Beki lowered herself onto her front paws, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She understood direct aggression, but these slimy, underhanded tactics were beyond her comprehension. At times like that, she usually deferred to me.“What do you say?” he asked. My choices were as follows:Sleep with him and risk everyone finding out anyway. Kill him and get torn apart by the Hellfire pack.Both would lead to me getting ripped to shreds. But there was a third option where I didn’t sully myself with this weasel of a wolf, and I could get rid of him without arousing everyone’s suspicion.“Fine,” I growled.He reached for my belt and grinned. I slapped away his hand. “Not here.” He stepped back. “Why not?”“If you hadn’t noticed, your alpha is interested in starting something with me.”Rocco nodded. “He’s like that with all the new girls. Once he’s had his bit, you’re fair game.”I couldn’t even be aggrieved at hearing that because it was a truth that had been pounded into me every day in He
“Not exactly.” His gaze dropped to my lips, and his heartbeat seemed to double. Whatever he was about to say vanished as he drifted toward my mouth.Clenching my teeth, I dug my fingernails into his hard pec. All the times we had kissed when he had been alive, he’d never displayed a trace of excitement. I’d always thought it was because he was cooler than the Fonz. Turned out that he found nothing about Cathwulf Aibek arousing.“What’s the matter?” he asked, his voice rich and deep and full of promises he couldn’t keep. “Don’t tell me you don’t feel it, too.”“Confusion?” I asked. “Because I have no idea what you mean.”He drew back and gazed down at me, blinking rapidly as though clearing his eyes of stardust. “I don’t understand.”“You keep using the same tired old lines,” I spat. “Don’t you think I’ve heard that shit my entire life? What’s next? Are you going to ask me for my star sign?”Griff’s features hardened. “I’m telling you the truth. Our souls are connected.”My gaze darted
I didn’t bother to turn around to see if Griff was following me because I could feel his gaze lingeringon my ass, and the heat of his body warmed mine even though we were several feet apart. I gazed out through the distorted barrier that separated this pocket of the Hellfire Pack’s territory to the larger enclosure, my lips curving into a smile. In less than a few days, I would gather that intel from Griff and drag him back to Hell.Just as I was about to step through the wards, footsteps hurried toward us.“Alpha?” Rocco said.I paused, my stomach tightening. If the kennel master so much as mentioned that I was wielding Hellfire, then this mission was over. Even Beki stiffened, her jaws tightening.Griff paused.My heart thrummed a steady beat, and every ounce of moisture evaporated from my throat. I turned back toward the brick building to find Rocco standing at its wooden door with his hands clasped.“What is it?” Griff said, his voice sharp with impatience.“It’s the dying pup.” Roc
For a horny, blackmailing kennel master, he certainly took his duties seriously. As he guided me through another part of the building where he stored supplies for the Hellhounds, there wasn’t a single mention of blowjobs. The hounds ate twice a day, and only the best cuts of meat. As the hours progressed, we fed them together, watching them turn from smoke to solid as they gobbled up entire goats and stared at us through eyes of flame.By the time we’d fed the Hellhounds, mucked them out, and added new straw to their pens, Rocco rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s basically all there is to taking care of the beasts.” His gaze swept up and down my body. “You’re a good worker and a natural with them once you realized they wouldn’t bite.”I raised a shoulder, still not quite believing this was the same guy from before. “They’re pretty nice once you get used to them.”His eyes softened. “Yeah.”My gaze wandered down the line of cages to the door that led to the vestibule, and the urge to
“Fuck, no.”When they stepped inside and the doors closed, the car made a three-point turn and drove toward the exit of Richmond Park. As it disappeared from the frame, its inside lit up with what appeared to be fire.I lurched forward. “Can you replay that bit?”“No need,” Larissa said, her voice a monotone. She tapped a few commands into her phone, and it brought up another video.Ruby and Marianna hung on racks in the Punishment Pits, with demons shoving red-hot pokers in their bellies. Their spirits had already turned semi-transparent from the torture, and I slumped forward in my seat.“Those two made the mistake of telling Franklin Gri ths that they had escaped from Hell and were in need of shelter,” said Hades’ sharp voice over the sound of screams.I wrapped my arms around my middle and shuddered. It was strange to think that a vision like that three days ago would only make me feel relief. Relief that it wasn’t me being tortured. Now that I was out of Hell and away from the
Silence spread across Coyote Willy’s backyard, broken only by the pounding of my heart. I stood with myback to Don’s caravan, staring into the eyes of the tall, skinny wolf whose big mouth threatened to get us dragged back to Hell. Beki rose to her paws and growled, her hackles rising. It reflected exactly how I felt.“Did you follow me?” I asked.Rocco raised a shoulder. “The girls were talking about your friend. Did you know she tried to get the beta to go back to that caravan with her? I guessed you’d gone to see her, and I was about to knock when you stepped out.”“So, you’re a stalker, then?”“I’m a wolf, if that’s what you mean.” He closed the distance between us.A flare of panic turned my mind blank as I considered the consequences of the Hellfire pack finding out that I was also a spy. “Why are you doing this?”“You were so good with the hounds.” He pressed me against the side of the rusty caravan. “I’ve never met a female my wolf liked so much.”Rocco’s aftershave burned
Hell was in desperate need of women’s liberation because there was no justice for our kind.Headlights lit up Coyote Willy’s backyard, and the Überwald driver stopped in front of us. He had the white, wooly hair of a sheep shifter, complete with leg-of-mutton sideburns. “You’ve opted for anonymity?”“Yes,” I said, my gaze darting toward Rocco. “And I know it costs extra.”The driver flicked his head to the back. “In you go, then.”Rocco opened the door and swept his arm toward its exterior like he was a charming prince who had paid for the transportation. “After you.”“Thanks,” I said in a voice of acid.Beki gave me a sharp bark, reminding me to play things cool. I slipped into the Überwald’s leather interior and forced myself to relax. She was a hundred percent correct. If I played this right, I wouldn’t even need to knee Rocco in the balls.The kennel master stepped in after me, and I held my breath, my gaze darting toward Coyote Willy’s back door. Nobody could see us together, not
Throughout his story, my heart pounded a rapid beat. The way he spoke, it felt like I was there, sitting at home with my family huddled around me and glued to my television set, only to have it explode in the many power surges.“Bloody Hell,” I whispered.“They all ran away,” said the driver. “The witches, mages, vampires, faeries, angels, and the demons. Beowulf was the Shifter King at the time, and he said he wasn’t leaving his home. When Fenrir and his mate took over, they went one step better.”“How?” I asked, my eyes wide.“Shifter City has the strongest wards of any supernatural enclosure.” He tapped the side of his nose. “They’re not just powered by the life force of the most powerful god who ever lived, but with the magic of the Sixth Faction of Hell.”I blew out a long breath. It was no wonder Fenrir felt comfortable to shelter the Hellfire Pack. If the Sixth Faction was backing him, then he could easily stand up to Hades and the Fifth.Rocco opened the door, letting in a g
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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