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Chapter 52.1
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REJECTED MATE Chapter 52.2
Her head snapped up.“From the looks of things, I’m going to be responsible for shooting the crystals. Griff will free the others and work his way up.”She nodded.Azriel strode ahead with the kind of purposefulness of a man in charge. The demons patrolling through the hallway cringed away from him as though one brush of his wings would burn.“Here they are.” Namara flung open the door to a much smaller dungeon where the crystals rested atop a wooden table. “Satisfied?”Beki gave me three sharp barks, and my breath caught. I tore out the pin from the first grenade and then the second, tossed one into the room and the other into the hallway.They both hit the floor with a thud, and white smoke filled the air. Griff’s bombs detonated in the background.Namara stumbled forward. Azriel caught her before she fell and laid her on the floor. I turned to find the rest of the hallway filling with smoke and the demons nearby dropping to the stone floor.I pulled out the gun and shot the first c
REJECTED MATE Chapter 53
I was in deep shit. And that was an understatement.Deep shit would imply that I was in some kind of trouble. Perhaps facing an arrest or a fine or a reprimand.But I had turned double-agent, betraying a Demon King who was also the Greek god of the Underworld, blackmailed an angel into joining a dangerous heist, stolen thousands of souls from Hell, and thwarted Hades’ plan to interrogate Fenrir’s lieutenant-in-crime.Now, I was trapped in a stone dungeon, deep underneath Hades’ palace in the Fifth Faction of Hell, with said angel at my back and the Demon King glowering at me through black eyes that burned hotter than coals.I had never had vertigo, not even when I leaned out of my cell in one of the Punishment Pit’s mega-stalactites, but my soul was free-falling into a pit of terror and was about to shatter into a million shards.Beki skittered to the back of our bond and tried to hide behind my spine. I couldn’t blame her. My poor wolf hadn’t been this terrified since the moments bef
REJECTED MATE Chapter 53.1
“The theft of which you aided and abetted!” Hades roared.“He’s right,” I blurted. “Let me go. As soon as I’ve returned to Shifter City, Fenrir will release Captain Caria.”Hades turned to me, his face a mask of stone. “The lieutenants I’ve stationed around inform me that Captain Caria was just freed. Apparently, once they discovered you were working for me, they decided you could rot in Hell.”The words hit like a punch to the gut, filling my insides with a sense of cold betrayal. I reeled forward within the demon’s tight grip, trying to catch my breath.He squeezed hard and snarled, snapping me out of my shock. I ground my teeth. Fenrir wouldn’t let me fester here. Not after I’d done everything he’d asked. Griff wouldn’t allow it, but then I’d sent him back while he was unconscious. I gulped over and over, trying to figure out if this was a bluff.Beki gave me a sharp bark. Apparently, her faith in Griff was greater than mine.“But he was unconscious when we stuck him with the needl
REJECTED MATE Chapter 53.2
A wave of despair crashed over my senses at the potential loss of Azriel. The wretched angel had to know that leaving me here would result in an eternity of punishment, but he didn’t give a shit.Clenching my teeth, I pushed the thought aside. What on earth did I expect from Azriel after we dug out his darkest secret, summoned him in a humiliating circle, and blackmailed him to commit a crime against Heaven? The angel didn’t owe me an ounce of loyalty.“We’re on our own,” I said into the bond.Beki gave me a grim nod.“Maybe Hades might want to open up negotiations?”She raised a paw to shrug.“What is this?” Azriel shrieked.My gaze darted to the side, but all I could see amid the sea of bleeding limbs were Azriel’s white wings, which were darkening to a slate gray that bordered on black. He spun around and rushed toward Hades.“What did you do to me?” his high-pitched voice rang through my ears.“Nothing.” Hades folded his arms across his chest and turned to Namara, who was still in
REJECTED MATE Chapter 54
I stood with my back stuck to the elevator wall, my mouth gaping open. Griff raised his head and met my gaze through swollen eyes. This couldn’t be him. I’d only just helped him escape Hell. What on earth was he doing in Hades’ office?“Beki?” My voice trembled, even though I was speaking through our bond. “Is that really him?”She barked twice for yes but sounded equally as shocked.I ground my teeth. “How could he have wasted our sacrifice by getting himself captured. Did his wolf say anything helpful?”Beki shook her head.“Well, well, well,” Hades drawled. “If it isn’t the very man I’ve been wanting to question.”Griff’s nostrils flared. “Release Cathwulf.”Hades placed a hand on his chest and made a mockery of a gasp. “Don’t tell me you risked all to save the mate who beat and burned you to death?”Griff bared his teeth. “Let her go.”My breath caught. How on earth did he think he could coerce the Demon King?Hades tilted his head to the side and grinned. “Or, I could keep you bo
REJECTED MATE Chapter 54.1
The enforcers let go of his arms, leaving Griff reeling forward. My heart leaped. I closed the distance between us, wrapped an arm around his back, and held him steady.“Cathwulf,” Griff slurred, his swollen features morphing into a smile. He paused to give me a look of longing that stretched into our bond. “I'm glad you’re unhurt, but I wished you had saved yourself.”My heart ached. So, that explained his earlier feelings of betrayal. He hadn’t wanted me to make that sacrifice. I cupped the side of his cheek. “I’m sorry.”Hades cleared his throat. “If I don’t hear from Fenrisúlfr in the next ten seconds, I will assume that these devices are a ruse. Then I’ll tear out your soul, and you’ll give me the information under torture.”My stomach lurched at the prospect of Griff hanging from some hook in that awful dungeon. I bared my teeth at Hades and hissed, “You’ve spent too much time with demons.”The Demon King raised a hand and wiggled his fingers, sending a wave of magic that made m
REJECTED MATE Chapter 54.2
He turned to me, his gaze sad. “Will you ever give me a chance to take care of you?”I reared back, my eyes widening. “I can’t throw away everything I’ve learned to fit into the role of a submissive mate.”Griff turned away from me and huffed a sharp breath.Part of me had hoped this would be a heartfelt reunion, that Griff would thank me profusely for setting him free, but it looked like I had overstepped some kind of boundary. Why did things have to be so complicated? Griff knew from the start I wasn’t a fainting fancy. He also knew I couldn’t morph into the kind of selfish cow who would allow someone she loved to suffer.Beki nuzzled against our bond and sent me a memory of Griff and me frolicking together as wolves. This one was when he had dragged over an entire doe he had hunted for Katie and sat back as I ate it.“He really wants to take care of me?” I asked.She nodded.“But if he wanted an invalid, why did Fenrir pair him with an alpha?”Beki tilted her head. The gesture wasn
REJECTED MATE Chapter 55
Griff’s screams rang through my ears, turning every drop of blood in my veins to icy sludge. The flames surrounding his body burned brighter than any fire pit, looking like they were powered by gas.I dropped to my knees, tore off my jacket and placed the fabric over his face, hoping to put out the fire. Nothing happened. There was no burn, no heat, nothing catching alight. The flames had to be some kind of light magic or an illusion that made Griff believe he was under attack.“Stop.” Griff flailed his arms and yelled, “Cathwulf, no.”“Am I hurting you?” I yanked off the jacket.Hades' maniacal laughter carried through the wards. I turned to the wretched bastard, who stood at the other side of the checkpoint, pretending he could see into Shifter City. Captain Caria had already gone, replaced by an entourage of enforcers in black armor whose vehicles blocked the road. They were a blight on the beautiful parkland that surrounded us, but none of them showed any sign of moving.I clenche
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