Page 141 of Full Moon
Before I can respond, Easton speaks, his voice unnervingly calm. "Diaval and I already said we want to burn the council and the magic district to the ground." He says it so casually, like he's discussing the weather, and my head snaps toward him. I catch the way his lips curve in a slight smirk, his eyes burning with a dangerous promise that makes the phoenix in him seem far more terrifying than any flame.
"Let's find out what Fi and her gang discovered before we light the world on fire and litter the streets with bodies."
Torben's jaw drops, his shock so palpable it almost makes me laugh. The usually stoic, haughty doctor casually talking about mass destruction like it's a walk in the park has him whipping his head back and forth between Easton and me, searching for some kind of explanation.
I just shrug, a smirk tugging at my lips. "He's got a point. Fi might know something we don't—something that could spare a few beings." I nod, trying to believe the words coming out of my mouth, but the bloodlust simmers just beneath the surface, hungry and patient.
"She may add more names to the list," Khal adds smoothly. "Knowing my brother, there's at least six I can name right now without hesitation. If the plan is to wipe the slate clean..." Torben turns to stare at Khal now, his wide eyes filled with disbelief, and I can't help it—laughter bubbles up, spilling from my lips at the look on his face.
"It really shouldn't shock you, Tor." I reach out, my fingers wrapping around his large hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. His skin is warm beneath mine, the steady pulse of his strength calming. "We've got two weapons of mass destruction in the front seats."
I nod toward Easton and Diaval, both sitting unnervingly still, like predators waiting for the right moment to pounce. Easton at least tries to look sheepish, his lips twitching. Diaval doesn't bother with the pretense—his eyes flicker with faint amusement, ready for the chaos to unfold.
"And in the backseat, we've got our very own chemist and gangster," I continue, jerking my chin toward Khal with a laugh that carries an edge sharper than the joke implies. "So yeah, he'll do what needs to be done." The weight of our reality sits heavily between us, unspoken yet understood by everyone in this vehicle.
I squeeze Torben's hands again, tilting my head to search his face. There's a storm brewing inside him, the kind that makes the air around us thick and buzzing with unspent energy. "Iknow when you finally lose your temper, the world will feel it happen," I murmur, my voice low. "Berserkers are no joke when they're mad."
A faint blush creeps up his cheeks, his shoulders stiffening. "I don't like getting angry," he admits quietly. "Sometimes... it takes days to calm down once I get to that point."
"You didn't have me before," I whisper, leaning in to kiss him softly, the brief connection grounding us both in the moment. His lips are warm, steadying, but my mind isn't at ease. Not with the thought gnawing at the edges of my sanity like a wolf at a bone.
"It'll all work out in the end," I say, pulling back with a small smile. But the words taste hollow, even to me, because the question I don't dare voice lingers in the darkness of my thoughts—heavy as a storm cloud waiting to break, dangerous as the ice that flows through my veins.
Who's going to stop me when I finally lose my temper?
My wolf stirs at the thought, and for the first time, I can't tell if her anticipation fills me with hope or dread.
Maybe both.
Maybe that's exactly what they should be afraid of.
