Sloth (The Damning Book 4)
Page 25
emotion seeping into my hardened gaze.
If the kings wanted a game, they got one.
I would fucking destroy them this time around.
“Perfect.” My saccharine sweet voice interrupted the cacophony of noise
as all eyes turned towards me. I smiled broadly as I directed my next question
at the confused kings. “When can I pick out my wedding dress?”
TWENTY-EIGHT
DAIR
“Devlin? Lupe?” I ducked my head into Lupe’s bedroom,
fighting off my irritation. His bed was made, a few books
sitting on his bedside table, but the lumbering shifter was
nowhere to be seen. Frowning, I softly shut the door and wheeled myself
down the hall to Devlin’s room.
Unlike Lupe’s, Devlin’s bedroom looked as if it had been plucked
straight from a home décor catalogue. It was as immaculate as always, not a
piece of clothing out of place and the comforter on the bed smoothed to utter
perfection. In the opened closet, I could see Devlin’s pressed suits
meticulously ironed, not a wrinkle in sight.
Shaking my head in amusement, I shut Devlin’s door and checked every
bathroom.
Nothing.
My amusement dissolved as true fear replaced it, weighing down my
heart.
“Dev! Lupe!” I hurried from room to room, checking each and every one,
including the closets, until one fact became clear—my brothers were no
longer in the capital.
My arms ached from the effort I was exuding, and I eventually paused
outside my own bedroom, shaking out my fingers. I hated this damn chair
more than I hated anything else in my life.
And what I hated even more was the freedom that was dangled enticingly
in front of my face like a tasty morsel and then brutally wrenched away. The
last few hours, I’d been…free. I hadn’t been confined to this prison of a
wheelchair, but instead, was capable of venturing on my own two feet. For a
man who’d spent the majority of his adult life stuck in this chair, it was a
heady, intoxicating sensation, one a person could become addicted to. Maybe
that was the aspect of Z that had first captured my attention, before I knew we
were mates—the freedom she exhibited. She didn’t believe in silly things like
fate or destiny, despite it being shoved in her face. Fate was a wind blowing
from all directions, never capturing Z because she didn’t stay still long
enough to let it.
She was, for a lack of better word, free, as I’d always yearned to be.
Shaking my head, I forced myself to roll farther down the hall until I
reached the very end.
Were Devlin and Lupe in the throne room with our parents? That would
make sense, I supposed, if they wanted to keep an eye on Z.
Despite my resolve strengthening, something didn’t feel right. It pricked
at my skin repeatedly like thousands of rusty nails. That uncomfortable
sensation slid through my veins like poison.
“Prince Dair!” a raspy voice called from behind me, and I swiveled my
head over my shoulder to see none other than old Mrs. Grinshaw hurrying
towards me, her customary apron firmly in place and her gray hair twisted
away from her face.
“Mrs. Grinshaw,” I greeted, eyeing her warily. “How are you?”
She released a tired sigh when she finally caught up to me, her wrinkled
face creasing with pain.
“The best I can be, considering…” She trailed off and very slowly shook
her head from side to side. A strand of white escaped its binding and bounced
against her cheek.
“Considering?” Tension reverberated through me, tightening my muscles
until they were as stiff as boards.
“You didn’t hear?” Her white brows reached her hairline.
“Hear what?”
Had something happened to Z? Fuck, I knew I should’ve gone with them!
If my father laid a hand on her—
“Lupe and Devlin.” Mrs. Grinshaw’s lips curled downwards as sadness
sparked to life in her eyes.
Now I was panicking for a completely different reason.
“What the fuck happened to them?” I demanded, and her eyes narrowed
at my curse word. She’d been the one to teach all seven of us etiquette, so I
knew that my slip of tongue had her mentally seething.
But then her face distorted once more, the anger transforming into
sadness. She lowered her eyes to her hands, where they fisted in the skirt of
her dress. “They felt…well…I imagine you felt the same. I’m sorry, dear. I
know you must be grieving as well—”
“Grieving?” I interrupted, knowing I was being rude but not giving a
damn. There were too many things I needed to focus on.
Her nose wrinkled. “The mating bond?”
“The mating bond,” I repeated blankly as pieces to this deformed puzzle
finally started to come together. “Devlin and Lupe…felt the mating bond
break?”
My heart thumped erratically in my chest, and my hands turned ice-cold.
A single bead of sweat slid down my forehead, but I didn’t make a move to
brush it away.
The feeling of the mating bond snapping in two and then dissolving was
unimaginable. It was an agony I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
If they felt that…
And if they didn’t know that Z was still alive, too lost in their pain and
grief to notice the bond reforming…
“Where are they?”
