Page 40 of Definitely Dead

“Take me to my mate.”

“Very well.”

The stars blinked out, the breeze stilled, and the sparkling shoreline disappeared as a vast field opened up before him. At its edges, a stone archway that seemingly led nowhere loomed in the darkness, surrounded by an ominous, ancient forest of twisted trees.

Tyr cast a sideways glance at the god. “This is it?”

“This is it,” Hades confirmed. “Careful you don’t get lost.”

“You know he doesn’t deserve this.”

“I do.”

“You could bring him back yourself.”

“I could,” Hades agreed with a nod.

Tyr grunted in frustration. “Then why don’t you?”

Hades stared straight ahead, his eyes trained on the archway. “Things like this exact a price.” Finally, he turned, his black gaze boring into Tyr’s soul. “If you want your mate back, only you can pay it.”

Taking a deep breath, Tyr released it slowly and squared his shoulders. If the Underworld wanted payment, he would give it with interest.

With a last look at the god, he turned and began marching across the field toward the forest.

“Oh, one more thing,” Hades called after him.

He paused and looked over his shoulder.

“A little brute force wouldn’t go amiss.”

Nodding his understanding, he continued forward, feeling a familiar but neglected surge of power course through him.

His muscles bulged and expanded, rending the fabric of his shirt and ripping his leathers at the seams. His bones cracked, shifted, and realigned. Paws the size of hubcaps shredded the leather of his boots, leaving only scraps to trail behind him. His skin rippled as thick fur the color of midnight blanketed his body, the pelt absorbing the ambient light around him.

The transformation took only seconds, and when it was finished, he towered over the field, the top of the archway now at eye level. Every breath came as a harsh, deep rumble, and his powerful limbs crashed through the underbrush as he strode toward the entrance of the Whisper Woods.

Prepared to take back his mate by whatever means necessary.

Chapter eleven

Onapositivenote,Sunne had woken up in his own body this time. Unfortunately, his body happened to be in hell. And he knew exactly who to blame for it.

As he and Aster had traded places for the last time, the mage had left him with a smug parting shot.

“Enjoy the Whisper Woods, sunshine.”

While he didn’t normally condone violence, in this instance, he might be willing to make an exception.

Black trees with knotted trunks crowded together, leaving only winding paths through the dense woods. Leaves rustled in the breeze, whispering to him as he passed, but no matter how much he strained, he couldn’t make out their words.

And it never stopped.

The voices followed him, a constant murmur that filled his ears and burrowed into his mind. Sometimes, he would hear his name called, or so he thought. When he would turn to look, however, he found only trees and thorny, tangled undergrowth.

The thick canopies blotted out the sky, yet a steady rain covered the forest. The icy drops pattered against the ground, soaking everything it touched and forming puddles along the muddy trails.

Tightening his hood, Sunne ducked his head as he traveled the worn path, searching for…something. Food? Shelter? A way out? He didn’t know, but he felt compelled to keep walking.

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