Chapter Twenty-Five （Rut）

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE (RUT)

HAZEL

"We're checking on Zero first," Gonzo said. Excuse me? I sped up my march, moving faster down the hall. He lengthened his strides to keep up.

"They shot me up with so much tranq I didn't wake up until ten minutes ago," he grumbled.

"You and I aren't doing anything together ," I seethed. My favorite fantasy about killing La Volpe was bursting in on him doing something vulnerable. Usually, he was in the shower, and I ripped the curtain off, and screamed "here's Johnny" before a long, bloody, brutal battle that made all the chasing over the years worth it.

"Zero needs us," Gonzo said. I stopped and looked at him. I'd never known what La Volpe would look like. The descriptions were annoying. "Eyes as dark as his ethics" weren't entirely helpful details to go on, but I got what they meant now. His eyes were as dark as his ethics. Fucking asshole.

"Did you and Zero work together to get me here?" I asked him. "That was your anonymous letter that clued me into Baz being here at Verfallen, wasn't it? I've been thinking a lot." Maybe I hadn't known what La Volpe looked like, but I'd gotten to know his conniving style throughout the years.

"Hazel," Gonzo sighed. He pushed his bangs from his eyes, and I watched his bicep flex. A surge of desire went through me, followed by anger.

"Don't Hazel me. We're enemies," I hissed. Not a second later, there was a knife in my hand and pressed right below his Adam's Apple."I've fantasized about killing you over and over."

"You want to do this now, Red Viper ?" He looked down at me crowding his space. La Volpe had intelligent, conniving eyes and immense strength in a handsome package. They'd warned me he was tricky, and he certainly had been. He'd been eluding me for years, always one step ahead.

I never realized just how dangerous he would be. He'd turned the tables. All this time, I thought I was chasing prey while a predator was crafting a trap.

"Did you get off to those murderous fantasies?" He asked.

"Don't change the subject." My face felt hot. I was an idiot for falling for him.

"This is the subject," he grabbed my forearm, helping to press the knife against his throat. The skin where his fingers touched tingled. His grip was steel. He could break my arm in a single snap.

La Volpe wasn't a normal shifter; he was something more. Gonzo had never told me he was young or that he was a regular shifter. I realized he hadn't told me anything about himself. I'd just filled in the empty spots with assumptions.

I watched blood trickle down from where the knife kissed him. Red pooled on his collarbone as his grip forced my knife deeper. Crafty eyes bore into me, daring me to make my move.

He'd lived centuries. I'd been sharing kisses and learning sex from a man some called a god.

"I can see the murderous desire in your eyes, Hazel. Go ahead, I'm not running anymore." He leaned in closer, the knife steady on his throat. His breath fanned my neck as his lips tickled my ear. "I'd rather be killed by my mate than ignored or hated. But I will fight back." I felt his lips press against my neck. I tried to fling myself away, but his other arm wrapped around my back, pulling my body flush with his. My hand shook as he kept me from slicing him with the knife.

Gonzo's nose pressed behind my ear and inhaled. His soft groan rolled across my skin.

I didn't know much about shifter mates, and I didn't want to. This thing between us was fucked.

"I'm going insane because here you are trying to kill me and all I want is a kiss." His mouth hovered over mine.

"Let me go," I whispered.

"I feel like I'm burning up." His lips pressed to mine. I ran hot, but Gonzo felt hotter. His lips seared mine. Was something wrong with him? As soon as he burst into Orson's office earlier, something felt off, and it wasn't just his sudden desire to kill for Zero. He was acting without thought, a desperate burning inside him—swinging between rage and desire.

Gonzo's teeth sunk into my lip, and his erection pressed against my belly. The moment I realized I was kissing him back, I panicked. When I ripped myself free, he let me.

Gonzo leaned against the wall, staring at me with half-lidded eyes and a smile. There was sweat on his forehead, making his bangs stick.

If he was sick, I'd cure him.

"I'm finally killing you, fox," I said.

"Oh princess, you can try." He flashed me one of his smiles. I clicked my tongue, turned, and ran. Neither strength nor speed were powers of phoenix. Meanwhile, Gonzo had the strength of ten shifters. He'd been hiding this whole time, pretending to be weak and meek. Now that the cat was out of the bag, I didn't expect him to hold back.

I needed distance, and I needed it fast. I burst into the dayroom, where breakfast was in full swing. A moment later, powerful arms wrapped around me from behind. Gonzo lifted me off my feet and then slammed me into a table. Trays of tasteless porridge and burnt toast were flung to the floor. The people at the table jerked back in shock as I was bent over.

