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REJECTED MATE Chapter 62
When we stepped out of London Central station, the Euston Road was chockablock with black cabs, red double-deckers, and scooters trying to weave their way through the traffic. The last vestiges of sunlight colored the sky a deep crimson, but it was nothing compared to the acrid stench of smog.A familiar silver Überwald awaited us on the curb, its window winding down. My gaze darted to Griff, who I expected would make a comment about Wulfie, but he glanced from side to side, his eyes wide.“Since when did London get so busy?” He shook his head. “And the cars…”“They’re like bubbles compared to what they were like in our time.” I looped my arm through Griff’s and nodded in the direction of the silver vehicle. “Our cab’s waiting.”Wulfie did a double-take as we confirmed our booking, his mouth gaping open. “You two scrub up well.”Eyes brightening, Griff offered the driver his hand. “Thanks, man.”The other man’s brows furrowed, and he drew back. I guessed he was so used to hostility fr
Last Updated : 2022-11-09REJECTED MATE 62.1
“Thank you.” The ogre helped me exit the Überwald, and I stepped out into the crisp evening, my lungs filling with pristine air.Griff stepped out behind me and placed a hand on the small of my back. “I’d like to see the Administrator of Bad Debts.”The ogre’s features fell. “Have you come to settle a balance?”“That’s a confidential matter,” Griff replied with a bit of bite.Up ahead, his much larger colleagues turned their attention to where we stood. I placed a hand over the dagger in my thigh, checking that it would be ready if we needed to fight our way out.The smaller ogre placed a hand on his ear and mumbled something in another language. From the loop hanging down one side of his face, it looked like this was another kind of communication device.I stood closer to Griff, who remained relaxed and confident, as though he was accustomed to attending gambling establishments.Beki’s sad bark reminded me of something he’d told me when I’d been Katie. Griff’s father had moved him ar
Last Updated : 2022-11-09REJECTED MATE 62.2
“We always went through a mediator from the Fae King’s court,” I said. “And we never once rescued someone who made a bad bargain.”His eyes widened. “What?”“We were advocating for their families,” I said with a sigh. “It’s one thing to sell a thousand years of your own labor for some frivolous reason, but we couldn’t allow our villagers to trade living people without their consent.”The bartender returned with two tumblers and six bottles, each containing brightly colored liquids. He tapped on their metal lids, releasing puffs of air that covered the glass in ice. I reached into Griff’s pocket, pulled out his phone, and tapped it on a reader, making it beep.As the satyr left to serve a green-skinned faerie, Griff visibly sagged. “When I signed away my first-born, I never thought I would find a mate.”“Why not?” I asked.“Life in my old pack was brutal. Having a mate meant having a weakness.” He reached for the bottle containing the indigo-colored drink, flipped its lid, and poured a
Last Updated : 2022-11-09REJECTED MATE Chapter 63
We followed the faerie in the silver tuxedo out of the disco bar and back into the casino’s domed entrance hall illuminated by starlight. My heart slammed against my chest at the impending confrontation. If Griff had armed us for battle, then I’d better be ready to fight.The faerie paused in the middle of the reception area, turned, and swept his gaze up and down our outfits, as though checking us for concealed weapons.My hands clenched into fists. “Is there a problem?”“We’re just awaiting a routine scan.”Light flashed above us, followed by a tingle across my skin. I glanced up to the ceiling to find the stars swooping down. My gaze darted to Griff, who gave me a reassuring nod. I hoped for both of our sakes that the weaponsmith he had purchased from kept his concealment methods up to date.“Thank you,” said the faerie.I placed a hand over my mouth. “What happens next?”The square beneath us descended, making my stomach lurch. I grabbed Griff’s shoulder, and he wrapped an arm ar
Last Updated : 2022-11-09REJECTED MATE 63.1
