Page 40 of Rejected Mate

"It's for Fagua." I cringed on the inside from using my mate like this. Except I had to have her and my brothers safe. Even if it meant manipulating a half-vamp to do so.

Mayia paused, waiting for me to continue.

"He's threatened to kill her and all of us." I held up a hand when she opened her mouth to protest. "I have his word that he won't harm her or you."

"At what cost?" she whispered.

"I'll take you to him, you swear your loyalty to him, and he'll let us go."

"I don't want to be a vampire." She shook her head and hugged herself.

"You won't be."

She peered over her shoulder at the club we'd come from. "How do I know I'm not walking into a trap?"

"Because I'm going with you." I pulled out my phone to see if Fagua had woken up and texted me. Nothing. Thankfully, she must still be asleep. "And I won't let anything happen to you."

"Are you fucking joking? He'll turn me into a slave."

"Mayia, you have to think this through." I ran a hand through my head. "Fagua's life, our lives, are at stake."

"God, you're an asshole." She held up her hands. "I know you don't think I'm worth it, but fuck you. I'm not going anywhere."

I opened my mouth to argue, but then clamped it shut. Fagua's life was on the line and I wouldn't sacrifice my mate. I had to figure out how to get Mayia to cooperate, or Fagua would skin me alive if she ever found out.

"You have to pledge yourself to him." Even as I said the words, they sounded like a bad idea. If a vampire had a half-breed in their power, and one of the allied packs tried to take the half-breed away, the vampire could do whatever they wanted to the pack and get away with it.

"There has to be another way," she said, her voice sounding panicked.

"I'm sorry." I sighed. "But you're the only way to keep your friend safe. He agreed that he'd let you go and leave us alone if you did this."

"What about you?" Her voice was shaky.

"I promised him that neither me nor my brothers or Fagua would spill any vampire blood from his clan." Convincing Fagua of this along with her father's pack was another issue I'd deal with later. And if we overthrew her dad, we could put an alpha in place who would go along with this insane promise.

"And Fagua agreed to this?" She arched her eyebrow.

For the first time, I wanted to be honest about this much at least. "No. I haven't told her and I don't plan on it unless it is necessary. She's gone through a lot; she doesn't need this shit."

"You're doing this for her, aren't you? Otherwise, I'd already be in Alister's clutches with no escape, wouldn't I?" Mayia's entire body shook as she nodded. "I'll go."

"Good." I stepped back, preparing to walk her over to the vampire, but she didn't move.

"Husk?" she said and stared at me like she was seeing me for the first time.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," she whispered, and tears glittered in her eyes. "Thank you for helping me."

I nodded. "We'll be careful. If he tries anything, the deal's off and I'll slaughter the lot of them." Not that a dozen vampires would be easy to fight with just me and a scrap of a girl.

"This may take all night and into the morning." She gave me a watery smile. "What about Fagua?"

Vamps and their stupid rituals. They had ways to allow themselves to stay up past sunrise for short periods of time. "I'll make it up to her later."

We headed up the street, back to the hotel. The moon hung high overhead, casting silver light across the sidewalk, and I prayed that Fagua was still asleep. That she'd wake up and I'd be done with this mess. That I'd be able to kiss her again.

"Promise me one thing, will you?" I asked, my voice ragged.

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