Page 13 of The Reaper's Mate

He’s gawking at us, and I don’t like the way his eyes travel to my Annabelle. I stalk to him and shove him into the hallway. He lets me, though he could easily put up a decent fight. He’s almost as tall as me, though his chest isn’t quite as broad. We’re distant cousins of some sort. My mother isthemother, but there are plenty of offshoots on the family tree.

He turns and leans against the wall opposite the busted door. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever see Mathieu, reaper royalty, acting irrationally.” He chuckles. “What’s the deal with her?”

I pull my tunic to the side so he can see the mark. “This is the deal.”

He leans forward, and his starry eyes open wide. “Shit. For real?”

“Yes.” I nod. “She’s my mate.”

“A mortal?”

“It’s her.”

He runs a hand down his scruffy jaw. “That’s shit luck, my friend. Her number is up. I’ve been sent to collect.”

“You aren’t touching her.” I grip my scythe and advance on him.

“I don’t make the rules.” He narrows his eyes. “You know the penalty for disobedience in these matters.”

“I’ll rot in Hades if that means she gets to live.” I turn to face Gaius as he moves from the wall and starts to circle.

“I’d be all for that, but now I’ve been given the job. AndI’mnot going to rot in Hades. I haven’t had a chance to find my mate.” His voice hardens. “I’m not going to give up that chance by taking a trip downstairs. You can’t ask that of me.”

The truth of his words hit me in the gut. No, I can’t ask him to forego his mate. Each moment since I found mine has been more precious than every other moment of my life put together.

“You’re right. I can’t ask that of you. But I won’t let you take her.” I flourish my scythe. “So it seems we’re at an impasse.”

He sighs and readies in an attack position, his blade drawn back and his weight forward. “There’s only one way this can go, brother.”

“I know.”

He rushes me, and the clang of enchanted metal bursts every light bulb in the hallway. I duck as he swings, his fist passing above me as I spin and kick him in the abdomen. He stumbles back and comes again, jamming the haft of his blade into my chest. I roar and shoot a fist out, catching him on the jaw and launching him through the wall. In the room beyond, a man, clearly enjoying the skin channels, yells and scrambles off his bed.

“Awwww, we ruined his big finish.” Gaius pops up and runs his fingertips along his jaw. “Good one.”

“Leave.” Desperation seeps into my words. I don’t want to kill Gaius, but I will protect Annabelle. “All you have to do is leave.”

“Not happening—” He drops and sweeps my legs out from under me.

I fall hard on my ass, leaving a dent in the carpeted floor. “Fuck.”

His blade slices through the air in a fluid arc. I roll and jump to my feet as the scythe explodes the TV and dresser.

Annabelle peeks through the door across the hall, her innocent eyes wide with worry. “What the hell?”

He goes for her. And I lose it. I tackle him and we roll through the even wider hole in the wall and into the hallway. The building shudders as we punch and wrestle for supremacy. He lands an unexpected haymaker, and I’m thrown off balance for a second.

Rising to his feet, he holds his hand out to my Annabelle.

Never. I flip to my feet and spin before landing a kick against his torso with all my might. He flies down the hallway and through the fire door. An alarm sounds, and at the end of the hall, I see starlight. I kicked his ass clean out of the building, but it won’t deter him for long.

“Are you okay?” Annabelle steps over some debris and peers up at me.

I yank her to me and hurry away from the spot where Gaius disappeared. Her aura is almost on fire; she’s perilously close to death. But from what? Reapers can only claim souls, not take lives. I’ll keep her close to me, protect her until I find a way out of this mess.

I scoop her into my arms, dash to the opposite end of the hall, and thunder down the stairs. “Your time is up. Gaius has come for your soul.”

“My time? What?” The blood drains from her face as she clings to me.

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