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His Rejected Mate (Game Of Wolves Book 3) 22
I wasn’t out of my room for more than thirty seconds when Zoe crashed into me, hugging me so tight, I was afraid my ribs would crack.“Oh my gosh. I’m so glad you’re back,” Zoe gushed.Hugging her back, I smiled. “Glad to be back.”Zoe held me at arm’s length and looked me over. “Are you all right? I was literally coming to check on you. I was worried. You’ve been asleep for, like, forever.”“I’m good. I came out to get something for breakfast… or lunch?”Zoe smirked. “You mean dinner? You slept the entire day. We don’t have a huge selection here. Limited supplies, you know? How about some oatmeal?”The whole day? Good gods. My stomach gave another warning rumble at the mention of food. “That sounds fucking fantastic,” I said. “Plain food would be fine at this point.”“We do have some dried fruit and stuff. It won’t be like prison food. Come on.” Zoe pulled me along toward the dining area.In the little carved-out commissary area, Zoe spoke to a younger witch and asked for a serving o
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“This isn’t a meeting space. I saw it when the door was open. It’s a bunk room of some sort. I think it’s where the staff sleeps.”“You’re saying Simon walked you through the whole facility?” Crew asked, surprise written all over his face.“Yeah. It was weird,” I said.“Hang on, go back,” Eli said, holding up her hand. “You have history with Simon? From when you were a kid?”Sighing, I put the pencil down and glanced at Wyatt and Zoe. Wyatt gave me a reassuring nod.“Right,” I said. “No reason to hold back now, I suppose.”I gave them an abbreviated run-down on what I thought had happened to me as a kid, then the true story Simon gave me and everything in between.“So,” I went on, “I actually was a latent wolf. Had Simon not interfered, I never would have had access to my inner wolf.”“Holy shit,” Wyatt muttered. “This is crazy.”“That’s what I thought, but it’s all true,” I said. “Whatever this potion or drug is that he used, it not only reversed my latency, but also caused the wolf
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Eli shook her head slowly and glanced around at all of us. “We had the same concern about monsters escaping. A couple of our most powerful magic wielders scried the area beyond the fallen wards. There’s some kind of dark force still in place. It’s something none of them have ever seen before, and whatever it is, isn’t allowing anything to leave the island. While it’s still there, we’re stuck here like every feral, vampire, and all those other creatures in this place.”Something dark and powerful? It made no sense. What could be strange and potent enough that wiccans and fae couldn’t even figure out what it was? As awful as it was to be stuck here, it only pushed me to fight back harder.“Crew,” I said, rounding on the leader, “we can’t keep hiding. There are enough dangers on this fucking island that we can’t also be looking over our shoulder for this mad scientist boogeyman. I didn’t spend that much time with him, but what time I did spend with him told me that he’s crazy, vindictive
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“Here’s the deal,” he said. “You’re right. I can’t, in good conscience, let Simon continue. We’ve got to stop him from sending more of that shit back home.”I let out an audible breath, but Crew held a finger up before I could speak.“When I say plan, I mean a real plan,” he continued. “We’ve got to come at him with everything we’ve got. We went in too fast for the rescue mission and took some hits. Two really good men died during that mission.”I winced as though physically slapped, remembering the men who’d died to save me. I kept my mouth shut, remembering that this was Crew’s place. He was in charge and deserved the floor.“I will not order anyone to join us,” he said. “I’ll do my best to convince the citizens of Haven that this is an important and worthwhile objective. I’ll take volunteers who want to join the fight, but I will not, under any circumstances, force them to help. They can fight, or they can hide. Haven is not a dictatorship or monarchy. Everyone here has their own v
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“Oh, it’s always been in the plan, then? Good to know,” I said, nodding along. “I was afraid that after all these years, you really were as clumsy as I thought. Whew, that’s a load off my mind.”“I mean, planned or not, you can’t help but jump in to try and rescue me. Do you get off on it, Wyatt? Is it some sort of sexual kink? Do you get a boner when things get tense and dangerous?”We bickered back and forth like we used to before coming to the island, but the dynamic had changed. Instead of irritation in her voice and frustration in mine, there was a softness, a playfulness to the banter that had never been there before. It was the fact that we loved each other. That’s what had changed. We no longer fought that or pushed back on the feelings we’d had for so long.Kira was in the middle of making another dirty joke when I lunged forward, kissing her, cutting her off mid-sentence. After a moment, I pulled away and looked into her eyes, serious again. “I mean it. Tell me if and when y
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Down the hall ahead of us, I spotted Crew talking to a few Haven citizens. The people he spoke to looked at him with such intense excitement, I could practically feel the crackle in the air. From the look on these people’s faces, they’d walk through fire for him. No matter what he asked them to do, they’d say yes.Kira flagged down a guy walking down the corridor. “Have you seen Zoe? Do you know where we can find her?”He pointed down another hallway. “I think I saw her that way. She’s with some witches, trying to help that guy you all brought in. The one who’s unconscious.”“Thanks. Come on,” Kira said, taking J.D.’s hand.“You guys go ahead,” I said. “I need to have a word with Crew.”Kira nodded, and they hurried down the tunnel. As the three Haveners moved away, conversing softly among themselves, I made my way to Crew.“Wyatt.” He nodded at me.“Crew.” I tilted my head toward the group that was heading down the hall. “How’s it going? Any takers yet?”Crew sighed and gave me a rue
