Chapter Two Hundred Thirty–One
GAYLE
The moment Tardora left my room 1 llung myself over the top of Cane’s body, exhausted and relieved. “Thank God! I know it! I k
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Closing my eyes for a moment, I press two fingers into his neck hoping to find a pulse, but it remains elusive. However, I’m not going to let it get me down, not when his entire torso has somehow healed. Of course, he is burning up with fever it seems, which is odd.
But then again, how am 1 to know?
I mean – Ive never market a mate before so I don’t really know how it supposed to go. In fact, none of us here have. I suj call my father, but that would mean telling him that my mate was humans and I’m not doing that. He’d probably come home and try to
mainder Came.
the
thought has me thinking back to when Gryffin found his mate.
Five years ago, the year after my mom was killed.
The poor girl that my father forced Gryllin to reject.
Her name was Adelle.
I still don’t know why Gryffin did it. She was a pretty little thing and had gone to school with us. Not at all the type Gryffin usually went out with, but according to him, she was his mate. He seemed excited about her at first, even saying he liked that she was a girl with no reputation. But little did I know, my father would change Gryffin’s mind.
If he would have asked my opinion, I would have told him that he was lucky to even find a mate at all. I also would have told him to fight for her, because I liked her, but… he didn’t ask and I had no idea my father had forbidden it. At least, not yet.
In those days, Gryffin did what my father told him to do pretty much without question. So when I heard Cryffin asked her out on a date was excited for her and my dumbass not realizing why he asked her invited her to the house to get ready. She was so sweet and more than a little shy so it took a bit of coaxing to pull her out of her shell, but the end result was a gorgeous girl with a perfectly heart shaped ass and legs that went on forever. Gryffin was stunned to find out that I helped her get dressed, and although there was no mistaking the effect her new look had on him he appeared angry with me. At the time I had no idea why that was, but I would find out soon enough
At sundown I received a phone call from her. She was in tears, telling me that Gryffin only asked her out as a joke. According to her, Gryffin had taken her into the woods to preform a weird blood ritual and tell her that he never wanted to see her again. She wanted to know if I would pick her up. Of course, I went. Gryllin left Adelle in the woods near the old Red Wolf Packhouse and she had no idea how to get home from there, I could not believe he stranded her in the middle of the woods with no ride. I wanted to murder my brother. And the story she told me when I arrived to pick her up sounded almost sinister. In fact, if I had been human and someone had done the things to me that Gryffin had done to her, I would have been scared to death. For some reason Adelle blamed herself. She said she should have known better than believe someone like him would want her.
That was the very same night of the fire and the entire reason Domone and Gryffin stopped talking, Gryllin had been seen leaving these woods looking crazed and out of his mind. Apparently rejection hurts like a bitch, whether your are the rejectar or the rejected and Gryffin went a little off the rails for the next few weeks. But Adelle seemed pretty much the same as she always was. I guess rejection doesn’t really affect a human for shifter for that matter) that is already in a constant state of melancholy, which was Adelle on a twenty–four hour hasis. Except, of course, for those few hours I helped her get ready in my room. For that time she was happy.
Later, I would realize that what he actually did was reject their bond as per my father’s instructions. It probably seemed like a ritual to Adelle, but it was actually just a formal rejection
Two months later, Adelle’s brother Kyle caine over to tell Gryffin that Adelle was dead. According to Kyle, she killed herself, Cryllis disappeared that day and stayed gone for a week. Returning only to attend Adelles finoral. But, no one was invited to the funeral and there was nothing about it in the papers, Every attempt made to contact Kyle after that was useless. It was clear that he blamed Gryffin for
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Chapter Two Hundred Thirty–One
her death, although wo had no dea why. It wasn’t like Gryffin and Adelle had a history together. But who knew… maybe she’d always had a crush on Gryflin and Kyle knew that, or maybe she left a note and mentioned Gryffin in it. We were never to find out. Her brother still lives in Port Orchard, but he never comes out this way.
“Hey!” A familiar voice sounds behind me, snapping me out of my revere. “How’s it going?”