Gonzo draped his weight across me, and I thrashed underneath him. His body was a furnace compared to his normal temperature. I twisted the knife around in my hand and jabbed backwards, sinking it into his thigh. He hissed and jerked back, giving me the opportunity to turn around. I slashed out with the bloody knife, and he jumped back.

In an instant, I climbed up on the table and pulled out a throwing star from under my dress. His eyes burned molten gold as the weapon sunk into his arm. He ripped it out and lunged for me.

Quick on my feet, I leapt from table to table, disturbing everyone's breakfast. Trays were kicked up, the floor getting coated in cold oatmeal as Gonzo chased after me.

"We should have done this from the start," he half-growled, half-laughed.

"What the fuck is going on now?" I heard someone ask in exasperation. Everyone else kept eating, eyes glued to the scene like it was a rerun of a daytime soap opera.

"Rut psychosis. Seen it a few times," a shifter said around a piece of toast right before I kicked his tray off the table.

"Whoops!" I called out, making my way across the room. What the fuck was he talking about, rut psychosis? This was just a fight to the death. Unfortunately for Gonzo, I didn't die. I jerked my head to the side and saw Baz sitting in the corner with his friends.

"Hey sis!" He called out, waving. Shit , well I could die one way. A hand wrapped around my ankle and tugged. I fell to my knees and then screamed as steel arms wrapped around my middle. He gripped my wrist and pulled the knife from my hand.

"You call this trying to kill me?" Gonzo laughed as he dragged me off the table and flung me against the wall. His hand wrapped around my throat and squeezed. His body pressed in close, kicking my feet apart wider to make space for himself.

"You're going to have to try harder than that," he panted in my ear. He was more out of breath now than when he was running around. He squeezed my neck and I groaned, clawing at his arms.

"Do you want to fight or fuck, Hazel?" He growled, grinding between my legs. I pulled out another tiny dagger and sent it into his side. He groaned in pain and backed off. I took off running, looking over my shoulder to see him rip the dagger out, throw it, and then begin chasing after me at full speed.

"I'm starting to think you don't even want to kill me," he called out as I raced to the basement door. I flung it open and leapt down the steps as fast as I could. Did I want to kill Gonzo? No. But he was La Volpe, and I'd wanted to kill that faceless enemy for years. So what did I do? I didn't know.

I couldn't even hear the sound of him running behind me. Halfway down the dim hall, he tackled me to the ground. My body was pressed into the floor. Dust and rubble were disturbed by our heavy breaths. The scent of iron and Gonzo filled my nose. He smelled like mahogany and oranges—something that was normally so faint I could barely smell was now filling my nose and making me dizzy. I began to feel hot right along with him. I burned, and liked it.

"Stop me," he begged, grinding against my ass. The long, hard length of him was hot and heavy on my back. Goosebumps rose up my spine, and I stretched out on the floor beneath him. My fingertips gripped broken tiles. I saw blood drip beside me, the wounds I left him with still open and wet.

"I can't think," he panted, reaching under my dress. His fingers felt like brands on my skin, re-molding the shape of my thighs. "Stop me or you'll be stuck with me," he whispered.

I couldn't think either. His need was everywhere—in his scent and hands, in the heat of his body. I felt like I was drowning in it, inhaling lungfuls of demanding hunger.

"I don't know what's going on." My face was hot, and there was a heavy weight low in my belly. He was right. I should stop him. I didn't even know if I wanted to kill him, let alone fuck him. I definitely didn't want to forgive him. He'd had sex with me while lying about who he was.

I moaned as his hand moved between my thighs, fingers pressing to my panties and rubbing up and down. A moment later, he pulled them to the side and slid a finger inside me.

"Hazel," he groaned in dismay. "You're so wet." Gonzo flipped me on my back. I gasped at the sight of him. He looked delirious. He was out of breath and covered in sweat. His eyes were burning brighter than I ever saw them and his hands were turning to claws again, unable to control his shifting.

"Hazel, you need to stop me," he said, peeling my legs apart. He was saying and doing two different things. His molten eyes burned with a desire that left me powerless. He dropped between my thighs and pulled my panties aside again, burying his face in my pussy. I felt the tickle of his hair on my thighs and his hot breath on my cunt.

My back arched off the ground, my fingers twisting in his dark locks. His licks were wet and hot, making a mess between my legs as if the goal was lubrication more than pleasure.

"Stop," I whimpered.

"I can't," he growled, his tongue digging into me.