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“Look, if this is more shit about Kira belonging to you, and you wanting me back off, I’m really in no mood for that. You’d do better to shut your mouth and walk away.”Gavin rolled his eyes and huffed out an annoyed sigh. “Well, since Kira went ahead and professed her love to you on live television, and the fact that the two of you can’t keep your fucking hands off each other, I don’t really have a leg to stand on. I’m not going to encroach. But”—he held up a finger—“if we do figure out and fix the broken fated mate connections, and Kira really is meant to be with me, you need to be ready to back off.”“Gavin, for real, can we not—”“I know, I know, we can save that for a later date,” he said. “What I really wanted to talk about is the plan for when we get back to the mainland.”This was getting us nowhere, and I really wanted to find Kira. “What part, Gavin? A lot of shit will be happening if we get back home.”“If the war is really getting as bad as they say, then I doubt your litt
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Her words struck me as completely out of the blue. Kira Durst, the person who was more loyal to her pack than anyone else I’d ever met, was talking about the whole system falling apart?“Looks like this island has changed you,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Never thought I’d hear you say that. What flipped your opinion?”She leaned forward and gave me a lascivious look. “This big sexy lone wolf showed me the truth. Real caring and protection doesn’t come from packs or alphas or hierarchy.” Her face softened, and she reached forward to take my hand. “It’s all pointless if you don’t have more. People should choose their pack. Like you did. Being here? Living with and watching out for other shifters who aren’t in my pack? It’s like what the fuck are we doing, separating ourselves?”“When you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense,” I said. “I never expressed it verbally, but that’s kind of how I feel. Everyone else in the unofficial pack, too.”“Right. I’d be happy with a pack made up o
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Who knew what the future held? Maybe things would look even more different in a few years. After all, look how much had changed in a few short months.I walked down to get a better view of everyone. So many familiar faces. Chelsey and Crew, of course. Mika, with Zoe snuggled right up against him. J.D. and Leif, holding hands. Leif’s body, face, and attitude were stronger and healthier than during our final days on Bloodstone Island. It had taken weeks of intensive work with spell casters, healers, and psychologists, but he’d fully recovered. No longer feral, he’d begun working with J.D. to form a nonprofit company to help shifters who were in danger of going feral or who had recently slipped over. He wanted to give everyone the same help he’d been given.Abel had come with his new girlfriend, the woman he’d always thought should have been his fated mate. My brother Kolton stood beside Eli, their hands clasped together. Eli was even more beautiful than before. After we’d revealed all t
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I needed to speak to Kira alone. Now that everything was wrapping up, I had to see how she was doing. Taking her hand, I led her back down the hallway to a private alcove. I kissed her, my lips lingering on hers for longer than necessary. All the stress of the last few days—hell, the last few weeks—finally felt like it was easing. Now we would have time to think and recover.“How are you?” I asked. “After what Simon did to you in there?”Watching her turn into a mindless animal had frightened me even more than when she’d attacked me. Seeing those soulless eyes glaring down at me while she snapped and growled had damn near broken my heart.Kira took a steadying breath and nodded. “For a minute or two there, I really thought I might kill you. I had no control. The idea of killing my own fated mate was horrifying. I don’t think I’ve ever been that terrified in my life. But it’s over.” That beautiful smile returned to her face. “Whatever Lucina did broke that spell. I don’t think I’ll eve
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The elevator trip was spent in silence, each of us basking in the other’s happiness and relief. Kira’s emotions bounced through my mind, and I was ecstatic that we hadn’t lost this deep, binding connection.At the ground floor, the doors slid open and we were met with two voices, one mewling and begging, the other pissed.“Told your ass not to run, didn’t I? And my name is fucking August, not Autumn!”What the hell was going on?“Please, you must let me go, you must. I have fans. Oh, gods, it hurts. What do you want? Money? I can get you girls. Boys, if that’s your speed? Whatever you want!”Von?I turned to look at Kira, and her eyes were as shocked as mine. We sprinted from the elevator and around the corner. Von was pinned to the wall with the broken leg of a chair. The makeshift stake pierced him in the shoulder rather than the heart. August stood before him, using a hand to hold the vampire’s head up. Seeing us coming down the hall, he let Von go, letting the host dangle six inch
