Page 6 of Rejected Mate

There was no way a shifter and a vampire would ever mate. Besides, we were mortal enemies. Vampires and shifters had been killing each other for almost as long as history had been written.

“Where are the shifter males?” a girl with brown hair asked. She was small and slight with large brown eyes, and something about her brought my protective instincts forward.

Ares shook his head slightly and ignored her question, which I took as a bad sign. Right now, they were being nice to us because it served their purposes, but I had a sneaking suspicion our male counterparts hadn’t received the same treatment. In fact, something told me with certainty that they were dead.

Had I known any of the males who were supposed to be here today? Not really. Some of the packs were spread out through North America, putting wide swaths of country between us. I’d heard of some of them but met only a few. Still, a twinge of pain twisted in my chest. Like us girls, the males had come here to ensure our kind would continue to survive, and now they were likely dead.

“Let’s not worry about them,” Ares said. “Let’s focus on the good. We’re here, and I promise you we’ll have a grand time.” His face was a bit pinched, as if he didn’t quite believe his own spiel. “This year, something different is required, something that will be beneficial for both vampires and shifters. As a nice addition, we’ll have cameras to follow the games and let your loved ones know you are safe and sound. Everyone will be able to watch the games from the comfort of their own homes.”

As he said this, vampires with cameras on their shoulders entered from where they’d likely been hiding and filming this whole time.

Cameras? Really?! What for? So they could document this unheard-of atrocity. I considered all this as I watched the cameramen get into position.

Even if it might make my mother and grandfather feel better if they could see me, they would most likely be appalled. Honestly, the only advantage I saw to having an audience was the possibility of crying out for help.

All the vampire covens would be watching, but they would only laugh at the sight of shifters in trouble. The humans might tune in for entertainment too, but they would never help. We pretty much lived in different universes. For the most part, they stuck to their kind and let us be. In truth, they were scared of us. So clearly, they wouldn’t help us. But the wolf packs, they might unify and try to rescue us.

Except I couldn’t know if the cameras were transmitting live. Their red lights let me know they were recording, but… there was only one way to find out.

Moving with lightning speed, I yanked my arm free from the vampire who’d gone slack in his guard duties. Whirling, I struck the other with my fist, hitting him in the throat. He gagged and doubled over coughing, both hands around his neck, but I didn’t have time to bask in the glory. Instead, I whirled toward the closest camera.

Before I could take two steps, Ares was there, hands on my biceps. He’d moved faster than I could process, his body aligning with mine, his coldness seeping into my warm body.

He gripped me tightly, pulling my body to his, but I was just as fast. I wrenched his hand back and whirled before striking him in the chest. He glanced down at the spot where I’d hit him, looking slightly amused.

Realizing that while I was in my human form, he was stronger and faster than me, I turned to bolt out the door. Several vamps stepped in my way. As I was readying myself to fight, fingers closed around my arm.

I was yanked back. One arm locked across my chest while another cinched around my waist. Ares’s rock-hard body smashed against mine as he held me.

“Stop fighting,” he growled, holding me tight.

“Never.”

If only I could shift…

I kicked back, aiming for a soft spot, but hit one of his tree-trunk thighs. He barely seemed to strain as I thrashed, and he kept me tight to him.

For the first time, I smelled him—vanilla and mint—a tantalizing smell that made me want to turn around and bury my nose in his neck. I’d expected a rotten stench or the tang of iron, but this was… unexpected.

I shook my head. He was surely enthralling me again.

“Stop. Doing. That,” I said through gritted teeth. I was keenly aware of his arm resting above the swell of my breasts, which were straining against my poor excuse for a gown. His skin brushed against mine, making goosebumps appear wherever he touched me.

“Doing what?” he whispered in my ear, still pinning me to him. Lips fluttered against the tender skin of my earlobe, and I fought to hold back the shudders of pleasure he was making me feel.

“Messing with my head.” I tried to lurch away, but he held me fast.

“You can’t fight this, Wren.” His breath tickled my neck. His charms were too much. I was trying to fight him, but I found myself wanting to climb his body like a tree.

“It’ll be better,saferfor you if you go along with it,” he whispered.

“I’m not your puppet,” I shot back, struggling against him but just managing to rub more of my body on his.

“I know,” he replied. “But it’s already decided. Neither of us has a choice.”

Then he released me and strode away, leaving me stumbling, disoriented, and confused as hell.

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