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His Rejected Mate (Game Of Wolves Book 3) 88
The sights below grew clearer and easier to see as we descended. Now I could see the bodies. Dozens were dead or writhing on the ground. I did this. My stupid rant on that show had tipped everything over the brink. These deaths were on me. With a few quick words, I’d overturned the whole world. Men, women, and maybe even children had been killed.A heavy, icy knot twisted in my chest. Deep down, I knew some type of catalyst had been necessary. Nothing big ever happened without it, yet the enormity of it ripped at my mind. So many dead, so many hurt, and it was my all fault. No matter how much I told myself that this upheaval had to happen, the idea of all this suffering made me sick with guilt.As the thoughts bounced through my mind, Wyatt put an arm around my waist. “I don’t like seeing this, either, but it was coming. Nothing you did or didn’t do could have stopped it. If you didn’t say something to start it, someone else would have. You can’t put all this on yourself. All we can d
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Crew and Wyatt had cleared out a small party of shifters, sending them fleeing, when a whispered voice slithered into the deepest recesses of my mind. Almost like the way some of Wyatt’s thoughts echoed in my own mind, only that was a beautiful and natural sensation. This felt…oily. Dirty. Like an unwelcome visitor in my head. Whatever it was, it beckoned me toward the city, urging me to leave my companions and sprint to the city walls without them.Wyatt could sense something was wrong with me, but he was locked in battle with a scrawny light-brown wolf.I managed to shake the strange thoughts off in time to dodge an attack at my back. A burly black wolf, almost the same shade as Wyatt’s, was attempting to jump on my back and bite into the scruff of my neck. Rolling aside, I lashed out, biting his foot. He yelped in pain, and Eli sent a blast of magic into his side. Ribs broke with an audible crack, and he yowled in agony as he tumbled away.In the distance, gunfire started, a stacca
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Off balance with two wolves on its arms and a surprise visitor on its head, the thing buckled, falling forward. Wyatt let out a shout of victorious rage as he slammed the head down onto the snapped pole. The point pierced the bottom of its jaw and then burst out through the top of the thing’s head, coated in blood and gore. The abomination twitched for a moment before going still.Our victory was short-lived, as the battlefield had gone silent. The other shifter groups stared at us in awe. My wish would have been for them to accept our elevated fighting acumen and depart, leaving us to our mission. Instead, they all decided that we were a bigger threat than they’d first realized and converged on us.Crew howled, calling us over, where we circled ourselves around Eli’s body. The shifters inched forward, growling and snapping at us, forcing our circle smaller. There were too many. We’d never be able to fight our way out. The realization that we were about to die turned my guts to jelly.
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“Unbeknownst to the fans watching, Von, Wyatt, and I had been planning a big reveal to prove our love for each other. We were going to claim each other on the show, but we went ahead and mated after we escaped.” A few wide eyes went to the marks on our necks that were only just starting to heal. It was one of the few wounds that didn’t heal fast for shifters.“You guys are mated? Oh, wow,” the one named Hudson said with a reverent awe that almost made me roll my eyes.The lead operative looked ready to explode. “What the fuck does this have to do with you all getting through this gate?”“Von doesn’t know we’re alive,” I said. “We need to get in there and let him know. He was sure that by putting us on the show and proving to everyone our love was genuine, it would calm some of the hostilities. You know what they say…everyone loves an underdog.”Holy fucking shit, I actually said it. Ew.The lead operative glanced behind us at the other four. “What about them? Who are they?”“They’re t
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No, they were all families from the upper-level packs. It was ridiculous that they were all huddled away here, rubbing elbows while their packs were out fighting each other. Another fucking sham that proved the highest levels of pack society were so corrupt, they could do something like this. The First Pack had been ordering attacks on the Second Pack’s factions while both pack leaders were hanging out here, sipping fucking wine together. They didn’t give a damn that innocent people were dying. Why would they care when their mansions and yachts would all be fine and dandy once it all blew over?I heard the familiar drone of those hovering cameras that had plagued us on Bloodstone Island. If I’d had a rock, I’d have thrown it at one of them.“You call this justice?” Kira said. “What does that mean? What is all this for?”An operative pointed at the stage. “This is where the acolytes who fucked everything up are going to be cross-examined before they’re executed.”Kira looked at him lik
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The crowd stirred at her words, and at the fact that we were alive when everyone still believed we were dead.Callista lifted a hand to her ear. “Do you hear that, Kira? They’re all asking the same question I am. Why would you halt these lawful interrogations when you were the one who demanded their blood? You said they needed to be punished.”“Wrong!” Kira shouted. “I said the ones who were guilty needed to be punished. Big difference.”Callista shook her head derisively, swatting a hand toward us as if shooing a fly away. “Security! Get these two out of here. We have things to do.”Confusion rippled through the crowd as armed security guards pushed through and thundered up the stairs. Tranquility operatives, and not the same ones who’d been escorting us. These had patches on their uniforms showing they were loyal to the Third Pack.The first to the top of the stairs was met with my boot in his face, shattering his nose and sending him tumbling backward, taking two of the others with
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Moments after Callista used the device, dozens of Tranquility operatives, Fangmore City police, and what looked like The Reject Project corporate security flooded the city street, dispersing the crowd with threats, shoves, and tasers and non-lethal magic weapons. The moment these new arrivals showed up, the hovering cameras shut down and flew off to wherever they were housed.With the cameras off and the crowd being herded away, Callista let the television facade slip away. Turning a baleful glare at us, she said, “You two annoying little shits had to show up now?” The vitriol in her voice was shocking to hear, even to me.“Yes,” Kira said, not backing down from the other woman. “To save innocent people? Of course.”“Are you really this stupid?” Callista asked, pointing toward the four tied-up men. “If I’d been allowed to execute these acolytes, it might have appeased the warring packs and stopped this meaningless war. Once all the old acolytes were killed, we could install new ones i
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Chapter 23Kira“Wow,” August said. “They’ve got a freaking minifridge with sodas in here.” He lifted an armrest to reveal the lighted refrigerator built into the limo. “Anybody want one? There’s bottled water, too.”“I’ll take a water,” Chelsey said. Like the rest of us, she was soaked with sweat and covered in grime.He tossed one to her and looked at Wyatt. “You want anything, bro?”Wyatt shook his head, doing his best to appear aloof and unworried. Our new connection let me peek into his emotions, and he was far from okay. Stress, anxiety, and even a small bit of panic were eating at him. My own nerves were making me jittery, so I could only imagine what he was going through. He was doing a good job of hiding it, though. Looking at his face, you’d think he was wholly unconcerned by the fact that he was about to see his father after years of estrangement.Through the heavily tinted windows, our group watched the city roll by. It was striking how untouched it was from the fighting b
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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
