Page 68 of Rejected Mate

Laurel, screaming as she went, stumbled past me, still holding her ball. She was going to win.

I couldn’t let that happen. Not now. Not after I’d come this far.

I thought of my mom, my dad, my pack. I thought of my grandfather. If he was dying, Ihadto see him. One last time.

Gritting my teeth as the tears slid down my face, I forced my ruined hands to lift the ball.

A cry that I barely recognized emanated from my throat as my hands began to pulse with agony once more.

Then I took off running.

I didn’t stop when the pain took hold of every sense. I didn’t stop when the ball began to sear my chest and burn through the fabric on my hands and arms. I didn’t stop when the jacket around my hands caught fire.

I just kept running.

I barely noticed when I crossed the finish line, but Ares did. He was there, ripping the ball from my hands and pulling the flaming jacket off me.

“Shift!” he urged, shaking my shoulders to get my attention. “Please, Wren, shift!”

Shift?

Oh yes, I could shift.

Using the last bit of consciousness I possessed, I found my wolf form. I felt her take hold of me, and then I knew no more.

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