pungent smell assaults my nose. Is that coming from Dyson? From me? I lower my gaze to the front of my shirt, where numerous stains now dot the fabric.

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