Killian let out a strange, low growl and withdrew from me hastily instead of letting himself soften inside me and enjoying the afterglow.
He turned away, not facing me. Then he leapt to his feet and kicked at a chair, knocking it over.
“Fuck!” he yelled, clutching at his head as if in agony. “No!”
Alarm flooded me. “What’s wrong?” I cried out, sitting up. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed.
And then he shifted. In seconds, he’d turned into an enormous gray wolf, and he threw his head back and howled.
“Killian?” I cried out.
He turned and snarled at me. Snarled. His eyes blazed with a furious light. I shrank away from him, my heart in my throat.
Who was this raging beast?
He crouched down low and leapt out the window,
Leaving me alone, with tears filling my eyes and spilling down my cheeks.
Twenty
Killian
The morning after the full moon, my whole body ached and my head pounded. I’d eaten breakfast by myself in my room and then headed straight to the gym. I didn’t trust myself to talk to Daphne. I wouldn’t be able to be the man she needed me to be today—but I’d force myself back to normal if it killed me.
“More weight!” I barked at Gage as I reclined on the bench.
“You sure, man? This is like already twenty over your normal reps for the bench,” Gage said, eyeballing the plates.
“I know how much I can handle, Gage,” I snapped.
“Yes, Alpha,” he said, sliding the plates on for me. “Are you okay right now, or…?”
“Quiet!” I grabbed the bar and pushed. Gage rushed to get into the proper spotting position. I pushed it up, took it down, and did my reps with a savage rhythm.
How dare he question us? Challenge him,my wolf snarled. Worry mixed with anger pumped through my veins. My brain knew Gage was loyal and had the right to speak up if he was concerned. My wolf, who’d never been irrational before, wanted something—or someone—to shred.
I finished, breathing hard, and sat up. I felt no better than I did before the set.
I needed to hit something. Gage was too close and my anger needed an outlet.
I kicked over a weight rack and it came tumbling down and made a massive racket of noise as plates rolled free. I smashed my fist into a nearby power bag and sent it flying. I stared at my fist.
I took deep breaths, staring at my bleeding knuckles.
Gage stared at me, alert and cautious. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Kill. Bite. Bleed.
“Talk about what?” I snapped.
He flashed me a worried look and then shrugged.
Talon wandered by, wearing only shorts, drenched with sweat. “You all right?”
“Back off,” I snarled.
“So, no.” He met my gaze with a hint of challenge. Talon liked to push his luck sometimes. It was no wonder he had to leave his last pack. I was more tolerant than most alphas, and he’d come way too close too many times.
