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Chapter 5
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REJECTED MATE Chapter 5.1
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.
REJECTED MATE Chapter 5.2
“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
REJECTED MATE Chapter 6
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
REJECTED MATE Chapter 6.1
“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
REJECTED MATE Chapter 6.2
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
REJECTED MATE Chapter 7
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
REJECTED MATE Chapter 7.1
“We start work in the evening,” I told him through clenched teeth. “Now, we’re getting settled in our new digs, and you won’t disturb us until sunset.”His nostrils flared, and his mouth formed a tight line.Maybe I’d dashed his hopes of a utopia where all shifters could live in harmony, but if he was going to weasel us out of pay and decent work hours, I would establish my dominance to protect our interests. There was no way we could sneak around looking for information to pass on to Hades if Don had us working in his bar during the day and night.“Very well,” he said with a sigh. “But you’re out at the first sign of trouble.”“Fine.”Larissa had already left us to explore the caravans. I followed after her, leaving Microdick Don staring at our backs. Seriously, shifter society was much like the wild. Little creatures that ate chickens and rodents didn’t turn predator over wolves. He was lucky we hadn’t paired up and kicked his ass.It was a Volkswagen campervan, which had been groov
REJECTED MATE Chapter 7.2
“Just be grateful our camper van is magically soundproofed,” I muttered.It was dark outside, with the only source of illumination coming from a pair of spotlights that had turned on a second after we’d stepped out of our temporary home. Coyote Willy’s back door opened, and Don strolled out, dressed in a burgundy velvet jacket with black cuffs.“You two stand at the door.” He pointed from Larissa to me as though trying to make it clear that he was talking to us. “Your job is to make people think twice about going to Coyote Wicked.”I scowled. “Steal their customers, you mean?”“It’s not like you’re going through their doors and dragging people into mine,” Don muttered. “Are you going to work, or will you give up the best accommodation in Shifter City?”“We’ll go.” Larissa grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the oversized weasel.Some might think it was strange to care about petty business tactics when I’d murdered someone, but Gerrison and Dad had brought me up to be hon
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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