I glanced at Griff, who shrugged. After getting the runaround, I was in no mood to miss the opportunity to meet this administrator. Taking his hand, I walked with him to the widening gap in the shelves and stepped into a thirty-by-thirty-foot clearing with a wooden desk in the middle with three matching stools.Shadows emerged from the tall shelves, forming the shape of dogs twice the size of elephants. They glared down at us through red eyes and bared sharp, white teeth.My lips formed a tight line. If we got out of here alive, it would be a miracle.“Please take a seat.” A five-foot-tall man poked his head out from behind one of the dog’s front legs. He was dressed in the kind of pale tunic, breeches, and homemade shoes people wore in the twelve century. “My name is Edmund Harefoot, and I am the Administrator of Bad Debts.”Griff and I walked to the two stools in front of his desk and sat.He shuffled out from behind the dog, his features tight. My gaze dropped to the chain attached
Last Updated : 2022-11-09REJECTED MATE 63.2
The muscles in my stomach tightened. If the administrator elaborated and triggered Griff’s memories, then all the scrolls in this room might catch fire. One of the dogs lowered its head and glowered down at us through eyes that glinted like rubies.If I didn’t say something right now to get this conversation back on track, we’d have more things to worry about than Hades and his curse.I clapped my hands together, bringing Edmund’s attention back to me. “As far as the casino is concerned, the debt was fulfilled.”“That’s right,” he said, his voice halting.“But my mate still has the bargain on his soul.”“It should have been removed by the agent at the point of write-off.” Edmund walked toward his stool.Dread tumbled through my innards at the prospect of watching him succumb to his friction. I shot out of my seat and gave Griff a shove on the shoulder. “Why don’t we all stand for the rest of this meeting?”“All right,” Edmund said, his voice trailing off.“You were saying that the cas
Last Updated : 2022-11-09REJECTED MATE Chapter 64
Throughout the stroll through the hallways, the ride up the invisible elevator, and the walk across the casino’s darkened entrance hall, the fine hairs on the back of my neck continued to stand on end. Whoever or whatever had followed us past the bookshelves was now shadowing us as we stepped out of the casino.Admiralty Arch stood a few hundred feet away beyond a courtyard, where a black limousine pulled out and disappeared through its middle arch. It was still dark outside, with the only illumination coming from the stars.As we continued toward the steps that led to street level, the smaller ogre we had met earlier broke away from where he had been standing with his colleagues and fixed us with a hard glower.“Watch yourselves,” he snarled.I turned to meet his black eyes. “Are you really the Administrator of Bad Debts’ supervisor?”His heavy features split into a grin of crooked teeth. “Is that what he told you?”I rolled my eyes. “Of course it was a lie.”He reached into the pock
Last Updated : 2022-11-09REJECTED MATE 64.1
My eyes narrowed. This was sounding too convenient, and it was exactly how we had gotten Azriel to take us into the Fifth Faction of Hell. “Oh yes? And you’ll provide us this name out of the goodness of your heart?”“It’s true what you said about the casino. I used to be a coyote shifter. When I got into debt and couldn’t pay, they twisted my soul into this. Now, I’ve spent the past two centuries watching Edmund stroking himself.” The smoke around her body shuddered.“Damn.” Twenty minutes in that man’s presence had been enough, let alone two-hundred years. Even though I sympathized with her plight, I couldn’t see why she would risk herself to help us.Before I could voice my concerns, Griff asked, “What do you want in return?”“A kiss,” she said.I ground my teeth. “Is this a Gullible Fisherwoman and the Frog situation?”“No,” she said with a yelp. “I swear I’m not trying to pass on my curse to someone else.”“Bullshit,” Griff snarled.“It sounds like a crock of faerie gold to me,” W
Last Updated : 2022-11-09
Latest chapter
REJECTED MATE Epilogue
