Page 125 of Wrath

Trying to ignore the burn crawling up my throat and crowding my eyes, I gave Ryland’s hand one last squeeze before rising. We’d decided to keep him in our tent. The one we designated as the sick bay was overrun with wounded soldiers, both nightmare and human alike. We might have only lost one hundred, but hundreds more were wounded. I was just grateful that we managed to get the children to safety before the battle commenced.

The first of many, I imagined.

“Z?” Stefan, the human in charge of this particular camp, stepped inside, his eyes darting to Ryland’s still form. Concern etched lines into his forehead. “How is he doing?”

“Better.” I stepped away from Ryland to meet Stefan in the entryway. “What do you have to report?”

Immediately, he cleared his throat and adopted an impassive mask. There were a lot of things I could say about Stefan, but he really was an impressive soldier.

“One hundred and twelve casualties. Two hundred and thirty-six injuries—most of them civilian. Of the two hundred and thirty-six, only forty-seven of them require extensive care or surgery. We called for healers from nearby camps to come help.”

I nodded as I processed this information.

God, so many innocent people…

Not every person who arrived here was a fighter. Some were humans looking to escape their home or be a part of the movement in other ways—whether that would be teaching, healing, or crafting supplies and weapons. This was supposed to be a safe haven for them.

A wave of anger threatened to bowl me over.

Stefan continued to speak, but I barely heard a word he was saying.

For the last few months, we were on the defense. Maybe that had to change. Maybe we finally needed to take the fight to Aaliyah and win this battle once and for all.

But could we do it when not all of my mates had undergone their trials?

“Z?” Stefan tentatively placed his hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Let. Her. Go.”

I didn’t recognize the low, menacing voice at first.

Glancing over Stefan’s shoulder, I spotted Dair wheeling himself into the tent, his lips distorted into a scowl that looked strange on his normally serene face. His eyes fixed on where Stefan gripped my shoulder.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Dair warned.

“Dair!” I snapped.

All of my mates were prone to fits of jealousy, but this? This was something else altogether.

Stefan quickly lowered his hand, his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning a vibrant shade of pink.

“I’m going to get in contact with Davia,” Stefan said quickly.

I didn’t take my attention off of Dair.

He gripped the arms of his chair so tightly, I could see each individual vein in his hands. Tension carved deep lines into his forehead.

Stefan hurried out of the tent without a backwards glance.

“What the hell was that about?” I demanded as soon as he was gone.

Dair’s jaw clenched. “He was touching you.”

“So?” I arched an eyebrow. “He was touching my shoulder, not my boob.”

“He’s in love with you.” Dair seemed to be speaking through gritted teeth.

“Once again…so? I’m in love withyou.” And six other men, but this wasn’t about them.

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