I throw Hogzilla aside and lunge again, getting inside his reach. It's the only way to fight someone Wraith's size. Stay close, don't give him room to utilize his reach. I drive a few quick jabs into his stomach and ribs, each one connecting with solid muscle. Like punching a steel wall.
Wraith snarls and throws his massive arms round me in a bear hug that crushes the air out of my lungs. My vision swims andgoes gray at the edges so quickly, I don’t have time to think about my next move before I react on pure instinct.
I drive my elbow into his throat—his one vulnerable spot.
Wraith's grip falters, his hands flying to his damaged throat. I drop to the ground, rolling away to catch my breath as he doubles over, a wet, choking sound escaping him.
I feel likeshit.
When he straightens up, the look in his eyes makes my blood run cold. Fury—pure, primal fury—darkens his gaze to midnight blue, almost black. Any trace of my brother is gone, replaced entirely by the feral beast that lurks just beneath his skin.
"Wraith—" I start, hoping to dial this back before it goes too far. But it's already too late.
He moves like lightning, covering the distance between us in a single bound. His fist connects with my sternum, driving the air from my lungs in a painful whoosh before his other catches me under the chin and snaps my head back.
Stars burst across my vision. I stagger backward, trying to regain my balance, but Wraith gives me no time. His next blow catches me in the side, cracking a rib.
Pain lances through me, hot and sharp. But physical pain I can work with. I understandthatkind. It’s nothing compared to the pain of fighting my brother like this.
I launch myself at him, tackling him around the midsection and driving him backward into another concrete pillar. The impact is jarring, sending shockwaves up my spine, but I don't let go. I rain blows on his ribs, his stomach, anywhere I can reach withthe exception of his face, trying to wear him down through sheer persistence.
His massive hands come up and lock around my neck in a crushing grip, cutting off my air. More spots dance at the edges of my vision as I claw at his wrists, struggling to pry him off. It’s like trying to pry off a fucking bear trap. His eyes bore into mine, no longer wild with rage but cold.
At the same time, even though I can hardly breathe, I catch a vague honeysuckle scent clinging to his clothes. A scent that shoots straight to our strained pack bond in my chest, making the cords sing like fucking harp strings.
My brother smells like…omega.
“Who is she?” I manage to grit out, my voice strained from the pressure of his hands crushing my throat. “Who,Wraith?”
A flash of vulnerability bleeds through the feral blankness in his gaze. He releases me so abruptly, I almost collapse onto him. He shoves me off him and I roll onto my back, wheezing as air fills my burning lungs again.
My brother rises to his feet and backs away from me. There's no triumph in his posture, no satisfaction at having won our fight. Just grim determination as he heads toward his SUV like none of this even happened.
“Would you at least tell me where you're fucking going?” I grit out, bracing myself against a pillar as I haul myself back to my feet.
Wraith pauses by his SUV, his massive shoulders tensing again. Then he glances back at me and fingerspells three letters.
P-H-O.
Wait…what?
Wraith doesn't elaborate. He just turns away and slides into his SUV that's somehow too small for him even though it's the biggest damn model they had. The engine roars to life, headlights cutting through the dimness of the garage.
I lurch forward, one hand pressed against my throbbing ribs. "Wait!"
But he's already backing out, tires squealing against concrete as he accelerates toward the exit. The SUV disappears around the corner, leaving me alone in the debris of our confrontation.
"Pho," I repeat to the empty garage, my voice echoing off the busted concrete and twisted metal.
We almost killed each other over…soup?
Chapter
Twenty-Six
WHISKEY
"What do you fucking mean, youdestroyed Hogzilla?"
