Page 125 of Roaring Flames

Christian snarls fiercely and takes a single step forward. I swear he seems to broaden—his shoulders turn bulkier until they can barely fit through the door, and his chest doubles in size.

“Yeah?” Jake asks innocently.

“You should probably run.”

Jake rolls his eyes then turns towards Christian. “I don’t want to fuck your mate, man. Chill out.”

My right eye begins to twitch. “Did you just tell the scary wolf shifter to chill out?”

He shrugs. “It’s not like he can kill me. I’m already dead, remember?”

My god. The men in my life are going to killmeat this rate.

I squeeze the bridge of my nose and release a long-suffering sigh. “Go get Hale and Gerry please. Then stay in your room.”

Jake, unable to help himself, asks, “Will you be joining me in my room? Naked, preferably. I like dem titties.”

Christian’s growl can probably be heard miles away, and I move to stand in front of him immediately. This… This isn’t Christian. I’ve suspected as much from the very first growl. When I stare into his burning amber eyes, I don’t see the man I’ve come to know. All that remains is the beast I haven’t met yet.

Jake, apparently, is a damn psychopath because he laughs uproariously before practically skipping away. That’s another thing I’ll need to look into, but later.

“Christian?” I ask, desperately trying to pull his attention back to me.

He continues to glare in the direction Jake retreated, the fur spreading down his neck and to his arms.

I notice, belatedly, that he doesn’t shift the way the others do. They transform into large wolves. But with Christian… It’s like the wolf transforms intohim. That’s the only way I can think to describe it, and it terrifies the shit out of me.

“Look at me!” I bark, discarding the knife on the entryway table and then pushing up on my tiptoes to cup his cheeks between my hands.

He tries to pull away, but I hold firm, refusing to release him. I’m still so fucking angry at him for keeping this a secret from me, but…

But I think I see why he did it.

He told me before that he’s a lone wolf, and that over time, lone wolves tend to go feral.

Is this what he means by that?

Is that why he kept the mating bond a secret?

What the hell is even happening to him right now?

I remember how I comforted Reid before in the theater, and I attempt to emulate that now, infusing my voice with confidence I don't truly feel.

“Look at me, Christian Montgomery.” I guide his eyes to mine. “Jake and I have never slept together, nor will we ever.” I scrunch my nose in disgust. “He’s practically my brother. He was just trying to punish you for keeping this a secret from me.” The reminder of what he kept from me makes my hands tighten on his cheeks, my nails digging in. I force my fingers to relax, though it’s surprisingly difficult. “Calm the fuck down.”

Christian focuses on me, only on me, and gradually, the fur begins to recede from his skin. Then his fangs shrink back into his mouth, and his eyes return to their normal vibrant blue. He pants heavily, shock splayed across his face, but I keep my hands on his cheeks until I’m certain he’s back.

“What the fuck was that?” I blurt, taking a step away, my arms falling uselessly to my sides.

Surprisingly, the answer doesn’t come from Christian but from directly behind me.

Hale and Gerry stand shoulder to shoulder, their arms touching and their expressions tense.

“You already know that lone wolves tend to go feral,” Hale says gravely, his eyes flicking past me to land on Christian. “It seems as if Mr. Montgomery is further along than any of us would’ve suspected.”

A cold chill skitters down my spine. It’s hard to swallow around the ball of fire residing in my throat.

“That’s what it looks like when a wolf goes feral?” I whisper.

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