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Chapter 19
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REJECTED MATE Chapter 19.1
The villagers were mostly gathered around an open mess hall similar to the one that had been set up in the Hellfire Pack’s territory. I ran past, looking for signs of the others.Griff’s wolf emerged from behind one of the grass-roofed huts and ran on my other side. He seemed happier than ever to see me, perhaps because he finally understood my relationship with the Arctic wolf. The three of us ran to the edge of the village, where Griff and the other members of the pack were exchanging hugs with Tansy and saying goodbye.“Do you know that I’d almost forgotten why we were here?” I asked Beki.She gave me two barks, which I took to mean she’d also lost track of what had happened the night before.Griff stepped out from the small huddle, and he turned to me and smiled. “Let’s go.”When we reached the other side, the sun had already set. At least that’s how it looked from within the Hellfire Pack’s dome. Fenrir and Griff stepped aside to exchange several words while his blue-haired mate sto
REJECTED MATE Chapter 19.2
The door opened, and a black woman with long braids stood inside, dressed in the push-up bra and miniskirt Don insisted that his employees wear. Everything about her said that she was a wolf, but the recognition in her features was puzzling. I stepped back and frowned. Was she a new roommate?“Hi,” I said, my voice hesitant. “Is Larissa there?” She stepped aside. “You’d better come in.”I stepped into the caravan to find it a mess. “What’s going on?”“Larissa buggered off,” she said, her voice sharp. “Hades sent me to keep an eye on your oversized ass.”Whirling around, I met her ebony eyes. They were sharp, scornful, and oddly familiar. I leaned forward and squinted. “Marianna?”“Took you long enough to recognize me,” she said. “Wait.” I raised a palm. “Larissa couldn’t have just uppedand left. Not when we were getting so close to cracking open the Hellfire pack. Where would she go?”This new version of Marianna folded her arms across her chest and smirked. It was obvious what had
REJECTED MATE Chapter 20
Griff’s larger body towered over mine, and for the first time in my entire existence outside of Hell, I knew what it was like to be intimidated by another wolf. I’d never seen him so angry—not even when I’d pummeled him with my fists, not even when towered over him with the lighter fluid, but I think by then he had died.Every drop of moisture in my gullet evaporated in the heat of those burning eyes, leaving me trying to pull air into my lungs and failing. Was this the moment he dragged me to Fenrir for my tongue binding? I had to act, but even Beki was cowering.“What’s happened?” I rasped, trying to sound innocent. “Where is your friend?” he snarled.It took me a few seconds for his words to filter through my panic, and I realized he was talking about Larissa. But that didn’t mean I was safe. “I went round the back to see her, but there was a new girl inside.”His eyes narrowed. “What did she say?”“Don employed her today, after Larissa disappeared with a week’s takings,” the words
REJECTED MATE Chapter 20.1
“Boris is…” Griff hesitated. “Boris died nearly seventy years ago.”Tilting my head to the side, I feigned confusion. “Sorry, what?”“Come with me.” He strode toward the largest of the bell tents.I followed after him, my heart fluttering and not in a pleasant way. When Griff told me about Boris being a soul resurrected from Hell, I would have to ask about him. That’s when I would get another account of our story, but from the point of view of the man who hadn’t deemed me worthy of any respect, let alone compassion.Once again, I regretted not remaining with Dad in his hut. Griff’s tent was even more luxurious than mine, complete with a safari-style four-poster surrounded by thin gauze. The walls were raised, exposing its interior to the elements.Sheepskin mats covered the floor, adding to the air of comfort. At the other side of the bed was a wicker love seat that barely fitted two, and beside it was a cushioned footrest.“Sit.” He gestured at a loveseat.I remained standing and fo
REJECTED MATE Chapter 21
I drifted in and out of sleep that night, haunted by Griff’s words. All that talk about saving his fatherfrom faeries had gotten to me, and I tried to imagine what I would do if it was Dad who had gotten himself in debt.My mind went blank. Dad simply wasn’t the type to drown his sorrows in drink or gambling or any other type of vice. If he had lost an alpha challenge, then he would go lone wolf, bide his time, and return bigger, stronger, and ready to fight his way to the top.He wasn’t anything like me.Forty years ago, I had been too blinded by rejection and rage to see straight. I’d lashed out and didn’t stop until the enforcers broke into the mansion and dragged me away. I clenched my teeth. Why hadn’t I insisted that Griff finish his story? If the situation with the faeries had been linked to the way he had treated me, perhaps I would sleep easily tonight.Footsteps sounded outside my tent as a few pack members stumbled in from a night out. Someone barked a laugh, then someone
REJECTED MATE Chapter 21.1
The largest of the Hellhounds gave Griff a deep bark that resonated across my bones. He turned to the others and nodded, leading them all to make similar sounds of agreement.Griff turned to me. “Mount Glinda and follow me.”I strode up to the pale Hellhound, who gazed at me through adoring blue eyes. Even though it wasn’t necessary, I held out my hand for her to sniff.“Is it okay if I get on your back?” I asked her. She gave me a happy bark, which Beki returned.“All right, then.” Grabbing a handful of fur from the base of her neck, I jumped up on her back and swung my right leg over her side. In no time, I was sitting atop a creature broader than a horse and infinitely warmer. Smoke curled from the ends of her thick white fur, but she remained solid.“Do you need a blanket for the heat?” Griff asked with a frown.“No, thanks.”His eyes narrowed, but he continued toward the largest of the hounds and jumped on his back.Shit.Maybe I shouldn’t have given Griff the impression that I wa
REJECTED MATE Chapter 22
To my relief, Marianna wasn’t working, but I still couldn’t eat most of my lunch. I sat beside Griff inhis usual booth, picking at my fries. “Are you all right?” Griff asked.I gave him a trembling nod. “Just a little nervous.” “You can dismount,” he said.“Of course.”“And place a rock in a harness?” he asked in a low voice. I turned to him and frowned. “What’s this about?”“That’s the only thing you need to do today.” He took a huge bite of his burger.I nodded and dipped my head toward my tall milkshake, which was mostly ice cream with a splash of milk. The cool, creamy liquid filled my mouth with a burst of vanilla that made me sigh. “You’re right,” I murmured. “If I stop overthinking things, it will be over before I know it.”The other members of the pack, who were usually rowdy during mealtimes, mostly kept to the bar. They spoke in low voices, so I couldn’t hear them under the disco groove of the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing.”It was an effort not to tap my foot to the beat
REJECTED MATE Chapter 22.1
I swallowed hard. In other words, it was up to the wolves to decide if they wanted to accept Fenrir’s offer of a better afterlife.We reached Glinda, who lay on her front and flicked her head toward her hind quarters, indicating for me to mount her. After shouldering on the backpack Griff had given me, he handed me a pair of guns and showed me how to attach them to the holster in my jacket.“You know how to use them?”My insides writhed with shame as I remembered the bullets I had fired into his kneecaps and then his chest, when I could have shot him through the eyes. If only he knew.Griff pulled one of the bandoliers off his shoulder and draped it over my head. “Don’t use it unless there’s an emergency,” he said.I slipped onto Glinda’s back, and she stood. Griff waited at our side and gazed up at me through proud eyes.Any other time, I might have basked in his admiration, even though I hadn’t done much to earn it. But I kept thinking about all those people who would be left behind.
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