Page 172 of Their Rejected Queen

Ze’ev stubbornly glares at me, but finally Arwan sighs and reaches through the bars to grab his shoulder. He yanks him closer. “Take her gift, asshole,” the royal says. “That tonic is a mixture of Cain’s blood and blood from the Rinhold line. It’ll give you an edge. You don’t need to create a tornado, but you do need to keep your mind on her.”

I stare at him. “How do you know what the tonic is made of?”

Arwan has way too many secrets.

He merely grins at me as if he’s proud of that fact. “It’s important that I know what magic is on this isle, little queen.” He runs his thumb over my jawline. “The mixture of ingredients is what affects Ze’ev, not necessarily its magical properties. Cain’s blood provides access to the dream realm. Rinhold blood helps him target you. That combination? Well, let’s just say that allows him to establish a stronger link between the two of you, given that one previously existed.”

“You’re talking about the mate bond,” I whisper. “Does that mean a fully established mate bond gives us access to each other’s minds?”

Arwan grins. “Does that frighten you?”

It doesn’t, which concerns me even more.

“Now that that’s settled,” Arwan says, looking directly at the other male, “are you going to take it or not?”

They seem to exchange unspoken words as they glare at each other, but whatever battle takes place is quickly over, and the Outcast finally retrieves the vial.

Relief washes over me as I pull my hand back and warm it on my chest. “Can he drink it now?” I wonder.

Arwan shakes his head. “I’d wait until we’re closer. Whatever effects it’ll give him, he needs to save it for the Deadlands. Half of the monsters there are going to be coming after us.”

I nod shakily, wishing I could do more.

“I need to get you back before they do the shift change,” Arwan whispers in my ear before placing a kiss on my brow. “Come on.”

I hesitate, then pinch my lips. “See you soon, okay?” I tell Ze’ev.

He gives me a nod as his lips stretch into a small smile.

He might not be worried about what’s coming, but Ze’ev is a psychopath. He’s probably been looking forward to this ever since he learned he was going to get to participate.

Arwan presses his palm to the small of my back and guides me on the return path through the train cars. Once we’re back in the candidate segment, the view from the windows has already changed.

I stare at the shoreline and dread what’s coming next.

CHAPTER 40

A blast of salty air hits me in the face as I disembark the train. Somehow, I managed to catch a short nap after Arwan had encouraged me to take a few more bites of food. It might not have been poisoned, but the hearty sustenance was enough to make me feel sluggish.

“You’ll be burning all the calories you ate very soon,” he whispers to me as I rub my eyes. He escorts me onto the sand, and my boots kick through the grains as I trail behind a row of candidates.

A shifter moves through the crowd, strapping bracelets on the candidates that tighten the second they’re placed. He reaches me and grabs my wrist before I have a chance to think, and he secures the strap around my bones with a sharp pinch that makes me wince.

Holding it up, I frown at the number twenty-three printed on the strap.

“Do I want to know?” I ask.

Arwan looks grim. “All the candidates are tracked throughout the games. It’ll broadcast your location so the cameras can find you with your identification number.”

Glancing around, I note that there are already cameras everywhere. There are also massive hologram panels lining the beach, depicting the other hunts about to take place in the rest of the world.

I recognize Monster City at once; its skyscrapers and modern streets are empty in preparation for Monsters Night. That’s a stream I’ve watched multiple times and always pitied the selections hunted down by the beasts who sought to claim them. Most brides are treated well in Monster City, but the experience itself is usually a terrifying one. A lot of the villages don’t even tell their women what to expect.

Probably because it’s better if they don’t know.

A few unfamiliar streams are on display on different panels, and some of the girls whisper about one.

“Look, they’re having the poor girls wear lingerie,” Coraline says with a sneer. “How impractical.”