She didn’t reply, but then, she was always the optimistic part of my soul that held out the hope that people were good. I didn’t have the heart to rehash that video Larissa showed us of Ruby and Marianna getting tortured for failing the mission. Instead, I padded over to my case, pulled out a thick nightgown, and got changed.Tomorrow, things would be different. Instead of dwelling on what Griff had done to me, I would focus on extracting every ounce of information from the bastard before it was time for us both to return to Hell.The next morning, Boris shouted a wakeup call, alerting everyone that it was time for brunch. Since I knew nobody would be taking care of the Hellhounds, I made my way to the extra-warded space and hurried to see Bonnie and her puppies, praying to every deity that I knew of that the pale one had survived the night with her mother.She sat in the corner again, looking about half as big as her siblings. When I approached the bars, she turned around and gave me

Outside the Range Rover, the streets were more crowded than they had been when I was alive, andpeople darted in and out of the stores with their purchases. Under Fenrir’s management, Lunaris had become a thriving and international village, filled with shifters of all kinds.Griff honked the horn again, making the shifters turn around and scowl. I glanced around for signs of the tall, blond god, but found none.As his hand hovered over the horn, I placed a hand over his arm. “Everyone’s watching us.”“So?” he said. “I’m saying hello to a friend.”My lips formed a tight line. Had all that time in the Asphodel Meadows eroded Griff’s sense of decorum? He had always been so proper…Or perhaps that had been an act to impress me. You know, considering that I was the future alpha, future Shifter Queen. The woman I was would have needed a high-class consort to match those fancy titles.Griff had never made a public display of himself when we had been alive. But it looked l

He turned to me and grinned. “Fenrir is the one who suggested I start the Hellfire pack.”My heart skipped several beats, and I nearly dropped my chopstick. Even Beki rose to her feet and salivated over the scent of something delicious.“He invited you to Shifter City?” I asked.“Fenrir even bought me a ticket,” Griff replied with a laugh. “He said the more the merrier.”Every nerve in my body vibrated with the thrill of getting close to the truth. Hades had been wrong about Fenrir harboring a bunch of runaways from Hell. He had helped Griff and the other souls to escape. I could only assume that it had been Fenrir who had supplied Griff’s inner circle with physical bodies.“That was nice of him,” I said, letting my voice trail off. “He’s planning great things for the wolves.” Griff took abite of chicken and washed it down with rice wine. “It’s going to be huge, and I’m honored to be part of it.”“Part of what?” I asked with a forced giggle.He set down his chopsticks and looked me

Part of me wanted to ask about the arrangement, but now wasn’t the time. Besides, I still couldn’t understand how Griff had transformed from a battered and abused young wolf to a creature who could prey upon his own mate.He rose from his seat and gestured toward the door, prompting me to also get up. With his hand on the small of my back, we walked through the busy restaurant. Eyes followed us as we passed, and a few people raised their hands to offer Griff a wave. He nodded back, acknowledging their greetings, as though he was Fenrir himself.The old me would have felt proud to walk at the side of a handsome and powerful wolf. My chest would have swelled, my shoulders would have pulled all the way back, and I would have raised my chin. Now, all notions of status had abandoned me, replaced by the questions squirming through my mind.As we stepped out into the busy village square, I asked. “Did you ever find your father?”Griff fell silent for several heartbeats as we crosse

I gulped, hoping he wasn’t referring to some kind of tongue binding to prevent me from having the information extracted from my tortured soul. “What do you mean?”“It’s just a little initiation ceremony,” he said. “Nothing freaky.”“Of course,” I murmured. “But where do all the souls go?”The air thickened with tension, which cracked against my skin. Griff was too close, too warm, too touchy-feely. The man was getting under my defenses like tiny wisps of poison, and each second in his presence eroded the force of my hatred.His intoxicating scent invaded my sinuses, making every muscle in my body want to melt against his broad chest. My tongue darted out to lick my dry lips, and without meaning to, my gaze dropped to his mouth. Everything about the man was as sinful as it was sensual. My spirits rose, and I felt myself drifting toward his lips.Griff leaned in, aiming for a kiss. On instinct, I jerked back.Beki’s sharp bark hit like a whip, making me flinch. She was right. I was letti