Hades was a persistent bastard who continued to attack Shifter City. He sent assassins, spies, and other Trojan horses, but Fenrir was always prepared. With the help of Loki, Ophois, and a few other lupine gods we had encountered during the past fifteen years, Midgard remained the afterlife of choice for all wolves.Our system was simple: the berserkers in the Hellfire Pack would collect the souls of those who died within Shifter City or within the Norse pack’s protected wards. Griff and I would venture out to reap any wolves who died within the Supernatural World.We didn’t even need to hide in the trunk of an Überwald to exit Shifter City. The Hellhounds we rode moved us faster than any speeding vehicle, and the magic protecting our physical forms was powerful enough to shield us from Hades and his enforcers.Griff and I stood within a white room in the Shifter Ward of Atlantis Hospital, waiting for an old she-wolf to take her last breath. We could barely see her through the crowd o
REJECTED MATE 78.3
Guests filled white seats in a large reception hall decorated to resemble a Greek temple. At its very end, Hades stood beneath an archway of mauve calla lilies and pomegranate flowers. He wore an ostentatious oxblood red frock coat with plum-colored embroidery.To his right stood a dark-haired male in a morning suit of the same color, wearing a five o’clock stubble that he probably thought made him look cool.Griff gave me a nudge. “His best man is Lucifer, King of the Seventh Faction.”My brows rose, and I scanned the groom’s side of the room. The entire Supernatural Council sat in the front seats with Captain Caria, who wore a dress for a change and sat beside a dark-haired woman whose features were equally as stern. Azriel perched on his seat behind them, looking like he’d been blackmailed into attending.Among the powerful VIPs, I recognized a dark-skinned couple in Egyptian attire who had to be Isis and Osiris, the aunt and uncle of Ophois and the rulers of the First Faction. Lok
REJECTED MATE 78.2
Several days ago, Fenrir had suggested we raid the Fifth Faction on the night of the Strawberry Moon. Now we had retrieved the wolf souls, we no longer needed to perform the heist, but my idea would be the perfect revenge.Fenrir sat behind his desk and folded his arms across his chest. He glanced from me to Griff and said, “This is completely unnecessary. After everything you’ve endured, there’s no need for you to face Hades.”Griff spoke first. “This is the least that bastard deserves. He has to learn that striking at Midgard has consequences.”“Agreed,” Fenrir said. “But I don’t want to put either of you at risk.”“It’ll be worth it to teach him not to embed curses in people’s souls,” I said. “And I also can’t wait to melt the smirk off his face when I interrupt him with his mate.”Griff snarled, remembering how Hades had infiltrated our hotel room just as we had planned to become intimate. It was time to return his gesture with one of our own.Fenrir snickered. “Fine, but doing th
REJECTED MATE 78.1
My breath turned quick and shallow, and my gaze remained fixed on what was looking to be a terrible earthquake. “Were the others too late to save the wards?”“It’s Fenrir.” Griff slung an arm around my shoulder and tucked me into his side.The distant hill split into several pieces, and the ground that comprised it tumbled away in an avalanche, revealing a mass of white that took up the landscape. My pulse quickened, but Beki made excited barks as though she was meeting an old friend.“Don’t tell me Fenrir’s the size of a blue whale,” I whispered.Griff rubbed his chin. “He once told me he couldn’t shift without destroying the village, but I didn’t completely understand what he meant until now.”Chunks of land rolled off the massive wolf as it rose onto four legs and raised his head toward the pale sky. Despite having remained underground for goodness knows how long, his fur was as pristine as Beki’s. The only difference between them apart from size was that Fenrir’s wolf had turquois
REJECTED MATE Chapter 78
Flying scorpions hovered above us, breathing plumes of fire over our heads whilst trying to re-form. The other wolf shifters tossed wet stones at the swarm, making them break into further pieces. Roars of triumph mingled with the skin-tightening clicks of armored wings, but none of that mattered. Not while Griff was standing before me and declaring he’d made a mistake.The cacophony of sounds faded into the background, and I gazed into his amber eyes. Amber eyes that shone with love and sorrow and regret. Amber eyes that I could have lost myself in for an eternity. Beki pushed herself against our bond and swooned with joy.I wasn’t quite so hopeful.How many times had I gone through this before? I needed to know that the bond wouldn’t bring up something else that would turn Griff away.“Why?” I asked. “Why did you return if it wasn’t for Fenrir?”The muscles in his handsome face tightened, and his gaze jerked to the side. “I didn’t want you to leave the island,” he said, his voice tig
