Rejection (The Mate Games 2)

Every instinct I had alerted. I needed to guard my mate, my child. If anything happened to them, I’d burn it all down until hell itself was nothing but cold ashes. My wolf fought to free himself from the constraints of the magic blocking my shift.

The courtyard directly in front of Blackthorne Hall had once been a peaceful place where we’d gather. Not now. Students flooded the grass, makeshift weapons at the ready to defend their territory from the filth attacking us. But without our magic, we were no match for the hellspawn.

Cries rang out, and brave supernaturals lost the battle against the demons. Blood spread across the grass, turning the dark green blades black in the night as my classmates fell.

The swarm surged forward, focused on me and my mate. They were coming for her. But they’d have to go through me first.

“Stop them! They’re going to kill the Alpha to get to her.” That screamed order from Derek had me shoring up my energy, prepping myself for hand-to-hand combat with something I could never beat.

Glass shattered somewhere above us, and I looked up in time to see a figure hurtling down from the sky.

Sunday’s hands tensed on my waist where she held onto me. “Noah!”

Thorne landed in a crouch, his vampiric agility more than a match for something as basic as gravity.

“What the hell kind of superhero shit was that, Noah Blackthorne?” Sunday screeched, smacking his arm with the flat of her hand.

“I felt your fear. I could hardly leave you to fend for yourselves, could I?” He smirked. “Besides, this is what being mated to a vampire can do for you.”

I wasn’t mated to the bastard, but I was glad for his sudden appearance. I could use the help protecting our girl. Now, where the fuck were the Viking and that priest?

A flash of red from above caught my eye, tearing my attention upward to the woman standing on the balcony of the headmistress’ tower. Madame le Blanc was fucking terrifying as she stared down at the carnage. Her hair was a vibrant, flame red rather than the black it used to be. Even in the moonlight, I could see the color as the long locks blew in the wind. But it was her eyes, glowing with fire in the irises, that had my gut curling with dread.

Holy shit... is she controlling these monsters?

I didn’t want to believe it, but there was something about her, waving her hands through the air like a conductor guiding an orchestra that had the hair lifting at the back of my neck. Her lips moved, but I couldn’t make out the words.

The clock at the top of the tower struck midnight, its bells ominous as they rang out over us. And with it, a shockwave on the twelfth strike.

I could actuallyseethe air coalesce and expand, moving with enough force to knock students and demons alike flat on their backs. Instinctively, I curled my body around Sunday’s, Thorne doing the same. As the air washed over us, I felt the change. Magic surged through my veins, and it felt as though I could finally draw in a full breath after surviving off small pants.

My wolf was free.

She’d lifted the magic ban so we could fight. So we had a chance.

“Stay with Thorne. You won’t be able to shift fully.” I murmured the words into Sunday’s ear, desperate for her to understand the seriousness of her situation. With her pregnancy, she’d be unable to do more than partially change until the baby was born. She was a sitting duck.

“I love you.”

Then I released her, my back burning as a demon lashed across the skin with sharp claws. I turned on the creature, a feral growl ripping from my throat just before I shifted into my wolf and lunged.