Hell Kissed: A Rejected Mates Romance (The Rejected Realms Series Book 1)

by A. K. Koonce

  Latham stands tall on the side of the mountain as he watches us closely, probably picking apart what it is this pretty woman sees in my messy, manic mind. You and me both, my friend.

  Most women are intrigued by me. I don’t get a lot of social interaction, and I’m not about to waste it on censoring myself or tiptoeing around. They’re curious, but they’re not stupid enough to get too close. Fear always wins out over curiosity.

  Rhys Love just doesn’t have that fear inside of her to save herself from me.

  And fuck if that doesn’t make me want to keep her locked around my hips for the rest of our fucking lives.

  I stride up the slick path, my steps even as I walk with this delicate package of a woman in my arms.

  Her hands settle on my shoulders, curious eyes watching me the entire time.

  “Are you and Latham more than friends?” she asks under her breath.

  I chew on my lip as I try to understand her question.

  “I don’t even think we could call ourselves real friends, Love,” I tell her, answering the best I can.

  I see Latham a few times a year. We trust each other in times of need. But we don’t really know each other much at all.

  It occurs to me then that I don’t have a single soul for a friend. My brows furrow hard, but the warming memory of my immaculate hoard of treasures back home washes out the worry of friendship.

  Her pale blue eyes narrow with heavy confusion.

  Shit. What was she talking about?

  “You kissed as if there was more between you.”

  Right. Friends. And kissing apparently.

  Latham doesn’t look back at us, but I know he’s listening. He’s close enough to put that shifter hearing of his to good use.

  “Where I live, I don’t get any visitors. I’m alone a lot, Latham is much the same. When I do meet people, and when I find that attraction in them like—like I did last night…” I smile wide, and she blushes even harder. “I don’t think. Attraction and fucking, that has nothing to do with your brain and everything to do with your heart.”

  I see her trying to twist that into some kind of mortal logic that makes sense.

  “So you’re attracted to men and women,” she says slowly.

  My smile only grows.

  Humans thought the Earth was flat for so long that their thinking never really evolved into more dimensions than that surface level understanding.

  “Men and women. And elves. Giants. Dwarves. Fucked a goddess once, but she’ll never admit to it.” I reminisce aloud about my hoard of memories, only to be interrupted by Latham’s scowling annoyance.

  “Fucking gods, he’s conceited,” he whispers under his breath.

  What can I say, when you’re right, you’re right.

  She’s quiet for a long time, and I didn’t ask in the cave but…

  “Have you ever experienced it?” I ask as my gaze catches hers, and I feel that spark of her beautiful magic fire all through me.

  “You mean like actual sex?” she hisses, and Latham full-on trips at the sound of her hushed words. He face-plants into the snow hard, and I don’t give him a second glance when I walk past his snow angel antics.

  I nod as I eat up the desire shining in her ocean eyes.

  She shakes her head quietly. “I dated a few human boys in high school, but…” Her casual words drift off into that half shrug thing I’ve seen her do before.

  I want to drop my hands and lower her against me until her hot pussy is pressed right where I want it.

  But I walk on instead. I lift her higher even, to a more platonic place against my chest rather than my cock.

  I have a sudden urge to shield her right then and there. I want to prevent all the shitty things in this realm and the realms to come from ever touching her.

  Especially fucking human boys. Can’t even remember to make their mates come. What a waste of cock.

  Her pack didn’t appreciate her either. Those men—her fucking pathetic excuses for mates—they didn’t know what they had.

  “I-I got you something.” I feel slightly self-conscious as I shift her weight to one hand to reach into my pocket.

  I’ve never given away a piece of my hoard before. Not one single broken spoon. My collection is all I have in my home. It keeps me company to see my mementos of the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met.

  But this one… it belongs to her.

  Within my pocket, I slip past the dwindling ration of food from home. Then my fingers tangle with thin lacy fabric that surprises me for a second. Confusion tenses my face before realization dawns on me. Right… stole the pink panties that were blowing in the wind back at the temple…

  I shove her secret stolen panties aside before finding the item I was looking for.

  With a small smile, I lift my hand between us. Her eyes are bright with anticipation, and my heart soars to have her full attention.

  My fingers splay open to reveal the tiny gift.

  Her mouth does that thing where it falls open, but not in awe. Is she confused? Does she not understand what it is?

  I pick up the item and hold it between my index finger and thumb.

  “It’s his. That little shit who tormented you,” I explain and wait for her gasp of amazement and appreciation.

  Hmm. She isn’t gasping…

  “Is that—is that a finger?” she asks with a curl of her lip.

  I nod. It should be obvious. Clearly, it’s his finger.

  “I got it for you. The ring, I think it’s his family insignia, so you’ll always remember that he can’t hurt you anymore.”

  I shove the rigid finger in my mouth and hold it there while I work the metal ring off of the fleshy end of it. She dry heaves strangely and looks away from me as I tear off the shiny ring with a breath of achievement in my lungs. I spit the finger out. It drops and sinks into the snow like a forgotten piece of memorabilia that I’ll never get back, but I have to smooth over this weird disgust that’s lining her pretty features right now.

