Page 83 of Rejected Mate

I charged. Instead of running, they took up a fighting stance, but they were used to human me, not wolf me. Before they could grab me, I dodged sideways and snapped my jaws onto Scarface’s arm. Digging my teeth in, I snapped my head back and forth before tossing him aside and going for the other.

The awful crunch they made as they hit the pavement was far too satisfying.

The door was open since the vampires were about to enter before they charged back at me. I skidded to a stop before the main threshold as it occurred to me my shifting powers might not hold once the magic of the castle took effect. What would I do if I was forced back into human form? I decided I would just have to try.

Closing my eyes, I ran through the open front doors.

Magic throbbed around me, burning my skin, but my fur did not recede, nor did my claws retract. The necklace around my wolf throat acted on its own. It started glowing hot, the necklace’s ancient power fighting the vampire magic, something I had no idea it could do.

Come on Alpha power!

The magic quieted down, but my shifting held. It was a good day to be a wolf.

Now to find the traitors.

Keen wolf senses made it easy to find the scent to follow. I tore after it, my claws clicking on the tile floors, even as shouts of other vamps called after me. I thundered up the stairs and down the hall, reveling at the feel of my wolf body as I navigated everything so easily. Yes, I was loud. Yes, I was knocking over vases of flowers and making the walls shake, but it didn’t matter. Let them hear vengeance coming.

Following the scent trail, I found the room I was looking for. I smashed my body against the doors, blasting them open.

I slid into an opulent sitting room with a crackling fire at one end and three assholes in formal attire in the center. The two vampires and one shifter jumped out of their chairs. William and Callan looked stunned by my presence, and Laurel simply looked pissed.

“Who is that?” Callan said, pointing at me. His fangs elongated, and his eyes turned dark.

“It’s Wren, you idiot,” Laurel spat. Then to me, she said, “How can you shift?”

I shook my head but realized I would need to talk to them in something other than barks or growls. Making a calculated decision, I stepped behind a chair for some cover, not only for my safety but my nakedness, and shifted back into my human form.

The minute I was human again, I pointed at them. “If you attack me, I will shift back and bite your goddamn heads off. Understand?”

Callan raised an eyebrow as if my threat pleased him. William scowled and Laurel shook her head.

“What are you doing here?” Laurel demanded. “You lost. Get out now while you still have legs.”

William nodded. “It would be a shame if you never made it back to your family.”

“My family,” I said through clenched teeth, “is my main priority, so I know I can’t leave until we settle something.”

Gripping my now exposed necklace, I closed my eyes and accessed the Alpha powers I’d just tapped into, praying they would work again.

Laurel, tell the truth about how you cheated in the game. Do it and do it now.

Her eyes went wide as the Supreme Alpha magic took hold.

“I cheated in the game,” she said in a rote voice. “Bribed the guards and got insider info. I also paid the game master to put fewer coals in my metal ball.”

“I knew it!” I said, feeling vindicated. “I knew you cheated.”

However, William’s chuckle cut through any good feeling I was having.

“You think I care?” he asked, shaking his head. “You think I really removed you from the game because you cheated? I needed you out of the way, and this gave me the perfect explanation to offer to the cameras and Ares. This changes nothing.”

Anger flooded me, making my skin burn red. “I won’t let you get away with it.”

He took a step toward me, fangs shining as he flashed a menacing smile. “And how do you intend on stopping me? You think one magic necklace is going to make me afraid of you, Wren? I’m sure you have no idea what to do with it.”

So the Supreme Alpha necklace didn’t impress him. That was okay. I had one trick up my non-existent sleeve. One I hadn’t wanted to use, but it seemed I had no choice.

I grabbed the necklace once again.

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