REJECTED MATE 77.2
Mum rushed to our side with a bucket of water and set it on the floor. “I’ll get more.”Some of the other wolves had gathered a pile of rocks around the clearing, only to disappear and fetch more, while a few of them remained to hurl them at Snorri. Each stone that landed dented his huge scorpion body, but it did nothing to break him apart.An idea hit me upside the head. “Dad.” I gave him a nudge in the side. “Let’s try getting these stones wet.”Without another word, he walked to the pile of rocks, gathered up a pair, and dipped them in the water. I left the attackers to join him and took one from his hand.I was no expert on arthropods or any other type of shelled creature, but Dad had once told me on a hunting trip that the protective coverings around their bellies were softer than the ones at their backs.“This way.” I flicked my head toward the obelisk.The other wolf shifters continued their attacks on Snorri, making him lash out at them with his tail, but more importantly, the
REJECTED MATE 77.1
By now, the air was thick with smoke, but it was nothing compared to the brimstone of Hell. I’d lost track of the flying scorpions and continued through the trees toward the clearing.The swarm had formed the shape of a centaur-like creature, but with a scorpion body replacing that of an equine. Ten feet tall, it stood on six clawed legs with a tail as long as its spine. Hellfire glowed from its bulbous stinger, forming a line of crimson flames down its back.Its back was turned to me, but the same black carapace covered its human side, ending with a round head peppered with bristles. The creature placed a hand on the surface of the obelisk and drummed its fingers.“Urus, teimas, mannaz, othala,” said the voice of an old man. “What a clever combination. Especially when crossed with wunjo and era. Yes... yes… Fine work.”My lips tightened, and I stormed around to look the scorpion man full in the face. It was the only part of his body not covered in the black shell, and he had the sall
REJECTED MATE Chapter 77
Cold shock barreled through my system, even as my chest exploded with streams of burning scorpions. The last week flashed across my mind, filling me with a painful realization. Hades had attached the curse to the bargain Griff had made with the faeries. He’d given us days five before it took control of Griff’s body and destroyed Shifter City.We’d spent the last five days scrambling around trying to break the curse and transfer it to someone else. We had spent all that time worrying about what was inside Griff and hadn’t given a thought to what Hades might have placed in me.Fuck. Griff and I were mates. Rumpel Kracknuts had even hinted that curses could go deeper than the soul of the afflicted. I’d been too concerned with his murder of the healer to even think that he was hinting that I carried the curse.Bloody Hades had turned me into his Trojan horse, and if I couldn’t find a way to stop the swarm, it wouldn’t just mean the destruction of Midgard. It could mean the end of Shifter
REJECTED MATE 76.2
The chief enforcer snorted. “I was a few years younger, but I remember you from the academy. Even back then, I knew you were destined for greatness.”My lips formed a tight line. I didn’t need to read his mind to catch his meaning. Randel couldn’t believe that a man like Griff was capable of achieving all those things without my intervention. As a member of Fenrir’s inner circle, he would have heard about our progress, but I couldn’t let him walk away believing I had done all the work.“Franklin Griffiths is more capable than any wolf. It was his knowledge and strength that got us through our trials, not just mine.”Randel nodded and continued toward the driveway.With a sigh, I pushed open the door and walked through the empty hallway. At this time of the night everyone had gone to bed, and my footsteps echoed in the silence. Damp air filled my nostrils as I descended the darkened stairwell that led to the basement, and I pushed the door open to find Fenrir standing beside the fighti