  She hesitantly peers back at me. I hold the now fingerless ring out to her in the palm of my hand, and her eyes brighten slightly.

  Ah. So it was the bloody finger that was a turnoff.

  Noted.

  She takes the jewelry and holds it with both hands. The sunlight shimmers off the edge of the metal and shines across her face in an arc of golden colors.

  “You killed him,” she whispers.

  I nod as a large smile creeps over my lips.

  “For me.”

  I nod harder, smirking even harder too.

  And then she’s smiling as well.

  Her attention is punctuated with a wave of warm magic that I’ve never felt until I met her. Her power trembles through my chest like a second pulse.

  She’s special.

  Just like Hela said.

  And I have no fucking idea how I’m supposed to finish this job now that I know that.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Peak

  Rhys

  Aric’s hard body slides against mine as he lowers me. The defined lines of his biceps are smooth against my palms. My gaze holds on the fiery depths of his russet eyes until my feet peacefully touch the icy ground. The heavy ring rests loosely against my middle finger, and even though it was Kyvain’s, it was a gift from Aric.

  And I’ll never forget that as long as I live.

  Violent wind whips around us, clawing at my hair as I look out over the world below us.

  Wispy clouds cling to the edge of the mountain. Bits of green grass and blue water can be seen between them. A serene sensation falls over me. This is it. This is what heaven must feel like.

  “I don’t think we should take her,” Aric blurts out.

  All three of us turn to look at the wide, manic-eyed man.

  “What?” I ask in a shaking breath.

  “I said that two fucking realms ago!” Latham growls.

  “We’re taking her,” Torben says with nothing more than a mu
rmur of quiet authority.

  “No.” Aric steps toward his friend, but I note the way his shoulders square up in a less than friendly way.

  Torben seems suddenly attentive to something other than the task at hand. And the glare he gives the dragon shifter is total controlled confidence.

  “We have an order. We will follow through with that order.” Torben speaks clearly and casually,

  but just under that layer of calm, cool collectedness is a monster I can tell is rearing to rip out.

  He seems every bit a shifter.

  And yet he isn’t…

  The three of them are more than a mystery to me despite how much trust we’ve gained through this journey. What more are they hiding?

  “Why don’t you want me to go now?” I turn on him in an instant, and his molten eyes catch mine.

  “Because you don’t belong there,” Aric answers flatly.

  “I don’t belong anywhere. But I’m going to find my mother.” I look from one man to the next, but it’s Latham’s tragic gaze that catches my attention. “My mother is there, isn’t she?” I ask slowly.

  I need answers to so much more than that, but we have to start somewhere.

  A pause drifts through him, but there’s an honesty in him that I’ll never be able to ignore as he nods solemnly.

  “Okay,” I whisper, the single word coming out more clear and concise than I expected given the fast pace of my heartbeat. “Then stop acting like you’re in charge of my life.” I step past Aric, and I feel his attention follow me as I look up at the seven foot tall man before me. “Where to now?”

  Torben’s eyebrow lifts high as a surprising smirk pulls at his lips.

  Until he points straight down.

  I follow the direction of his index finger, but I still don’t understand.

  My mouth parts but then closes again as I try to process.

  “You have to come up in order to get back down,” Aric adds, as if that explains it all.

  My mouth falls open then.

  Wait.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mutter under my breath like a crazed person as I pace toward the rocky ledge of the mountain. I peer over the edge of the cliff. A strange body of water can be spotted between the thick clouds. My vision extends with the help of my wolf to get a better view of the emerald sea that crashes against the sharp jutting rocks so far below me they look like they’re cast in miniature. “I am not jumping off of this!”

  Words tumble out of my mouth before I murmur to myself about how I’m not this insane.

  “I think you broke her,” Aric none too quietly whispers to Torben, who stands near their small gathering with his feet shoulder width apart and his corded arms crossed over his chest.

  I swear he’s standing there to block my retreat, in case I decide to haul ass back down the mountainside and take my chances with the giants or my pack.

  Now that I know Kyvain’s dead, maybe it won’t be so bad. Except for the tiny fact they’ll probably kill me on sight for having a hand in his death. His blood’s not on my hands directly, but it’s definitely splattered in my direction. I literally almost held his tattered finger as a gift moments ago.

  And now I’m wearing his ring…

  Definitely doesn’t put the odds in my favor with the Dark Moon Pack.

  Latham’s fingers are hooked in the pockets of his jeans. His hair hangs across his forehead in messy waves while his blue gaze tracks my every move. He’s willing me not to do this, which is why I don’t meet his blazing stare.

  “You don’t have to do this…” Latham tries, but Torben shoots him a slicing look that says otherwise.

  “Why are you giving her false hope? We’ve been sent to bring her back. You truly think they won’t send others in our place if we fail?” the giant challenges.

  Muscles in Latham’s jaw jump as he clenches his teeth, annoyance and surrender bleeding off of him in tandem.

  “It’s not that bad,” Latham says weakly, nodding to the cliff’s edge.

  “Think of it like bungee jumping,” Aric suggests.

  “Ha.” The nervous, jittery sound wavers between us. “Bungee jumping without the bungee.” It sounds even more insane when I say it out loud.

