Page 158 of Devoted

I swore everything fell silent. The cars on the street. My units’ wings in the air. Even my own breathing stopped. “What?”

“I don’t want you,” Sam said, edging back even further. “Leave me alone.”

My hand touched my chest as his words cleaved my heart in two. “What? But why?”

“I don’t want you!” he shouted, spittle flying as his face reddened. “What’s so hard to understand about that? I don’t want you.”

“I don’t understand,” I croaked. “Baby, what changed? What can I do to fix it?”

“Nothing.” Disgust flashed across his eyes. “I’ll never be with you. Ever.”

This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be.

“Please,” I begged him, my voice cracking as the fissure in my heart widened. “Please, Sam. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”

“No,” he snarled. “Leave me alone, Ezekiel.”

Ezekiel.

Ezekiel.

Not Zeke.

My eyes drifted to his hand. At how he tugged at his ear.

“Sam, can you hear a strange noise?”

“Yes.” He slapped both hands over his ears. “What is that? Make it stop!”

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

This was even worse than him dumping me. The fear I’d felt a second ago deepened into an abyss I wasn’t sure I’d crawl out of.

“He’s been compelled,” I said, not taking my eyes off my mate for a second. The monster roared, trying to claw to the surface. He’d have to wait for vengeance. My first priority was saving Sam. “Someone get Ferry here now.”

“On it,” Micah said from behind me. I heard him talking into his phone, low and rapid.

“No, stay away from me,” Sam whimpered. “I don’t want your help. I don’t want help from any of you.”

I swallowed, reaching for him while praying Ferry would be fast. “Sam, baby, someone has compelled you. I’m sorry, but I need to take you back into the house where you’ll be safe.”

“No.” His eyes went wide with horror as he scrambled backwards. He collided with Rami, who gripped his shoulders gently. “No, I don’t want to go back there. Don’t make me.”

His pleading was breaking my heart. It went against everything I was to deny him.

But this wasn’t Sam talking. Someone else had put those words in his head.

And I suspected I knew who the fucker was.

Rami’s eyes were full of pity as they met mine over Sam’s head. “Gotta be done, man.”

Rami was right. There was no point delaying the inevitable. I met my mate’s gaze and prayed he’d forgive me. “I’m sorry, Sam.”

Then I gathered him into my arms and shot into the sky.

It was a twenty second flight back to the compound. It was the worst twenty seconds of my life. Sam screamed and writhed for each and every one of them, hitting and clawing at whatever part of me he could reach.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered again and again. “I’m sorry, baby.”

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