Page 62 of Wrath

Only to freeze when I met the eyes of an unfamiliar man.

“What the fuck?” I screeched, leaping out of the bed and attempting to cover myself with my hands.

The stranger lazily pushed himself onto his elbow. “Come back to bed, baby. Let me make you feel good.”

His words were a purr that reverberated through me, eliciting a surge of goose bumps on my arms. My core throbbed, and I could feel my slickness wetting my thighs.

“Who the fuck are you?” I demanded.

Almost desperately, I reached for the blanket on the bed and used it to cover myself. I immediately knew I’d made the wrong decision when I revealed his entire body.

His entirenakedbody.

I looked away immediately, but not before I saw…well…everything.

To say he was beautiful or even handsome would be an understatement. The man was perfection. Ethereal. His body was lean yet muscular, his chest and biceps covered in colorful tattoos. Violet eyes peered back at me from an angular face with plush lips. His golden hair was slightly spiked, giving him a “just fucked” look. A single scar bisected his right cheek, but it only added to his appeal, making him appear rugged and brutal.

And his cock…

It was the longest, thickest one I’d ever seen before.

I hated that I noticed it.

“Who are you?” I repeated, trembling.

“Don’t you recognize me?” He stood with the fluid grace of a dancer. “I’m everything you desire in a man.”

A slanted grin tugged up his lips.

“I…I don’t…” I stared at him intently, seeing things I hadn’t noticed before.

His hair was the exact same shade as Dair’s but was spiked like Bash’s. Those violet eyes were nearly identical to Devlin’s. That body… That body was Killian’s, as were the tattoos on his skin, but the angular face was Jax’s. That single scar was nearly in the exact place as Ryland’s numerous ones, and those lips definitely belonged to my shadow. And that cock was Lupe’s. Definitely Lupe’s.

“I can see the wheels churning in that beautiful brain of yours.” The man smiled broadly. “I’m your perfect partner, both in appearance and personality. I’m everything you love about your so-called mates in one package.” Abruptly, he moved until he stood directly in front of me, taking my hands in his. “I can be sensitive like your sweet Dair, but I’m also a sarcastic ass like Bash. I’m smart, like Lupe, and a leader, like Devlin. I can be both innocent and cunning, exactly like Killian and Ryland, but also a little eccentric like your vampire.” He leaned in so close I could feel his breath against my lips. “I can be everything you’ve ever wanted. Everything you’ve ever desired.”

I swallowed. “But…”

“But?” He arched an eyebrow.

“But you’re not my mates.” I placed my hands in the center of his chest and pushed him away. “You’ll never be them.”

Because I didn’t just love one thing about each of them. I loved everything about them, even their flaws. Loving someone—truly loving someone—meant that you loved the cracks in their façades that others saw as weaknesses. It meant that you lovedthem on the good and the bad days. It meant that you loved them even when you wanted to strangle them.

The man smiled, his violet eyes twinkling. “You don’t mean that, Z.”

He stepped closer, his cock pressing against my stomach. And goddammit, the desire from before amplified, pulsating inside of me like a heartbeat.

“I can feel how badly you desire me.”

“Don’t touch me.” I pushed him away again and stumbled towards the door of the bedroom.

I had no idea what I’d find on the other side, but it had to be better than this. Because he was right, in a way. I was so fucking horny I thought I would lose my mind. Every nerve ending in my body felt alight with sensation, but I’d be damned if I cheated on my mates. Just the thought had a sharp crack fissuring through my chest.

“Z…” The stranger took a step closer, but I threw open the door and hurried into the hallway.

Then instantly regretted it.

“Oh my god.” I tugged the blanket closer around myself.

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