  Aric shrugs like it makes no difference to him. I have a feeling that not much scares him at all.

  “You have to jump if you want to get to the bridge between realms, Love. You’re not just jumping into the ocean, you’re jumping into a door,” Aric explains more rationally.

  “Sounds equally painful,” I deadpan.

  Aric grunts, and Latham cuts in with a rueful smile. “Think of it as a portal. You have to access the outer ring of Helheim and be granted access to the actual Realm of the Dead.”

  “This is the only way.” Torben nods toward the edge, punctuating the end of Latham’s helpful information with an immovable period.

  I swallow. This is going to happen whether I like it or not. Heartbeat thundering in my chest, I pull my metaphorical big girl panties up and prepare myself.

  The ledge of the mountain we’re standing on kind of reminds me of Pride Rock in the Lion King, jutting out over the ocean far from where the waves crash into the shore below. But it doesn’t ease the anxiety any less.

  The snow flurries are just crisp cold air in the morning sunlight, but if we linger I’m sure the frigid temperatures will fall right back in.

  I can’t linger on this fucking death trap of a mountain any longer.

  “Just… just give me a minute.” I hold my hands out at them like they’re going to physically tackle me over the ledge, though none of them have moved so much as an inch toward me.

  Warmth nudges aside some of the panic I’m feeling as I realize all three of them are respecting my space and ability to process yet another insane turn of events.

  Although Torben does so a bit louder than the others.

  “You’ve already had fifteen minutes,” Torben grumbles quietly, his complaint whipping away on the cold wind.

  “Excuse me for taking a little time before I jump to my very mortal death!” I sass back.

  The three men exchange another heavy look, Aric glowers hard at Torben before turning to me. The beast of a man looks like he’s ready to spill the world’s secrets. Instead, when he opens his mouth, all that comes out is another promise.

  “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” Aric swears, brows fiercely pulled together like I should have known this already.

  And I do. Or I think I do.

  What is happening in my life right now? Yesterday this asshole was my enemy.

  I swallow hard.

  “Can’t we just poof to another realm?” I wave my hand, indicating the disappearing trick they like to pull on me, hoping the answer has changed since the last time I asked. “Blaze us away, Latham.”

  Torben just stares at me like he’s not sure how I’ve lived so long without common knowledge of their hellish world. I arch a brow right back, propping my hands on my hips, unwilling to back down from what seems like a perfectly logical question.

  “Realm rules, Love,” Latham explains apologetically. “You have to physically cross through them. It’s not possible to ‘poof’ from one to the next, even for us. Besides, I told you our magic won’t carry you outside the mortal realm.”

  “Lawless fucking place,” Aric mutters like the Realm of the Living is somehow worse than Hell. He catches me watching him, and the corner of his lips pull up in a half smile that draws out that dimple I want to lick. It distracts me enough to make the new information I learned take an extra moment to sink it.

  “Magic rules,” I mutter. But it makes sense.

  “You know of them?” Aric questions as Loki pounces around his feet chasing the light floating snowflakes, making himself the cutest little kitty who ever lived. It’s kind of fun to see Aric take a liking to my cat. He knows how much the furball means to me, so now Loki means something to him too it seems.

  Or maybe he’s just a
big softy on the inside. Like… deep inside. Past the scary exterior of that serial killer charm he holds.

  “I know about them from the books I read. Every story is set around some set of magical rules that often only serve to make shit difficult.” I wave a hand all Vanna White style toward the ledge I’m getting ready to leap from.

  Fuck. I’m really doing this, aren’t I?

  “Are you ready?” Torben stomps forward, running out of patience, but there’s a tension to his shoulders, a tightness he carries around with him like a new weight has settled there.

  “I’m never going to be ready, so we might as well just do it.” I shrug, knowing it’s true.

  Aric whistles for Loki, who comes trotting over like he didn’t just try to kill the guy the other day. Latham twists his wrist, and a duffle bag with a soft lining appears in his hand. Aric takes it and splays it open on the ground like he’s preparing a fine bed for the Queen of England or something. My cat curls up in the bag, happy for the free ride, and Aric zips it completely shut this time. Loki mewls his frustration, but it’s like he knows this is the safest option, because he quiets after minimal protest.

  “I’ll go first,” Latham offers. “That way you can see what happens. Hopefully it’ll help you trust us.” His confession warms me to the core. He wants to make this easier on me, and I appreciate the hell out of him.

  “Okay.” I nod.

  With a sexy smirk and a wink, Latham walks casually past me. He strides to the edge as he faces me with that alluring look of calm confidence. Then he gracefully launches himself off the ledge.

  A scream rips from my throat. I… fuck. He actually jumped! A tiny part of me thought they were joking. That they’d turn around and laugh about how they had me going. We’d walk jovially back down the mountain and have a nice brunch with the ice giants in their temple of doom.

  This… this brings reality crashing down around me like sharp, dagger-esque hail.

  I scramble for the edge and watch Latham dive into the churning sea.

  “Your turn,” Torben demands. It’s clear he doesn’t trust Aric to make me jump.

  “Come on, Love.” Aric holds out his hand and I take it.