Grinshaw’s tongue darted out to lick her lip as she shuffled from foot to
foot. I knew whatever she had to tell me was bad, horrible even, and I braced
myself, my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.
“Lupe went feral,” Grinshaw told me sadly. “We had to lock him in the
capital’s dungeon for fear of what he might do to others…or himself.”
Shit.
Panic roared within me for my shifter brother, but I forced myself to push
it down and focus on what I did best—fix problems for my family. I may not
have been a natural-born leader like Devlin, but I was the problem-solver of
our makeshift family. I’d fix this. I had to.
“And Devlin?” My voice was nothing but a raspy whisper, my mind
running a mile a minute as I pictured my shifter brother trapped in the
capital’s dungeon below me, slowly losing his mind to the wrath. Was he at
least human, or had he transformed into his bear? Was there anything left of
the brother we all loved?
Panic warred in my chest and swallowed the air around me.
And what about Devlin? Where the fuck was he?
Please be okay. Please be okay.
Please, please be okay.
“He left,” Grinshaw told me simply, and I could see the underlying fear in
her gaze. There was more to the story than what she was telling me.
“Where the fuck did he go?” My hands shook as complete and utter fear
consumed me. Annihilated me.
“I tried to stop him.” A single tear slid down Mrs. Grinshaw’s face as she
once more grabbed at her skirt, pulling at a string that had somehow gotten
loose.
“Where. Did. He. Go?” I hissed out, though my anger wasn’t directed at
her.
“He wanted revenge. He said…he said he was
going to kill a woman
named Aaliyah.”
TWENTY-NINE
DEVLIN
There was nothing but pain and darkness.
No light broke through the monotony of my thoughts as I stared
out the windshield. Rain splattered the glass, cascading down like
teardrops. Fitting, I supposed, with my own tears making salty tracks on my
face.
Numb.
I felt numb.
Empty.
Nothing mattered any more—not the kingdoms, not my brothers, not
even my own life.
Z was dead.
I’d felt the moment our bond broke, signifying she had left me. And with
her went what remained of my heart and sanity.
I’m coming, baby girl.
There were a few things I needed to do before I felt comfortable joining
my beloved in the afterlife. When I left her years before, I’d known I would
survive it because she was still alive. Still smiling and laughing and loving. I
would happily live in the dark if it meant she would thrive in the light.
But this? Knowing she was gone for good? It destroyed something
fundamental inside of me. Everything ached—from the tips of my feet to my
very soul.
I wouldn’t be able to save the kingdoms from complete and utter ruin, but
I could enact my vengeance.
Aaliyah was going to die for what she did to my mate.
And if death claimed me during the impending fight?
It would just save me a bullet to the skull.
Just a few days, baby. And then I’ll be with you.
EPILOGUE
S
“You cannot be fucking serious!” I raged, spinning on my
brother. T lifted his hands in the air in a placating manner,
though the stubborn glint in his eyes did not cease.
“You can’t see her, brother. Not yet.”
“Why the fuck not?” I continued to pace the small hotel room, my feet
wearing a hole in the carpeting. We’d been here just about two days, and I
was going fucking crazy.
When T freed me from my prison, I’d thought I’d be reunited with him
and the love of my existence. But instead, I was faced with the cold hard truth
—Z was in love with another man. Seven other men, to be exact.
Nightmares.
The crowned princes.
“It’s a spell,” I seethed, whirling on my brother. “She must be under a
spell.”
The Z I knew would never sleep with the enemy unless she was forced to
or she was undercover. And since T insisted it wasn’t either…then that must
mean she was under some sort of coercion. Maybe she was being
blackmailed? Threatened?
The princes were evil, as were their fathers, and it was my job to save my
girl before she fell prey to their wickedness.
“Whatever they’re using her for probably isn’t good,” I continued as T
cast me a pitying look. I hated that damn look more than words could
describe. He’d told me numerous times before that Z was in love with those
monsters.
Bullshit.
They must’ve done something to her.
I stared intently at the picture T had given me, the same picture I’d stared
at every damn second for the last day and a half.
It showed Z smiling up at a tall, muscular man with light brown hair and
thick glasses. Six other men surrounded her, all staring at her with lovestruck
eyes. It was apparent to me that they didn’t know the picture was being taken,
but that only made me more enraged. Envy swirled in my stomach. I wanted
nothing more than to be the man she stared at so…lovingly. Combined with
the envy was wrath, white-hot and blistering. How dare these men try to take
away my one reason for living? What Z and I had…it was fucking amazing,
and these monsters couldn’t even try to replicate it.