"I can," Zero said, coming out of nowhere. He grabbed Gonzo by the hair and peeled him away from me. Gonzo was loose in Zero's grip, shuddering slightly, his glowing eyes slowly moving towards the other man. When Zero pressed a syringe into his neck, Gonzo's eyes widened, and then he passed out.

"Gonzo is sick," Zero said, laying him on the floor. Gonzo's face was pinched in pain. He flinched and groaned.

I didn't want to kill him. Hell, I wasn't even sure I wanted to kill anyone anymore— professionally, at least . My Kill List was falling apart. And whatever this was, I didn't want it killing Gonzo either. Even if I wasn't going to forgive him.

"What's happened?" I asked.

"Rut psychosis. He's rejected forming a mate bond and is fighting off a rut."

"Is he going to die?" I asked. I'd experienced death more than other phoenixes but it didn't prepare me for the sudden concern twisting my gut. I'd grown close to a mortal, something phoenixes weren't supposed to do. The idea of Gonzo being gone was too much.

"He's strong, Hazel. I have full confidence he'll be fine." I looked up to Zero. There was no sign of the injuries Gonzo said he had. Zero looked like a gothic scientist, like always. My evil prince, coming to save the day—black leather straitjacket and all.

"He said you were hurt."

"I was, but I'm fine now." He reached down and lifted me off the ground. I realized I was shaking. Zero grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His brown eyes sucked me in.

"I'm strong too, Hazel. You don't need to worry."

"Are you immortal?" I asked. His gaze grew vacant. When his eyes refocused, it was like I never asked the question at all. He was definitely spelled. I had so many questions for him. Had he always heard my thoughts and just claimed I was speaking aloud? What was he? Was he immortal?

"Do you like me?" I asked instead. I didn't think that was part of the magic gag he had. Zero looked at me for a long moment, not making any expression at all. With intelligent eyes and sharp features, all he needed was the pointed ears, and I'd believe fae were real. As the silence stretched, I went from hopeful to dying inside, my stomach in knots.

Why had he done all those things to me if he didn't like me? Then again, why had Gonzo? The sex felt excessive for trickery, but doubt was making me feel faint. Had I given myself away just so these conniving men could manipulate me?

"Never mind," I said, pushing on his chest. Zero grabbed my chin again and forced me to look at him.

"You've changed the entirety of my being." His body became flush with mine, making my heart pound. "I've been asleep for hundreds of years, and you've awoken me. Yes, I like you, Hazel." He dropped my chin and traced the shape of my face with his precise fingers. I could feel that thing under his skin again, like a shifter with his animal pressing against its cage. There was something inside Zero, and it wanted out.

"I like you, Hazel," I heard him say again, but his mouth didn't move. The words whispered in my mind, an echo of his affection. His eyes were making me dizzy. The black pupils felt unmoored, dripping down inside the brown.

"Oh."

"Do you like me, Hazel?" He asked, moving his mouth above mine. Kisses from Zero felt pulse pounding. Wasn't it dangerous to do this here? He said no one could know we touched like this. When had I been pressed against the wall? Zero had me caged in against stone bricks. I could see nothing but him.

"I like you," I admitted. Did I, though? Or was it just the idea of him I'd made? The man who might save me from my life. However, the real Zero felt out of reach. His true self was behind an impenetrable wall. What was going on inside his head? I felt so far away from him still.

"You're a part of me now." His mouth touched mine. When his tongue pressed into my mouth, I felt like I was melting. I kissed him back while he caged me against the wall. Zero had a way of making me forget every other thing in existence. There was no Uncle Vernon or Baz; Gonzo was fine for right this moment, and the asylum was distant.

His body trembled as if something wished to break out. His hands gripped the sides of my head. The kiss became suffocating, making my fingers scratch his chest. When he pulled back, I had to catch my breath. His thumbs brushed my temples as he held my skull.

"You can feel me in your head, but I wouldn't suggest looking too hard."

"Why not?" I asked. The darkness in my head expanded. I sucked in a breath and clawed at Zero. It felt like I was going to fall right through the floor. The hall swelled as if it were a living thing filling in its lungs. I remembered when I saw the room melting and the sense my mind was being split apart.

Zero removed his hands from my head, and the surrealism left in an instant. I looked up at him. My breath was shaky. The darkness in my head settled like a sleeping cat curling up in a cozy spot.

"Because you'll claw your eyes out."

"Oh." I raised my eyebrows. Who knew dating was this hard? Want to get to know the man you like? Well, that'll cost you two plump eyeballs and a whole lot of sanity. Zero pulled away.

"I need to move Gonzo. He'll wake up soon," he said. I blew out a breath and tried to recover from whatever that just was.