Page 40 of The Awakened Wolf

Sebastian whirled, spinning me behind him. And then he gasped.

In the doorway stood a sweating, snarling, cartoon-villain version of Max. If I hadn’t seen a man standing—swaying, really—on two feet and wearing clothes, I’d have sworn I was staring at a shifted wolf. His hair stood on end and joined a scraggly beard in creating a wolf-man look. His button down hung open over his shiftskin and topped a pair of what looked like silk pajama pants. He lurched into the room, steadying himself against the wall with a furious smack of his palm.

Danger.

A wave of ice water erupted in my chest. My wolf hadn’t demonstrated that kind of brevity since the last time we were in deep shit—when those gross Manhattan lechers wanted to change my mating status.

I thought back to when Max had kicked me out. That was only hours into his illness, and he’d nearly attacked me then. What was he capable of now? Because whatever illusions I’d been under that Max might be winning the war with his infection, they were shattered by the twisted zombie-wolf-man shuffling our way in a cloud of stink.

“Alpha Max,” Kiana said, striding to Sebastian’s side. “I order you to stay where you are.” This last word came out as a half choke, and she covered her nose with her hand. “Leto, save us. What is that horrid smell?”

I huffed, doing my best to take shallow breaths. The scent of rot was pouring off Max, as if every inch of him was gangrenous. A gulping sound to my right told me that Kiana was losing her war against the urge to gag. For once, I didn’t enjoy this fact. I was seconds away from the same reaction.

As I dropped my nose to my sleeve, I noticed the air yawning around us and looked over my shoulder. Though my sister, father, Evan, Atlas and Sebastian remained beside the blown-out doors, the rest of the guests had retreated against the walls and watched warily. Some stood in attack stance, ready to shift. I couldn’t blame them. Max was formidable when he was healthy. The thought of that power paired with a mind gone mad sent shivers rushing through me.

“Dad,” Sebastian started forward.

I grabbed his arm, my wolf clamping down with a little more force than was likely necessary, because he flinched. “Sebastian, you haven’t been here. You don’t understand. Odin’s wolves are deadly. Your dad was bitten, and he’s very sick.”

“I’ve seen the news, Elyse,” Sebastian murmured without taking his eyes off Max.

“What lies is that bitch telling you now, son?” Max wheezed. “Don’t listen to her! She’s just trying to separate you from your pack. From your destiny.”

“Father,” Sebastian said, doing his best to keep his voice level, “you must have received my message or else you wouldn’t be here. I explained everything I know to be true—”

“So, I’m still your father when it serves you in the moment, but not when you’re turning your back on our pack and swearing to serve these… these females? As a Beta? Like him?”

I was so proud of Sebastian. It must have killed him to see his father so ill and angry. But he kept his head held high when he replied, “You’re the only father I’ve ever known, and the only dad I’ll ever call mine, but I am not fit to follow in your footsteps or your paw prints. I am a Beta. I’ve always known it. Like him.”

Max paused, shuddering, and then ignored Kiana’s protest as he grabbed Sebastian roughly by the shoulders. The stench was overwhelming at this distance. I have no idea how Sebastian fought the urge to recoil, though he did start blinking like he had grit in his eyes.

Max’s eyes darted wildly—fluttering closed at one moment as his mouth worked. “I never knew,” he said, “whose blood flowed through your veins, but I knew from the moment your mother stopped shifting that I was not the father.”

His eyes cleared and he took Sebastian’s face in his hands, smoothing back his curls with a gentleness only a parent could show, like he was seeing Sebastian as a pup. A soft smile like the one I’d seen him give Sebastian the first time I met him hosted across his clammy face. I held my breath, tears brimming in my eyes, as I waited for Max to tell Sebastian that blood didn’t matter, that he’d always been Sebastian’s father and always would be.

Then Max’s fingers arched, and he began pressing his hands against Sebastian’s skull, his eyes hardening into glittering black diamonds, as he said, “And I’ve been waiting twenty-five years to take my revenge on the male who stole what was mine.” He opened his mouth, fangs glistening, and lunged at Sebastian.

I screamed, a spike of adrenaline surging through me as I rushed to help, but Sebastian had already grabbed his father’s face to hold him back. I pounded on Max’s shoulders and ripped at his arms, but he didn’t even register my presence. There was a blur in the corner of my vision as Evan and Atlas leaped at once to help, but Kiana threw out her arms and stopped them short.

Seconds later, Kenzo and Mateo burst through the unguarded doorway and wrenched Max off Sebastian, hauling him backward as he snapped and snarled, foam forming around his still human mouth. I panted, grabbing for Sebastian’s hand as I stared at the raving animal that had been his father in all but blood.

“Oh shit,” Evan said beside me, seeming surprised, but I barely registered it. I was too terrified watching Kenzo and Mateo being pushed to their collective limits in their attempts to subdue Max. What would he do if he got loose? Would he really attack his own son?

“I’m so sorry, man,” Kenzo said to Sebastian, his tone rife with grief. He grunted as Max thrashed against him but maintained his grip. “We came as soon as we realized he’d slipped away. Once I saw your message on his phone, I knew where he was going.”

Sebastian was still staring in silence. I pulled him toward me and away from Max.

“Let me go!” Max shouted, enraged. “I ORDER you to let me go.”

Kiana stepped in front of him—which was also between him and Sebastian and me—and said, “I’m the only one who gives the orders around here.”

“That’s the problem with this pack,” Max said, his lip curling over his dripping fangs. “Weak leadership.”

His gaze swung to my father, who now seemed to have used up whatever vigor was still in him with his initial confrontation of Sebastian. The shadow version of him, bent and thin, had returned. I winced.

“None of this would have happened,” Max ranted, “If you’d known how to control your Beta, Phelan.”

“There was no controlling Damien,” Kiana said. “You know that.” She said this as if she expected logic to work on the maniac that had taken over Max’s body.

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