Page 4 of Beyond the Storm
“Or it could be Purah or Vepar,” I countered. “Or any number of enemies pissed at us for killing their king.”
“I suppose we’ll soon find out.”
That, we would. And if itwassomeone who dared rise against me or my family? I’d set Wrath free, giving him total control to rip them to shreds.
***
“Hey, at least the rain stopped.” Simon peered up at the sky. The dark clouds from earlier had cleared, showing the stars.
I brought him closer to my side and swept my gaze amongst the trees. Every muscle tensed. I tapped into my superhuman senses, trying to pick up demonic or fallen angel energies. A light thud came from behind me.
“Evening,” Alastair said, his large black-and-purple wings fanning behind him before he tucked them into his shoulder blades. A shirt was in his hand, and he quickly put it on, smoothing down the front. His wedding ring caught my eye. Two stones sat in the middle of the band, one purple and one white. A symbol of him and his mate.
“Where’s Laz?” Simon asked just as the flap of wings came from above us. “Oh. Never mind.”
Lazarus landed beside Alastair, his snow-white feathers a contrast to the encroaching darkness of night. He wore an identical ring to my brother’s.
Fate had brought Simon to me in the same way it had brought Alastair and the angel together. The same way it had brought all of my brothers their mates. The strings of fate, though sometimes tangled and messy, always united the souls destined to be together. And who was I to argue with destiny?
“Show me the letters,” Lazarus said. He then glanced at Alastair, as if reacting to an unspoken thought. He probably was, considering how they could speak telepathically. “I refuse to say please. And you forget, I don’t take orders from you, Pride.”
Alastair smirked.
I pulled the pages from my back pocket and handed them over. Lazarus skimmed the writing, his expression devoid of emotion. Unreadable. He then returned them to me without a word.
“So?” I asked, impatient. “Any thoughts?”
The angel shifted his icy eyes to me. “The message clearly said to find the path in the forest. Quite self-explanatory.”
Wrath growled, the sound rumbling in my chest.
Simon slid his palm against mine and linked our fingers. That one touch curbed my mounting irritation. I blew out a breath and gently squeezed his hand to let him know I was calm—that I wasn’t about to kick the angel’s ass despite him deserving such a beating.
Another growl.
Simon lightly chuckled. “Easy, big guy.”
“Please don’t kill my husband, Wrath,” Alastair said. “I’ve grown quite fond of him. Most days.”
Lazarus turned his head away, but not before I saw a ghost of a smile on his lips. The power of a fated mate. Not even the frosty angel could fight the emotions his mate triggered. Much like me with mine.
Simon shivered.
“Dammit,” I said with a slight snarl. “You’re cold. I knew that sweater wasn’t warm enough for you.”
Even at the end of April, the temperature dipped to the mid-40s at night. Sometimes colder.
“I’m fine.” He waved me off.
“Like hell you are.” I took off my jacket and draped it across his shoulders, smoothing my hands up and down his arms. Temperature had little effect on Nephilim, so I’d worn it for this exact reason.
He smiled at me before slipping his arms through the sleeves and zipping it closed. The jacket swallowed him, the bottom of it almost touching his knees. Oversized? Definitely. But at least he was warm. Plus, I loved seeing him in my clothes.
“Now I feel silly,” he mumbled, holding out his arms and moving his wrists. The sleeves hung over his hands.
“I think you’re adorable.” I brought him to my chest and planted a kiss in his hair. The strands were cool beneath my lips. Still holding him, I looked at Alastair. “Someone went to great lengths to lure us here tonight. I hope they’re prepared for the consequences.”
My blood heated, and tingles ran down my spine. The edges of my vision blurred before clearing again. I deeply inhaled, forcing Wrath to calm his shit. Our mate being out in the cold to meet some asshole sending vague messages didn’t sit well with him or me.