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Movement caught my eye, and I glanced at our friends. August was talking hurriedly to Crew, who nodded and took over control of the camera. August then rushed over to take a seat at the table while Crew zoomed the camera in close to August’s face.“Good afternoon, world. I hope you enjoyed the latest episode of the new show, What the Fuck? I’m your host, August Evander.“Now that I have a captive audience, I have some cats—er, dogs—to let out of the bag. I’m sure you’ll all enjoy this. We all love dirt. Let’s spill the tea, shall we?”August rambled off the information he’d dug up, starting with Crew’s parents. He proceeded to discuss the Tranquility Council’s corruption, the assassinations carried out by Tranquility operatives, pay-offs, embezzling, blackmailing, paid-off judges, murders, and more. Nearly every alpha and beta from the upper packs were named in some dirty dealing or another.At first, we stood transfixed by August’s rapid-fire delivery, but eventually, the board membe
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Heline turned and registered the camera. A mix of emotions flashed across her face--confusion, understanding, shock, anger, fear, rage. Her face was even paler than before as she took in the truth. Millions had seen and listened to her admit to all she’d done.Behind me, Wyatt chuckled. “After all this, I can’t believe I’m happy to see a camera.”Heline’s eyes widened, and I thought she was going to unleash a tirade on us. But instead, she grinned and laughed along with Wyatt.“Yes, yes, yes, so funny,” she chuckled. “Of course I knew that camera was there. Do you really think the great Heline would let anything happen to her acolytes? I care deeply for them. I would never allow harm to come to them for something I allegedly did.”“Really?” I asked dryly.“I fully intended to make the fated mate pairings right again. I always did, my dear girl,” Heline added.The way she called me dear girl made my guts go watery and cold. The smile on her lips was no longer jovial. It looked like the
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Stop! Please no, don’t hurt him. Gods, please stop, I screamed out at myself from deep in my mental prison, but through my internal screams, I watched as the jaws that had once belonged to me snapped and bit at Wyatt. He managed to hold me back, his hands under my jaw, but I was strong and he’d been caught unaware. I couldn’t even hear his thoughts or emotions now. All I could see was the terror in his eyes as my teeth drew nearer his neck.“Enough!” a shout erupted from behind me.Even in the manic feral state of my body, whatever controlled me turned to see the mousy woman standing. She lifted her arms and a flash of magic shot forward, surrounding me in a net of darkness, the strands of it digging painfully into me. With a jerk of her hand, I was hauled away from Wyatt, leaving him blessedly safe.Inside the strange magical net, Simon’s influence melted away, the weird connection between us shattering. Suddenly, I was free. Freer than I’d felt since that night all those years ago.
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“I can’t die like this,” he gasped. “My fans. They’re watching. If I die on air, it will be appalling.”Ignoring Von’s pleas, Wyatt said, “Call for Heline, Von.”Von’s murmured begging ceased. “Excuse me?”“Of every person on this show, you’ve been around the longest. If anyone knows the moon goddess, it’s you. You see her at the end of every damned season. Call her. Tell her to get her ass down here. Now.”“But…but…but,” Von stammered. “My boy, I can’t simply call to a goddess—aah!” Von’s words cut off in a shriek as Wyatt dug the pencil in deeper.“Von,” Wyat said with a sad shake of his head, “I am not a fan of yours. Please don’t piss me off. I’ve staked enough vamps in my day to know exactly how scared you are of this pencil.”I couldn’t take my eyes off Von’s face. The sheer terror I saw there was both sad and cathartic. He’d put us through so much shit, had giggled, laughed, and applauded over it. Now he was getting a taste of the danger he loved—and it seemed he wasn’t a fan.
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Every time I tried to open my mouth, nothing came out. I must have looked guilty beyond belief. Wyatt turned toward me and saw the look of horror in my eyes. The fingers of his mind drifted into mine, and an instant later, he spun in his chair, angry eyes leveling on Simon.“He’s doing something to her,” Wyatt snapped.Simon adjusted his glasses and laughed. “Me? I’m doing nothing. Perhaps Ms. Durst is simply speechless with guilt for her crimes. Have you thought about that, Mr. Rivers?”Veins bulged at my neck as I tried to force words from my mouth, but it was like a brick wall had been built between my voice box and my mouth. I stared down at the table, at the pad of paper and sharpened pencil I had before me, trying to make sense of what was happening. Around the room, the other guests and board members glared at me with dark, accusing eyes.A hand touched my leg. Firm yet gentle, gripping my thigh. The fingers cool even through my pants. Von’s assistant. Surprised, I glanced down
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Chapter 25 Kira The hesitancy I felt as we walked toward the table nearly made me freeze in place, but I pushed forward. I would not let these assholes see me weak.Before each seat was a legal pad and pencil, as if they expected us to take notes or something. Wyatt took his seat, and I sat beside him, the mousy little assistant on my other side. The woman still hadn’t said a word, which didn’t surprise me. If I had to be around Von Thornton all day, I’d keep my mouth shut, too. The guy never seemed to stop talking. The poor woman had probably given up on speaking while at work.Simon’s eyes were still on me. Even without looking in his direction, I could feel them boring into me. In the deepest recesses of my mind, I could still catch small hints and whispers of his voice, calling to me. It was less like the connection Wyatt and I shared and more like a faint memory. Any hope I’d had that I’d imagi
