Beyond Beta's Rejection

Harper

I walked into my room and saw that Elias, or War, was lying on the bed. He looked up and smiled at me as I walked in.

“Hello sweetness,” he said as he sat up. “Where have you been?” I forced a smile on my face.

“I was just catching Drake up with what happened,” I said. “You know with your sister.” I watched his face, but there was no falter of his smile.

“Ah yes,” he said. “My apologies for that mess. If I had known what I know now, I would never have left you alone.” He walked over to me and reached out to pull me into an embrace. I flinched away without realising. A hurt look crossed his face, and I widened my smile.

“I’m a mess,” I said. “And covered in b***d. Let me get a shower and I will be right out.” I went to walk past him and he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me against him. I felt a purr in his body as he pushed himself against my back.

“Maybe I could join you in the shower,” he said. I tried not to pull away as he started kissing my neck. The k****s sent shivers down my spine. I could still feel the mate bond and my body reacted to it. “Mmm,” War murmured in my ear, “See, my sweet mate, you already smell tantalising to me.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I pulled away from him again and kept the smile plastered on my face.

“Please, Elias,” I said. “I am exhausted and just want to get cleaned up. I promise after the ritual we can have some quality time, just you and me.” I turned and leaned up to brush his lips with my own. I needed to sell it that I still thought that he was my mate. He pushed his lips forcefully against mine and pulled me back into him. I allowed myself to relax against him as he deepened the k**s.

Eventually I pulled away and smiled up at him. I hated seeing the beautiful inky blue eyes of my mate, and knowing it wasn’t him behind them, but it would only be a matter of time before I would get him back.

“Okay, sweetness,” War said. “You get yourself beautiful and rested.” I pulled away and headed into the bathroom.

“Oh Harper,” War called just before I shut the door. I looked back out at him. “What is the ritual you speak of?” I smiled again.

“You know,” I said, “The one to repair the seal, we can do it tonight.” I then closed the door before he had a chance to reply. I leaned against the door as a tear slipped down my cheek. My whole stomach was in knots. I wanted to run to the man I loved for comfort, but I couldn’t because of the demon that stood in his place.

I turned on the shower and waited for it to warm up before climbing in. As I washed the b***d and dirt from my body, I thought back to the conversation in the library. There was something unsettling about the way Tommy acted for the latter part. He stopped protesting about what I would be doing, and I noticed a look between him and Colton more than once while Brianna explained the ritual to us. I finished in the shower quicker than I would have liked, but knew that I couldn’t hide in there much longer. I had to put on the charm with War and get him to agree to his part in the ritual. If he didn’t, then none of this would work. I reluctantly climbed out of the shower and pulled a fresh towel around me. I tried to delay leaving the bathroom as I brushed my wet hair, and my teeth, but eventually with a sigh, I opened the bathroom door.

War looked up at me, this time from the chair. I smiled as I walked into the room and to the dresser. I looked through the clothes in there and quickly found some black jeans and a strappy top. I pulled them on after my underwear, knowing full well that if I turned around that War was watching me. I could feel his eyes burning into my skin as I moved. It felt like there was some sort of tension between us. I felt the need to go to him and be near him. What was worse was that part of me knew that it wasn’t the bond with Elias that I was reacting to. It was the one with War himself.

I finally turned around to look at him and smiled. He watched me as I moved to sit on the chair next to him.

“So the ritual,” I said. He arched an eyebrow at me. “I spoke with Brianna, and she said that it would be stronger to do it in the Neverplain.”

“Why is that?” War asked. I could tell he was already suspicious.

“Because that is where we are stronger,” I said, “The Divine Warriors I mean.” He nodded as if in thought.

“I see,” he said. “I can understand why it would make sense. And why the rush?” I narrowed my eyes on him. I knew he would want to delay the closing of the seals until after our bond. Aaron believed that his connection to Hell and the connection to me was what caused the shattering. Like the force of it would break through the seals. I smiled again.

“Because we are concerned about the demon bloods on the border,” I said. “I actually said that I would go down to the border with Tommy to assess the threat. You are welcome to come along.” War screwed up his face.

“No, I am fine,” he said. “I will stay here, if that is okay?” I nodded with a smile. It was more than okay. It was exactly what I wanted. I needed to see my new people or whatever. Colton said that they would need to see that I was willing to accept their loyalty. He said that they would swear their allegiance to me right there and then. Of course I didn’t want War to see that because he would then know that we knew more than I was letting on. But I betted on him wanting to stay away from the demon bloods because they could see his true identity.

“And we need you for the ritual,” I said. He nodded slowly.

“And why would that be?” he asked. “I thought it was a Divine Warrior thing?” I nodded in agreement.

“It is, but Drake thinks that as it was our mate bond that cracked the seal, that it is our bond that will pull it together again,” I said.

“Oh?” War asked, “How?” Well here goes nothing, I thought.

“We have to complete our bond again in the Neverplain,” I said with no emotion. I saw the change as his eyes lit up.

“We complete the bond in the Neverplain?” War asked, and I nodded again. I knew that was perfect for him. If I was willingly completing the bond with him as his lesser than, then he would get what he wanted. Only I planned on being the more powerful one, and dragging his a*s back to Hell as I did it.

“Well, that sounds great,” War said with an excited tone. “And then my beautiful sweet girl…” He reached over and pulled me out of the chair. I yelped as he pulled me onto his lap. “You will be all mine.” He reached up to cup my face and pulled me back into him. He pushed his lips against mine and I allowed him to slip his tongue into my mouth. I kissed him back with everything I had. But I tried not to melt into the feeling that was beginning to surge through me. The one that urged me to accept him right here and now. I kept the thought in my mind the whole time. I would never be his, I would never kneel to him. But he would bend on his knees in front of me before the night was done.