“Draven!” 1 spin around, grabbing her in a quick lung. So nice to see you
Delilah isn’t here at the moment. Quinn took her home to talk to Charlie,” Tandora says, walking in with a strikingly handsome older man with eyes the exact color of Dravens,
This must be I start to say, my gaze going back and forth between the two of them rapidfire.
“My father,” Draven finishes. “Before you ask, yes, he’s a shifter.”
I nod like a wooden puppet, my eyes wide with shock and my jaw nearly settled of the floor. “How did I not know this?”
“Glo Piccoli,” the man says, reaching out a hand for me to shake. I take it easily, my gaze still riveted on him. The man must be over forty years old and smoking hot. His slight accent only serves to make him that much sexier and for a whole minute I forget that my mate in burning with fever behind me.
“Just… wow,” I say to Draven with a wag of my eyebrows.
“Uh–uh, honey,” Tardora snaps. “I saw him first. And your mate is right behind you.”
I flip her off and turn my attention back to Cane. He remains as still as death and when I touch him again I gasp in shock. That’s
strange, I whisper.
at is?” Tandora asks,
What
“He’s even hotter now….” I stroke my hands over his chest again, trying to feel for a heartbeat, but coming up short. Damn it! I dont
understand this.
That’s when the forty year old shifter in the room speaks up. “Forgive me for interrupting, I know it’s none of my business, but did I hear you say, he’s hot? As in, he has a fever?”
My head swivels in his direction and I nod. “Yes. Is that normal? I mean… does that happen?”
Gios chin lifts and his jaw clenches, “How close to death was he when you marked him?”
1 bite my lip, suddenly worried that this man Gio is going to tell me something I do not want to hear. Something I’m going to reject. But….. I know the only way to help Cane is to be honest so I tell him, Tm not sure. He lost a lot of blood. He was unresponsive the first time I marked him, even though I gave him all the venom I could-”
“The first time? Gio interrupts. “Was there a second time?”
I nod guiltily. “Yes,” I whisper.
He closes las eyes, shaking his head. Does he have a heartbeat?”
I shake my head no, tears filling my eyes. Oh God, here it comes. He’s going to tell me Cave is about to
about to be a zombie or some shit I just know it.
“He needs a transfusion, Glo says smoothly. “And soon . Your venom is cooking his insides. Its changing him… Gio chuckles, then he glances at Braven and Tadora apologetically. I am really sorry to do this girls, and I realize this is America, not Italy – but try and humor me. I’m old school. I’m going to need a word with your friend alone.”
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Chapter Two Hundred Thirty–One
Draven quirks an eyebrow and Tacdora snorts incredulously. Neither of them move.
“Guys! Please! I want to hear what he has to say. Ill probably tell you later and I love you both, but get the fuck out. Now, I command
sweetly.
“I’ll be downstairs,” Draven says, eyeing her father suspiciously. “You’re not the law around here Padre, but I’ll allow it just this one,” smarks at him playfully.
“Don’t get frisky either,” Taedora wams, stepping out and closing the door behind her.
Gio locks it without hesitation and then walks over to stand next to me, next to Cane. “There is an ancient teaching in the Books of Lore.
A scripture in the Royal Libraries of Transylvania. An outlawed practice that our ancestors have kept so guarded that just the sneaking of
it is a crime punishable by death. He looks at me, squints. And you are one marking away from completing it.”
A chill rides down my spine and my body begins to tremble. “What is it? What have I done?” I whisper.
He snilles sadly, “You truly love him, don’t you?”
I nod. “T–I mean, I haven’t known him long b–but 1-1-
understand. I do not blame you either. I am perhaps a bit jealous, however,” Gio sighs. “I’ll admit, I would have given this a shot years ago when my Bianca died, despite that it is forbidden, but I arrived much too late. It seems you got to him just in time. You marked him as his soul untethered his body. He must have seen you and decided to stay. Amzing really, as this is something that cant even be timed properly when done on purpose.”
“What? What is something?” I ask. “Is he going to be okay?”
Gio nods. “Yes. But you will need to mark him once impre and he will need blood. If his soul is tethered he will awaken… but not as human.”
I gasp. What? What the fuck? Then… what will he be?”
