Page 13 of Blood Oath
“As far as moving in, I preemptively reserved one of the finest quintet accommodations in the northwest wing,” Silas says, finally breaking the ice since Everett looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. The Nightmare Prince is studying our keeper just as intently as I am. “I’ll have Maven’s things moved in first?—”
“No need,” Maven cuts in with a surprisingly firm voice.
It’s the first time I’ve heard her speak, and I’m intrigued. She doesn’t sound like a shy wallflower. Have I been reading her wrong?
“Would you rather we all move into your little dorm room, cutie?” I ask, grinning. “Might be a tight squeeze, but I like the idea of close quarters with you. We can share your tiny bed. These other fuckers will have to sleep on the floor, though, because I want you in my arms every night. Might be an issue for Frost since he was born with a silver spoon stuck up his ass.”
“Fuck off, dragon,” Everett mutters.
“Move in together if you want. Where I stay doesn’t matter because I’m rejecting the quintet so you can appeal to the gods for another keeper.”
Maven speaks so casually, like she’s just informing us that it’ll rain later. That’s why it takes my brain a second to catch up with why my inner dragon is suddenly losing his fucking mind.
But Silas is quicker to the draw as he holds up a hand to stop her words. “Rejecting?”
“Yes.”
My mate is…rejecting me.
Unexpected pain blossoms in my chest, but I know why. It’s because shifters like me start developing a bond with their mate right off the bat, and the idea of that being wrenched away so soon? It fucking hurts.
“Hang on. Let me get this straight. You are rejecting us?” I snarl without thinking, letting my emotions control my mouth as usual.
Immediately, I feel like a world-class asshole. It doesn’t matter that I’ve never heard of her or that she’s not one of the top-ranked students at Everbound—she’s meant to be mine, and here I am, being a condescending dickhead.
Damn it, I probably just hurt her feelings. I never want to see her upset.
But Maven has no reaction aside from nodding once, matter-of-factly. “Yes.”
I stare at her. Everett and Silas are staring, too. Meanwhile, Crypt slowly dons a creepy smirk like the psychotic fucker thinks this shit is amusing.
The pain of being rejected wells in my chest. I clench my fists to try calming the heat under my skin. I can’t tell if I’m more perplexed, offended, concerned, or pissed—but my dragon is ready to claw his way out and throw a fucking bitch fit over this. Since I haven’t gone hunting yet today, keeping him in check is more difficult than usual.
“You’d turn down a gift from the gods? Why?” Everett finally demands.
I scowl at him. Of course, the rich, pious elemental would be more testy about her slighting the gods than the fact that she’s fucking rejecting us.
“Because we all know you guys deserve a better keeper. As Baelfire so sweetly insinuated, the four of you are completely out of my league."
I flinch. Damn. What a time to learn that my mate doesn’t pull her punches. “Fuck, Maven, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Except you did,” Silas mutters. He turns to Maven. “You’re making this decision rashly. There’s no reason to reject this. We all want our curses broken, and we all want a quintet…no matter who else is in it.”
His red glare flickers to Crypt, who only looks more amused. Those two must have more beef that I don’t know about. But I don’t care about that right now because Maven levels Silas with a bland expression.
“Wrong, wrong, and wrong. It’s best if you four appeal for a new keeper because I won’t be in this quintet. There’s no point dragging this on, so I’ll be on my way. Let’s not cross paths again. Better luck next time.”
And then my pretty little enigma just walks away, leaving the four of us to gawk after her in disbelief.
Better luck next time?
It takes me all of two seconds to decide that I reject her rejection. Maven is supposed to be my mate, and I’m meant to belong to her. Rejecting one’s matches is unheard of, and legacies appealing to the gods for a new quintet member is extremely rare. Usually, that only happens years after a member of their established quintet has died, and the ones remaining can't take the empty hole left behind anymore.
She thinks I’ll just drop her and hope the gods find someone as perfect for me as she’s supposed to be? Yeah right. I’m not letting her go without getting the chance to know her. Not fucking happening.
“You fuckers can appeal to the gods all you want, but I’ll refuse any other keeper,” I grit, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my chest from the rejection.
Everett gives me a disgusted look. “Appeal? I’d never question the will of the gods. Besides, there’s no way she was serious about rejecting a quintet of our caliber. She’s just playing hard to get, trying to get our attention.”
