Page 176 of Devoted

Zeke’s fury was a living thing, rolling under his skin. I’d never felt anything like it before. Grabbing his chin, I forced him to look at me. “Zeke, it’s going to be okay.”

He didn’t respond. He was slipping out of my reach, his temper consuming him.

Micah seemed to notice, turning in alarm. “Sam, take a step to the side.”

“No,” Zeke roared. Lightning crackled around his hands, making me flinch.

“Ezekiel, you’re losing control,” Micah spoke carefully, his palms raised like he was trying to calm a wild animal. “Don’t do this. Don’t let her win. If you cross into that place, there’s no telling what will happen, who you will hurt.”

The memory slammed into me, so fast it made me dizzy. Gloria’s smirk as she patted the side of my face.

“Even if he does persuade you to mate with him, it won’t matter. Ezekiel’s temper has been dancing along the edge of control for millennia. It wouldn’t take much to push him beyond the limits. If I threaten you enough, he’ll lose control of his power, executing everyone around him. Including you. What a tidy solution for taking care of the Seraphim, don’t you think?”

This was what Gloria wanted.

She didn’t care about me at all. She just wanted to make Zeke lose control.

Which, from the hatred and rage rolling through the bond, he was very close to doing.

Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. “Zeke, stop.”

“What’s the holdup?” Gloria trilled, cutting into any lengthy explanations. “Ten seconds and counting.”

Fuck.“Nate, Theo, she didn’t say anything about you coming, right?”

The twins wore matching evil grins as they drew their swords.

With no more time to explain, I grabbed Zeke’s face in both my hands. “Zeke, take a lap. You hear me? Take. A. Lap.”

Then I turned. For the first time, I was walking towards danger instead of away from it.

For Zeke.

40

Ezekiel

Take a lap.

Take. A. Lap.

Sam’s words echoed through my mind like a siren.

Take a lap.

He didn’t want me to lose control.

It brought me right back from the edge. The monster’s leash slipped into my hand.

No, that was wrong. It was in the hand of my mate. My mate, who was confidently striding towards the enemy, a twin on either side of him.

Micah grabbed my chin the same way Sam had. He searched my face desperately. “Ezekiel, you good?”

“I’m good,” I rasped. “Fuck, that was close.”

Losing control completely was the line you didn’t cross as an angel. To do so would endanger everyone around you.

And give Gloria grounds to execute me on account of being a ‘loose cannon.’

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