When We Were Mates (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Emris.

I’m in heat.

Not the kind anyone else would understand, but I know exactly where it started. Yesterday. In that storage room. With her.

I stepped away for one moment…one cigarette to kill the ache that’s been building in my dick and I come back to chaos. Milo running across the field, screaming while terrified by the fireworks. I bark orders at the useless gammas as I shove my son into their care to take him back home immediately.

Then I look up and find the bane of my existence.

Demetra.

She’s standing there, staring at me like I did something wrong. Why is she even in this part of the park? The booths are clear on the other side.

Because we just smashed, I can perceive her scent immediately! Not the best thing I’ve done as a husband, but definitely the best thing I’ve done for my wolf. And now it’s in heat, asking for more. I’ve been through heats before in the four years she was gone, but my wolf wouldn’t accept anyone else. It wanted its mate. So forgive me if I’m feral tonight after only getting one taste in four years.

It’s part of why I’m going to destroy Slade. This feral frustration needs an outlet.

I walk toward her. My eyes drag over her body and the perfect features I’ve always been attracted to. I had her. Year ago, I had her in the palm of my hand. Her love. Her body. Her loyalty. And I let my anger overpower all of it. I should never have let her go. I should have put pups in her…several pups, one for each year and made her so completely mine that no other man on this planet could ever touch her.

After our cinema encounter, my wolf’s possessiveness shot from zero to the highest level possible. The moment she arrived here; I could smell her wolf regardless of the thousands of others. Now I can make out her heartbeat too. How fast it’s pounding.

The speakers are literally chanting my name, calling me to the brawl, but she’s looking at me. I wonder if she knows what that means.

What am I saying? She should know. Four years isn’t enough to forget how aggressive I get and what that aggression looks like when it’s aimed at someone. It’s why I was bad for her as a mate. That anger. When it was passionate, it was full of passion. When it was angry, it was full of that too.

I walk toward her as everyone runs past us. The booth is a long distance from where she’s standing, and the wind is whipping hard. She pushes her hair away from her face.

“Must the both of you fight?” she asks, her voice barely carrying over the noise.

I chuckle bitterly. Of course, she’s scared for Slade. Anyone in their right mind would be. If I said I was going to take off his wrist, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

“Getting scared for Slade?” I tilt my head. “Rightfully so. But apart from the fact that I hate him, this is to decide whether my sister and your bastard cousin can be mates.” I step closer. “Let’s forget about that

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Chapter 32

anyway. What happened between us

“Nothing happened between us!” She yells it right in my face, and something in my chest cracks. M whines, rejected.

“It was a mistake!” she continues, shaking. “You’re practically cursed, an abomination-”

“Mistake?” I repeat the word slowly. “Abomination?” I take another step and she backs away quickly, I a firework about to explode. Her heart rate spikes. “If you remembered anything about fucking Emri you’d know I go more rounds than one. That one we had-”

“Emris, stop it.” She backs up again.

Her heart skips. Her lips tremble.

“We used to go three, four rounds on Saturdays.”

aris!”

ot marks all over my waist from your fingers yesterday.” I keep my voice low, and watch her squir nd you’re telling me it was a mistake? What? You don’t want your daddy to know?”

She’s sweating now. I can see it on her forehead, her upper lip is shaking too.

“You know your body has changed.” I let my eyes drag. “Hips larger. Tits bigger, perkier.” I meet her “Perks of being a mother?”

“You bastard! I swear, you’ll get what’s coming to you!”

I’m having fun now. This is how I love pushing, testing, watching her react.

“Beg me.” I say quietly. “Beg me, and I’ll go easy on your brother.”

eyes.

“I can’t believe I almost felt bad for you.” She wipes the sweat from her forehead with rage. “You’re going to get what’s coming!”

She storms away, pushing through the crowd back toward her booth. I watch her go, chuckling to myself. Get what’s coming? What does that even mean?

d my family is already there, front row seats to the slaughter. This space is

it’s the fight everyone’s been waiting for. Slade’s been ducking me for the

1. ht.

gh me now. This one’s fresh, hot, the one Demetra just poured into

growl and every head turns. Every pack watches, “Come here!”

gesture sharply for Slade to step forward. I need to end this. I kick the bonfire in the middle, sending sparks flying as I shove my sleeves up past my elbows. I could have gone easy on your brother, Demetra. I could have shown mercy.

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11:08 Sat, May 9 >

Chigner 32

But you

Slade steps into the circle with a smug smile plastered on his face like he’s already won something. He raises his sleeves, and we close the distance

I’m pissed. I wanted a wrist before. Now? I might take the whole arm.

I’m feared for a reason. I throw him down instantly, too easy my knee drives into his back. He’s beneath me, struggling, and this is where it ends. I reach for his arm, ready to tear when he puts something on my shirt

Then a high–pitched sound. No, shrill…vibrates the air and it cuts into my skull like a blade, and my body locks

No

I know that sound. I’ve known it since I was a kid, trapped in darkness, listening to it echo off dungeon walls while dogs snarled in the shadows. My hands fly to my ears but it’s too late. It’s inside my head now. bouncing around, multiplying

I am on my knees. Slade fist connects with my head but I can’t feel the pain. I’m already somewhere else. Somewhere dark. Somewhere cold.

My wolf helps me whit instinct so I grab his feet. My fingers lock around his ankles until I hear barking. I look up and see the red eyes. Barghests. A line of them, maybe six, maybe twelve. I can’t count through the haze. Their teeth are bared, saliva dripping, eyes burning like embers pulled straight from hell.

The whistle vibrates again. Louder this time. Doubled.

And I’m gone.

Chained in a cell so small I can’t stand up straight. The man with no face stands over me, whistling that same fucking tune while the dogs tear into my flesh. I feel their teeth sinking into my legs, my arms, my back. The blood is warm. My screams are silent. I can’t move. I can’t fight. I can’t do anything but lie here and take it while the world dissolves into red and pain and that endless, shrieking sound.

The barghests are coming closer. I see them. I see the dungeon. I see the man with no face. I see my own blood pooling on stone floors.

And I can’t. Fucking. Move.