I ignored those three and focused my gaze on Beki. She was all that mattered. Her, and finding Griff. Hades hadn’t said it directly, but it looked like we would be able to stay together if I satisfied the Demon King’s demands. Not that I needed any incentive to cut down the mangy wolf who had broken my heart and stolen my pack, but it now meant that I couldn’t let my hatred for him compromise the mission.“Everybody, take a deep breath in.” The healer raised both hands, which each held glowing wands.I filled my lungs with air, wondering if she meant for us to inhale our wolves.“And exhale.” Bright light filled my eyes, making them water.Letting out all the air from my lungs, I blinked away the tears, only to feel a slam against my solar plexus that hit harder than any fist. I staggered back, my lips parting in a moan. The other women’s cries echoed across the room, with one of them shrieking as though someone had punched her through the ribcage.As the glare faded, I raised my hands t
Beki nuzzled against our bond. She loved me unconditionally and wasn’t the type of wolf who wanted a better-looking human half, but even she had to admit that life was a thousand times easier with the advantage of beauty.“Wait a minute.” Marianna strode into the room, her hands clenched into fists. “Why does that behemoth get the beautiful amazon and we have to make do with average- looking Neutrals?”“Miss Aibek requires a body that can handle her immense power.”Marianna’s mouth dropped open. “She’s nothing special.”A growl reverberated in the back of my throat, and it wasn’t coming from Beki. Every time Marianna opened her mouth, it was a challenge. Now that Hades wasn’t around to protect her, I was going to show her who was the superior wolf. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped up to the black- haired woman and glared down into her ebony eyes.“Do you have something to say to me, bitch?”She raised her chin, her eyes shining with defiance. “You heard me.”My
Beki gave me an admonishing bark.“All right,” I snapped. “On occasion, one or two people have referred to me as pig-headed.”“Hmm.” Her lips tightened.“What’s happened?” I shoved my palms onto the cot and raised myself onto my elbows. The moment my gaze dropped down to boobs the size of watermelons, I got my answer. “Shit.”“Indeed.” She folded her arms across her chest. “It would seem that the body has bent to your will and created an almost replica of your soul.”“Can I see?” I asked with a gulp.She reached into her cloak and pulled out a mirror. “We can’t have you leaving Hell looking like the person who murdered Franklin Griffiths. However, I can make a few amendments to your physical form so you resemble something else.”I took the proffered mirror, my stomach sinking to the marble floor, and watched her sweep out of the room. As the door clicked behind her, Beki placed her front paws on our bond, urging me to take a look.“Didn’t you hear her?” I asked, my eyes squeezing shut.
“Did the humans put a man on the moon? I died before the rocket launched.”“So they say,” I muttered as I remembered the footage on television. “But the footage looked like the work of a light mage.”Larissa barked a laugh. “Stupid humans.”I chose a selection of outfits, from work clothes—because who knew what the mission would entail—to tight-fitting dresses that resembled what the twins had worn during their date with Griff. I paused, waiting for the surge of hot rage to burn through my insides the way it usually did whenever I thought about the flea-ridden wolf. Instead, my heart filled with the warmth of my connection with Beki.As we loaded the last of our choices and zipped our cases shut, a curvaceous woman about my body’s height sauntered into the room, looking like a 1950s secretary with her red hair swept up in a chignon. Everyone had been talking about a movie called Grease around the time of my execution, and I wondered if she was dressed like that because she’d gotten swept
The driver took us through the tunnels that ran beneath London, which thankfully hadn’t changed much since I’d been alive. The parts we had gotten to see of the Human World were like watching The Twilight Zone. Every street was filled with bright lights, and the crazy- looking vehicles and areas had a frantic pace that reminded me of Hell. I’d even seen a giant Ferris wheel that lit up the London skyline in neon blue.The tunnels were dark and quiet and illuminated only by the cab’s headlight. It was almost like being back in my cell but without the chronic discomfort. As we exited the underground and drove through the leafy roads of Richmond Park, my heart beat so fast and hard that my rib cage rattled like it was being pounded with heavy fists.Humans milled through the open fields. Some had erected tents, others held binoculars, and a few of them burned small fires that lit up the darkened park.“It’s pretty crowded for a public space that was supposed to be clo
“It’s the truth.” I continued down the road.“What happened between you and Franklin?” she asked. “None of your bloody business,” I snapped.“Come on,” she said with a whine. “A few more details might be helpful.”“I already told you how to stay in the Living World for longer,” I said with a snarl.“What do you mean?”My jaw clenched, and I picked up my pace, leaving Larissa trailing behind. If she hadn’t been so quick to mock my appearance, or laugh along with Ruby and Marianna, I might have broken things down for her, but I wasn’t feeling so generous. Griff was the ultimate user and a world-class actor capable of shifting his personality to get what he wanted. The moment he took it, the mask dropped, leaving you staring into the face of the devil.Blood roared between my ears as I strode toward the Georgian-style buildings in the distance that bordered what used to be called Logris. I had known what Griff was the moment he had strutted up to me, wearing that three-piece suit with th
That was Boris Moongazer, Griff’s beta and another escapee from Hell.Before I could tell him that Larissa had made a mistake, he sped down the road and toward the marquee’s entrance, leaving me gaping at his taillights. We’d just missed a perfect opportunity to enter the wards because I’d dismissed the guy as a pimp.I turned to Larissa and snarled. “Do you know who that was?”She gave me a silent nod, her features grim.“Why didn’t you give me a nudge, so I could do the talking?” I hissed.Her eyes narrowed into little slits, and the corner of her lip curled. “You treat me like I’m stupid.”My lips tightened. How else could one describe a person who verbally attacked another just because she could? She had seen me choke Marianna to submission yet had tried to assert her dominance, knowing she couldn’t match me in strength. Of course I thought she was daft.With great beauty came great benefits. Even when you were young. Teachers were kinder. Shopkeepers were more generous. Paren
Don’s BMW was even more luxurious than the Überwald driver’s car, but none of that mattered.Not the changed landscape of Logris whizzing past as he sped down the highway. Not the she-wolf squeezing my hand and panting like a lap dog. We were one step closer to Griff, and that made my heart thrum with excitement.“Of course, you two gals will be working for tips,” Don said. “There’s no basic pay for a job like this.”“You can’t do that,” Larissa squawked.I rolled my eyes. Microdon? He’d named himself after a species of Coyote—Canis latrans microdon, otherwise known as the Lower Rio Grande coyote. He should have called himself Microdick for two reasons: one, because he smelled like a weasel shifter, and two, the name pretty much summed up his shitty personality.Don chuckled. “The moment you stepped into this vehicle and accepted my offer of employment, you also bound yourself to its terms.”“But you didn’t tell us anything,” she snarled.He tipped his head t