Page 87 of Death God

The mate in front of me started to throw in a lot more promises, including what kind of engagement ring he’d commissioned for me. He described the runes on it that would testify to our bond. He even told me the price tag of the diamond atop the band.

Another vampire that looked like his butler confirmed the price.

Even in this form, I had to admit that I was impressed.

“If you don’t come back as Pip Ophelia, you won’t be able to wear that diamond ring,” my mate said. “And all of your former bargains will be for nothing. Think about it.”

I wouldn’t want to lose that deal, would I?

“Hold on to that thought,” I said, raising a flaming finger. “You drive a hard bargain, vampire. But let me take care of another piece of business first.”

The battlefield was littered with corpses, a lot of them looking like mummies, as they’d been drained by the spirits. The dark mages and witches were all dead, yet one-third of the shifters and humans had been spared, since they’d surrendered and were on their knees.

Tens of thousands of spirits were waiting for me now.

In this form, I was more powerful, and thus I tore open the fabric of the dimension and let light shine through the veil to the afterlife.

“Go,” I told the spirits I’d freed from the portal ward. They’d assisted me and they’d had their revenge.

The horde rose into the sky and crossed through the veil. All that was left was my spirit allies and my court.

“Go, and have peace, my friends,” I said.

They bowed to me as one, let out a collective satisfied sigh, and then they departed, leaving this realm and dimension for good. They were no longer bound to me.

I shifted back to ol’ Pip and fell from the sky. Marlowe caught me and pressed me against his hard chest so tightly I could barely breathe.

Then he kissed me. It was scorching and delicious. Who needed to breathe when my mate could do it for me?

CHAPTER 24

I stood over the Alpha King, the Vampire God to my left and Shade and Going-gray to my right.

Our friends, allies, and warriors rallied behind us, their weapons ready. One wrong move and our team would cut the Alpha King down.

I’d torn the horseman’s spirit and essence from the alpha’s body, so now Jared woke up, no longer possessed by the dark angel of war.

Jared slowly rose to his feet, and we let him, or more precisely, I allowed him to stand. But we all knew that he wouldn’t be allowed to walk off the battlefield after what he’d done. Once you crossed the line, there was no coming back.

I looked at him blankly, death in my eyes.

Jared stared at me for a long moment before training his gaze on his brother and his cousin. He’d given an order to kill them too. Shade stared back at his brother, his jaw clenched and every line on his face hard. He’d also learned his brother had murdered their father to ascend to the Alpha King’s throne. Going-gray glared at his former king with cold disdain.

Jared didn’t apologize to any of them. He didn’t utter a word, but he knew his black fate. He dropped his gaze, and then he faded to the background to let his wolf surface to deal with the fallout and also say goodbye.

The black wolf looked out, rage, shame, and pain swirling in his golden eyes.

“My mate,” the wolf called me.

Marlowe growled, but he didn’t stop the wolf, as he was giving me this final moment with the alpha’s beast. I wasn’t fool enough to believe my mate would allow more.

“I failed you,” the wolf continued.

“It wasn’t you,” I said. “It was all him. The man is to blame. After he took in the spirit of the horseman of war, there was no happy ending for him anymore. Even though I tore out the dark angel’s spirit, he’s already corrupted this vessel. The damage is done. I’m sorry that there’s no redemption for him and he’s dragged you down with him.”

“It was my fault as well,” said the wolf. “I thought we could win you back, so I let this go too far until I could no longer stop him, or stop the horseman. I underestimated the man’s hunger for power.” His voice turned so sorrowful that my heart broke for him. “We’ve never deserved you. I don’t deserve you. I bear the shame forever for failing to protect my own mate. I couldn’t even stop him when I saw him use you and mistreat you. I regret being bound to him. As a wolf, I’m meant to mate for life, unlike him. I have no will to continue after failing and losing my mate. I should’ve ended him and myself when I had the chance, so he couldn’t cause you more harm. Your vampire mate is a better male than I can ever be. I’m glad you found him.”

His hand turned to claws and slashed across his own throat. He dropped to his knees, fading already, and Jared peeked out through his pained blue eyes, wheezing labored breaths as blood poured out of his gaping wound.

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