I was prideful enough to admit that I didn’t want Z with anyone else. Not
when we could finally be together again. I was gluttonous for more of her—
her taste, her laugh, her smile…I wanted it all. At the same time, I was
greedy and selfish. I didn’t want to share her with those men, not when I
knew what it felt like to have her all to myself.
A trickle of lust invaded my senses as I stared at her perfect smile, before
dropping my gaze to her smooth collarbone and the swells of her breasts. I
traced my finger over her face as emotions bombarded me. We’d been doing
nothing all day, and I was feeling pretty damn lazy.
But that was going to change.
Ideas formed in my head the longer I stared at the picture, and with a
grunt of determination, I ripped the image in half—eliminating the guys
while saving my Z’s sweet face. I kissed the picture before gently placing it
in my back pocket.
“I’m going after her,” I told my brother with a piercing glare. He threw
his hands up into the air and released an exasperated scoff.
“And what will you do when you reach her?”
My words were a vow, a promise, a declaration. “I’m going to kill the
princes and save my girl.”
And they won’t even see me coming.
WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? PRE-ORDER BOOK FIVE, PRIDE, HERE !
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It takes a team to make these books, and fortunately, I have the best one.
Thank you to my alphas Kelly, Ellen, and Ash! I can’t even describe with
words how amazing your advice and input is.
Thank you to Melody for creating this beautiful cover and to Meghan for
editing and polishing this book. You ladies are the best!
And finally, I would like to thank my incredible family. Without you
guys…I probably would’ve finished this book two years earlier. But it’s the
thought that counts, right?
And finally, I would like to say thank you to my incredible readers. Every
day, I am humbled and astounded by your support and encouragement. Thank
you for believing in me, my characters, and my stories. I wouldn’t be where I
am today without all of you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katie May is a reverse harem author, a KDP All-Star winner, and an USA Today Bestselling Author.
She lives in West Michigan with her family, cat, and adorable puppy. When not writing, she can be found reading a good book, listening to broadway musicals, or playing games. Join Katie’s Gang to stay updated on all her releases! And did you know she has a TikTok? Yeah, me neither. Follow her
here! But be warned…she’s an awkward noodle.
ALSO BY KATIE MAY
Together We Fall (Apocalyptic Reverse Harem, COMPLETED)
1. The Darkness We Crave
2. The Light We Seek
3. The Storm We Face
4. The Monsters We Hunt
Beyond the Shadows (Horror Reverse Harem, COMPLETED)
1. Gangs and Ghosts
2. Guns and Graveyards
3. Gallows and Ghouls
Paranormal Prison (Prison Reverse Harem, COMPLETED)
1. Blindly Indicted
2. Blindly Acquitted
The Damning (Fantasy Paranormal Reverse Harem)
1. Greed
2. Envy
3. Gluttony
4. Sloth
5. Pride
Prodigium Academy (Horror Comedy Academy Reverse Harem)
1. Monsters
2. Roaring
Tory�
�s School for the Trouble (Bully Horror Academy Reverse Harem)
1. Between
2. Beyond (Coming Soon)
Supernaturalette (Interactive Reverse Harem)
1. Introductions
2. First Dates
3. Group Outing
4. Game Night
5. Exes
6. Truth or Dare
Kingdom of Wolves (Shifter Reverse Harem Duet)
1. Torn to Bits
2. Ripped to Shreds
CO-WRITES
Afterworld Academy with Loxley Savage (Academy Fantasy Reverse Harem, COMPLETED)
1. Dearly Departed
2. Darkness Deceives
3. Defying Destiny
Darkest Flames with Ann Denton (Paranormal Reverse Harem, COMPLETED)
1. Demon Kissed
1.5. Demon Stalked
2. Demon Loved
3. Demon Sworn
STAND-ALONES
Toxicity (Contemporary Reverse Harem)
Not All Heroes Wear Capes (Just Dresses) (Short Comedic Reverse Harem)
Charming Devils (Bully/Revenge Reverse Harem)
Goddess of Pain (Fantasy Reverse Harem)
Demon’s Joy (Holiday Reverse Harem)
Document Outline
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Recap of previous books
Prologue
1. Bash
2. Ryland
3. Z
4. Lupe
5. Axel
6. Z
7. Devlin
8. Z
9. Killian
10. Bash
11. Lupe
12. Z
13. Z
14. Dair
15. Z
16. Devlin
17. Z
18. Jax
19. Z
20. Ryland
21. Z
22. Bash
23. Lupe
24. Dair
25. Z
26. Z
27. Z
28. Dair
29. Devlin
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Katie May