Page 102 of Wanted

The rain plasters his black hair against the sharp cut of his cheeks and the growing darkness makes the red glow of his eyes shine even brighter.

When he speaks, his voice is so rough, so guttural, he sounds like a demon straight out of Hell. “You aremine,Alena.”

His lips pull away from his fangs, taking the whole demonic look one step further, and he declares, “Now that I’ve found you, now that I’m where I’ve always belonged, I’m never letting you go!”

And there’s something behind that awful blazing glow in his eyes that stirs a memory I buried long ago.

With the rain pouring down on us, the ground beneath my feet is turning into a slippery mess.

As my toes begin to sink into the mud, the spot near my heart throbs and I remember the sensation of wearing heavy boots that kept getting stuck as I was trying to walk…

The moon above me was red and I held an axe in my hands.

An axe I brought down in fury upon a pile of bodies and severed limbs…

“What the fuck?” Raphael says in surprise, shattering the memory and bringing me back to present. “When did you see that?”

I almost answer him. I open my mouth to say it was during my Judging before I realize he’s once again reading my thoughts without permission.

Outrage flooding through me, I shove my hands against his chest, trying to get him to release me.

Not budging, he narrows his eyes to slits and presses, “When did you see that?Tell me.”

My chest fills with a strange, uncomfortable pressure, like I just swallowed too much air.

I try to slam the wall down out of reflex, to block out the sensation, but it does nothing.

Most likely because the wall is already in place and slowly crumbling…

Another streak of lightning slices across the sky, momentarily illuminating his face, before he demands,“Tell me, Alena.”

I press my lips together, refusing to give in to the compulsion.

But the memory still flashes in my mind, my own brain revolting against me.

Flashes of Sister Agatha, the Prophet, and the dagger run through my thoughts before I can stop them.

Raphael’s grip on me tightens the second I remember the Prophet declaring metainted.

“Fucking Hell,” he rasps like I just kicked him in the nuts. “You were only a child…”

I’d scoff at his reaction but the pressure inside my chest swells, causing my anxiety to spike.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear there was something growing inside me. Some invisible force that wants to be free.

Even if it has to go through my ribs.

“Show me more,”Raphaelorders, his eyes burning brighter and brighter by the second.

I shake my head, fighting the memories and pressure back.

He’s asking too much.

I’d rather die than relive it all again.

Growing angry at my resistance, his eyes glow so bright all I can see is red. “Show me what they did to you.”

The rain falling from the sky suddenly stops and the air around us becomes dry and arid.

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