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Chapter 49
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REJECTED MATE Chapter 49.1
“I’m not taking any chances after tonight’s security breach.”The door ahead of us flung open, and a seven-foot-tall demon charged out, holding a trident. His oxblood-red skin reminded me of the bastards who worked the pits. Behind him jogged a pair of similar-looking creatures who I was certain I had knocked unconscious with sleeping gas.“You,” snarled the one in front, although he was looking at Fenrir and not at me.“Take me to my sister,” Fenrir said.He bared his teeth and hissed, but he still managed to bow. His companions opened the door, which led to a chamber that looked like it belonged in a movie about Hell. It was dome-shaped with metal walls etched to form intricate archways. Giant skulls hung halfway to the ceiling, each spewing streams of lava over shackled prisoners.My breath caught. I had never visited a working throne room. The ones in museums didn’t count, and neither did any I’d seen on television. But this space was huge. It was probably the size of the alpha’s
REJECTED MATE Chapter 49.2
Heat rose to my cheeks, and my skin itched at all the scrutiny. I tried to push the sensations to the back of my mind, but it was as futile as holding back the ocean. I rubbed the back of my neck and muttered, “He wanted me to be his mate.”Griff snarled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I gave him a pat on the thigh, hoping to convey that I hadn’t once been tempted.Beki rolled on her back and made several happy barks, feeling like she believed that we had reconciled. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that we still hadn’t had the conversation about what had gone wrong between us.“The cheeky bastard.” Sigyn clapped her hands over her mouth. “And he ran off with the waitress when you refused?”I shrugged. “He didn’t strike me as the type who was used to rejection.”Fenrir leaned against the door and folded his arms across his chest. “Now we’ve got to find a way to steal him back from Hades.”The beginnings of an idea took root in the back of my mind. I glanced at Loki, wonderi
REJECTED MATE Chapter 50
The black figure inside the circle thrashed at its invisible barrier. Droplets fell off his form, creating tiny puddles that formed increasing peaks. He screamed, but the sound came out a low bellow that made the lining of my stomach tremble.“Stay back.” Griff pulled me a few steps further away from the ring of blood.He didn’t need to tell me twice. I cursed myself for not bringing a weapon to the Sixth Faction, although if I had shot that thing with the golden pistol, he might have ended up in Fenrir’s basement.The three gods stood around the circle, neither of them showing much reaction to the monster.Loki smirked, the apples of his cheeks rounding. He didn’t seem to be surprised that this wasn’t Azriel.“Who is this?” the monster bellowed, his deep voice now forming a sob. “What have you done to me?”I edged forward, my brow furrowing. Was the creature made of that goo, or had Loki slathered the angel with it as a prank? My lips tightened. This was no laughing matter.“You look
REJECTED MATE Chapter 50.1
“Why not?” I asked. Griff hadn’t mentioned anything like this before.His eyes hardened. “I can’t stop thinking about what happened in the restaurant. How many brushes have you had with Hades now?”“What’s that got to do with anything?” I stepped back.He placed his hands on my shoulders and held me in place. “He’s determined to make you suffer.”Knots formed in my gut, twisting and tightening until I could barely stand. Griff was right, but who else was out there to carry out the heist? He gazed into my eyes with an intensity that made my heart flutter. Now wasn’t the time to bask in his concern.I lowered my lashes and murmured, “Going down there and rescuing all those souls is my atonement.”“For killing me?” he said.My throat tightened. “No matter how angry I was on that day, I should never have been so sadistic.”“Cathwulf,” he said, his voice a rasp.“There’s no excuse and no amount of saying that I’m sorry could take back what I did.”He fell silent for several moments, the we
REJECTED MATE Chapter 50.2
By the time we left the Sixth Faction, the sun had risen and was filling the wooded area of Richmond Park with light. I peered through the trees, finding no sign of humans, and passed the wards with Fenrir and Griff.My feet dragged, and my arms hung like barbells at my sides. This had been one of the longest and most arduous nights I’d spent in a physical body, and I was sure the ends of my hair stank of brimstone.A trio of enforcers awaited us at the other side of the poppy field and walked alongside us through the gates of the alpha’s compound, down the driveway, and to the mansion’s verandah.“Good work, today,” Fenrir said without a trace of tiredness. “We’ll reconvene at six.”Instead of going into his home, he crossed the lawn and headed toward the guesthouse. Griff stepped ahead of me and opened the door.“After you.”“Thanks.” I stepped into the hallway.“Cathwulf.”I paused, waiting for him to say something meaningful. Seconds passed, and when all I heard from him was a sig
REJECTED MATE Chapter 50.3
“The only way I could capture your attention for more than a fleeting moment was when I told you new things and gave you new experiences.”“But that didn’t mean you had to invent a whole new persona,” I said.He took my hand and brought it to his lips. “You’re right, but I didn’t want to lose you.”“Even though I’m difficult?”His sad chuckle made my chest tighten. “No wolf backs down from a challenge.”“What?” I pulled my hand away.Griff winced as though he had made the wrong choice of words. I clenched my teeth. If he had called me a challenge, he had probably meant what he’d said.“You were everything I wanted to be, Cathwulf,” he said, his words strained. “I admired you so much that I thought claiming you as my mate might make me whole.”I leaned forward, resting my chest against my bent knees. “What on earth does that mean?”“All those years of failing to protect my mother from that bastard wore me down,” he ground out. “You would have found a way to save your family and seize c
REJECTED MATE Chapter 51
I gazed up at Griff, the pulse in my throat fluttering like the wings of a trapped butterfly. Every inch of my skin thrummed with anticipation of his kiss, even though I hadn’t yet said yes.“Please.” He drew even closer, his full lips inches away from mine. “If we had more time, I wouldn’t press, but this could be our last chance.”His cedar and woodsmoke scent filled my senses, and his warm breath caressed my skin. I whispered, “All right.”Griff closed the distance between us and threaded his fingers through my hair, sending tingles across my scalp. He placed a soft kiss on the left corner of my mouth, and then the right.“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice breathy.“Committing this moment to memory.” He drew back, his eyes meeting mine.Normally, I would lose myself in his amber irises and marvel at the way the dim light illuminated his angular features. The desperation in his eyes was as though this would be our last moment together before we spent the rest of our afterlives
REJECTED MATE Chapter 51.1
He brought my hand to his lips. “It’s me who should be thanking Fenrir for matching me with you.”“Why?” I whispered.“You won’t believe me when I tell you that you’re my guiding star.” His eyes glistened. “You’re so determined and focused. So hardworking and clever. Every time you’re near, it's hard to feel anything but awestruck.”“Me?”“You.” He kissed each knuckle. “Cathwulf Aibek, not the mysterious Katie from Albion. I should have known it was you beneath that disguise. No other woman makes me want to be a better wolf.”My throat thickened. I could have stayed there all day, listening to him profess his feelings, but I needed a connection that went deeper than words.“Come here,” I said.He drew down and planted kisses at the base of my neck, making me arch against his broad body. I clung to his shoulder with one hand and slid the other down the curve of his back.Griff’s groans vibrated across my chest. My nipples tightened, and I writhed beneath his weight. I slipped my finger
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