Forged by Fate by Reese Monroe Read Free Book Online Page A

you find her?”
    “There’s no if about it.” He swung his leg over and jammed the key into the ignition. “She also rides a bike, though it’s in the lot. When I find her, she’ll ride with me.”
    Justin huffed. “Good luck with that.”
    Theo paused, drawing in a cleansing breath, seeking out his Mate. She ran on foot less than thirty minutes ago, so she couldn’t have gotten far.
    Unless someone took her while she was out on her own.
    Damn, his healing slumber was so deep. Had Justin gotten Theo awake sooner, they could have been that much closer to Sadie.
    “What’s wrong?” Justin asked.
    “What?” He glanced around.
    “You growled. You sense something?”
    “I did not.”
    “Actually, you’ve been doing that a lot lately. Possessive much?” His brother ducked behind the car as if expecting Theo to throw something at him.
    Hardly. But he was right about the possessive comment. Theo had every right, though. After nine centuries of waiting for his Mate, he’d finally touched her. Grazed his fingers along her neck .
    Too bad he’d scared her into running away.
    “Hello?” Justin’s voice sliced through his reverie.
    He threw his leg over and kicked the bike into action. “Follow me.”
    Theo pitched forward with the Camaro close behind. The sun had set hours ago, which left many shadowed areas for Sadie—and demons—to hide.
    He’d sensed none nearby, lucky for them, but he barely registered a blip on his radar for Sadie. That was concerning in its own right.
    He went north and proceeded to do a loop around the small campus. The town’s population was only forty thousand, yet it was spread out. An engine roared and Justin’s red sports car came alongside him.
    “Anything?” he shouted over the noise.
    Theo shook his head. And at that instant, the cold vibration he knew so well slid down his spine. Flashes entered his mind in rapid form: long fangs, fire, and granite.
    Shit. Sadie was in Hades.
    Instinct demanded he veer right. Hackles raised, he nearly skinned his knee he took the turn so sharply. Too sharp for Justin to follow. He’d have to catch up.
    Theo wasn’t near a gate to enter Hades, and if a demon hadn’t created a splice, he’d have a bit of a drive to get to a gate.
    “Where?” he whispered to The Great One.
    The pull was intense, as if a magnet drew his bike. The scent of rancid milk, sulfur, and dirt ransacked his senses.
    “Lead me,” he said again. “Your will be done.”
    A dark sliver within the void of night opened ahead of him, smack in the middle of the road. He held on to the handlebars and drove in.
    Considering that splices only opened to bring a Gatekeeper to the location a demon breached Hades, the fact that one opened for Theo to get to Sadie led him to believe she was in serious trouble.
    Darkness encapsulated him, but he forged onward. He’d made this trip millions of times, but this time it wasn’t to send a demon back to Hades.
    It was to retrieve his Mate.
    Pity anyone who got in his way. Wind whipped by, pounding in his ears louder than a raging river. The stench of sulfur clogged his senses.
    He opened his mind, searching for Sadie. Through the thick, pungent evil, he sensed a breath of fresh air. A light.
    A pure soul that didn’t belong in this darkness.
    Orange flames flickered into his awareness, and he let off the throttle. To his right. Yes. She was close. Her heartbeat was fast. Anxiety rolled through the air, slamming into him.
    Very close.
    Jagged rocks and granite burning red-hot from the flames flanked him, creating a narrow tunnel. Only the roof of this tunnel was an endless orange sky.
    Hold on, love.
    He didn’t sense they were hurting her at the moment. But if they had, he would rip this place to bits.
    “Theophilus.” It was Aggie’s voice floating in the air like a hushed whisper. “How nice of you to visit.”
    Theo glanced behind him. The rumble of his bike’s engine vibrated the air, a haunting sound. He wasn’t