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Chapter 35
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REJECTED MATE Chapter 35.1
“The only way in and out of Hell is with the power of The Opener of the Way.” He spread his arms wide.I stared up at him, my brows rising, and waited for him to get to some kind of point.His shoulders sagged. “Me.”“And?” Griff said, sounding thoroughly fed up.My lips tightened. We hadn’t even wanted an audience with Ophois, and we’d tried to leave through the door we’d come through, but the wretched god had turned us around and deposited us in this half-buried-in-sand tomb. By now, I just wanted to return to the Überwald and forget that I’d ever visited this bizarre place.“If you’re going to do this, then you’ll do it properly. I will open the wards and share with you the name of an angel you can blackmail into keeping the theft of the souls a secret.”“What’s your price?” I asked.He shook his head. “I’ll get to that in a minute.”“With my immense power, I can move the crystals from point A to point B, without damaging the souls, and create the barriers required to keep Hades ou
REJECTED MATE Chapter 35.2
Maybe Ophois had a point about my mate wanting me to grovel. If Griff wanted me out of the way, he could have let Fenrir toss me to the demons, but he didn’t. But he also continued to let me know that he wasn’t interested in any kind of relationship. Not that I blamed him, because I’d done the unforgivable, but there was no point in turning down a generous offer when only our wolves were mates.I stepped out into a bright summer’s morning with sunlight streaming through the blood-red cherry blossoms that adorned the street. Some of the cafes down the road were already open, with vampires sitting out in the sun, enjoying alfresco breakfasts.“Can you believe we were there the entire night?” I asked Beki.She shook her head.Ignoring the malevolent presence at my side, I walked to the silver Überwald, where Wulfie sat slumped against the window.“Excuse me.” I raised a hand to rap on the glass.Griff grabbed my wrist and spun me around. “What the hell was that about?”“The bargain I mad
REJECTED MATE Chapter 36
I sat back in my seat, totally and utterly fed up with Griff, whose knee kept touching mine. Beki leaned against our bond, making contact with her wolf and acting as though the tension in the cab wasn’t thick enough to hack through with an ax.Our driver, seeming to have sensed an argument, raised the barrier between his section and ours, leaving me alone with the infuriating wolf. How dare he try to make me jealous about his roller-skating apothecary?My hands curled into fists, and I stared out of the window at the tall buildings whizzing past. No matter how much I tried to relegate him and his misdeeds to the depths of my mind, memories of Griff and those women kept floating to the surface.His gaze burned the side of my face, making my skin itch with irritation. I sat straight in my seat, raised my chin, and forced myself to remain dignified.“Back to your old habits, eh, Cathwulf?” he said, his voice slathered in scorn.“Would you prefer it if I kicked you in the balls?” I asked.
REJECTED MATE Chapter 36.1
She ignored me, of course. At this stage in my afterlife, a hug between two clothed individuals meant nothing, especially since the demons enjoyed torturing me with memories of Griff’s orgy.“Juniper?” Griff said.“Luna’s my mother.” Juniper rushed behind the trunk and shouted, “Mum! You’re not going to believe this.”“What is it?” shouted a voice that sounded like it was coming from below.“Frankie Bloody Griffiths is standing right in front of me.”Silence.My brows rose. Was Luna in shock?“Who?” shouted the woman.“The man in the photo,” she shouted. “The one you partnered up with to win that roller disco?”After several moments, Luna asked, “Are you sure?”My gaze darted to Griff, whose smug expression had faded into annoyance. I bit back a laugh and sidled up to him. “Did you think she would be pining for you after all this time?”“You sound jealous,” he snarled.“Just making an observation,” I murmured, keeping my features even. “You implied she was an ex. Maybe you didn’t leav
REJECTED MATE Chapter 37
The smoke filled my sinuses, stung my eyes, and went down my throat. I coughed, but thanks to the dart Luna had shot into my neck, I didn’t seem to be affected by it. Griff grabbed me by the arm, and we ran to the back of the tiny shop, where Luna had already disappeared down the hatch in the floor.An almighty crash filled the room. Just as Griff shoved me down the hole, a bunch of armored enforcers burst through the door. I tumbled down into the interior of a van, landed in a crouch on its oak floor, and jumped back. Griff appeared seconds later, his chest heaving.“Shit.” He spun around to where Luna and Juniper were already firing up the engine and pulling out from wherever they’d parked. “That was close.”“You know the drill,” Luna yelled from over her shoulder. “Close the hatch.”I turned my head up to a ceiling made of wooden boards, where the green smoke was wafting down from the shop. None of the enforcers followed after us, I guessed because they’d been affected by whatever
REJECTED MATE Chapter 37.1
A shudder ran down my spine, and no matter how much I tried to assure myself that our mission hadn’t yet failed, I couldn’t help but dread how the Norse god might react to this new development.I was about to ask Griff what he thought when bright lights filled the windows at the back and flooded the van’s interior. Then a vehicle much larger than ours rammed into our rear.Everyone jerked forward or to the side, depending on where they were sitting. My breath caught, and I turned back to the beds. The cushions and blankets had fallen to the ground, giving a better view of the outside threat. It was black, truck-shaped, and looked like it wanted to run us off the road or at least into the side of the tunnel.“This doesn’t seem like any kind of routine raid.” My voice trembled.“That’s because it isn’t,” Luna snapped. “Enforcers never send the plow for minor offenders. You two must be big-league.”Guilt wrapped around my guts like a cobra and squeezed. Maybe we should have told them tha
REJECTED MATE Chapter 37.2
My lips tightened, and I tried not to flare my nostrils. Any time people compared me to Dad, it was always to point out that I wasn’t as feminine or as graceful as Mum.“Is that a compliment or an insult?” I asked, keeping my voice measured.“After all that time in isolation, you knew exactly what to do,” he said.Some of the tension around my muscles eased. “Dad taught me from a young age how to prepare for anything. When he died, Gerrison did his best.”“Lydia’s father?”I nodded. “Did you get to spend much time with Dad when you were in Hell?”“Once he stopped kicking the shit out of me, we managed to have a few conversations,” Griff said. “If my father had been anything like yours, he would never have lost his pack.”I raised a shoulder, not knowing whether this was Griff’s attempt at starting a conversation or making amends. This was one of the first civil things he’d said to me since discovering my true identity, and I wasn’t about to push my luck and bask in his grudging admira
REJECTED MATE Chapter 38
Ophois pushed the door open, letting in a gust of cool, sea-scented air. Beyond the rectangular portal was the interior of a cave made up of hexagonal columns pushed together to form uneven walls. Seawater rushed through its interior, splashing against the rocky surfaces and covering everything with a layer of salt.I bit down on my bottom lip. Was this the Living World or another dimension?“Let’s go.” The Egyptian god offered me the crook of his arm.Beki gave me a questioning bark, asking if I was staying or going. I shook my head. What was wrong with my wolf? Couldn’t she see that the god standing before us consumed people?Griff pushed his way in front of me, his larger body blocking my view of the Egyptian god. “Nobody goes anywhere with my mate.”“I wasn’t asking you,” Ophois said with a snarl.“Too bad, because Cathwulf stays with me.”The muscles around my throat tightened, cutting off my air. I wanted to reach out and pull Griff away from the dangerous deity, but the fury ra
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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
