Chapter 63

"Say that again, you bastard!" Dash roared, his normal green eyes turning neon yellow.

"Calm down, wolfie." Gabriel stepped back cautiously. "You can have her back after I get my Pandora."

"It's not yours!" I yelled.

"It's not yours either, so what's your point?" Gabriel barked.

We could never be mates he was obnoxious.

"You don't deserve it," I said.

"That won't make me turn around and leave, sweetheart," Gabriel said, tugging on his damp jacket.

"What do you want? Surely, we can compromise," Dash said.

What? I thought.

"I'm not going to share it with you," Gabriel said, frowning.

"You need us to get to it, so you better start talking," Dash responded.

"Wrong. I need her. I don't need the rest of you," he said, his gaze darting from Dash to Zelda.

"I won't let you touch her, but I'm willing to take you to the Pandora."

"What?" Gabriel and I said in unison.

"Are you okay?" Zelda asked.

"Yes, I want something in return," Dash said.

Gabriel laughed. "Everyone has a price. What do you want? Money? How much do you want?"

Dash folded his arms. I watched him before I reacted because I didn't want to get ahead of myself.

"I have enough money. I want you to reject Zora. Right now."

"That's it. I'll reject her when I get Pandora. You don't have to worry about that."

"Do it now. I don't care how many puppies you brought to protect you, I'll take them all down, and you know it."

Gabriel rubbed his jaw. "Yes, I know."

Gabriel stepped forward. He held out his hand, and I just stared at it.

"We don't have all night, Zora," he growled.

I took his hand. What was Dash up to? I stood and played along despite my confusion.

"I, Gabriel, reject you, Zora Dean, as my fated mate."

Why did he use Dean as my last name?

"My last name's Fisher, not Dean," I said.

He groaned. "Maybe legally but you have Dean blood. Accept the rejection. I want to get this over with."

"I, Zora Dean, accept your rejection."

My abdomen twisted. I buckled forward and cried. I felt a heavy weight come over me, and I fell into the mud again.

"It's okay, sweetheart, it'll pass," Dash whispered in my ear.

"Why does it hurt so much?" I whimpered.

"Because the bond between you two is broken. It's better this way."

He kissed my cheek and then my neck. He sank his teeth into my flesh, and I yelped.

"Dash," I cried.

"I've rejected her. Let's go!" Gabriel barked.

"Fine," Dash said.

I grabbed his arm. "We can't!"

Dash stared at me, but he dragged me off the ground and forced me to walk with him. What's wrong with him? Gabriel walked beside us while his henchmen lingered behind us. Dash didn't say anything as he led Gabriel to where the Pandora lay.

This was everything I didn't want. I had to trust that Dash had another plan because Gunner was supposed to be right behind us. Unless Gabriel got to him first. Then we might be screwed.

"We're here," Dash said.

But where were we? This place looked the same.

"Where?" Gabriel barked,

"It's buried in the middle of the forest. Did you think an object so powerful would be sitting on a pedestal?"

Rain poured harder on us. I was soaked to the bond. I was surely getting sick after this.

"Alright. You three, dig," Gabriel ordered his men." You three stand over there. I don't want you touching the Pandora."

Gabriel shoved me into Dash's arms. He held me to his chest and stroked my damp hair.

"What have you done?" I whispered.

He stared at me and didn't offer a response.

Gabriel's henchmen shifted into wolves and began excavating the centre.

"Faster!" Gabriel ordered. "Faster!"

Finally, they stopped digging. "Get out!" Gabriel barked.

The whole quickly filled with water. The wolves jumped out, and Gabriel slowly made his way inside. "Make sure they don't go anywhere!" Gabriel ordered his wolves.

They bared their fangs at us. Okay, not good.

Just as I thought Gabriel had won, a wolf with bright neon eyes jumped out of the bushes and clamped its jaws around an unsuspecting black wolf. The wolf howled in pain. Zelda and Dash jumped into action.

So did I. I dove into the howl with Gabriel.

"Big mistake, little mate!" Gabriel said.

"I'm not your mate."

I grabbed the Gabriel from the ground and kicked his shin. He slipped and fell. I slipped when trying to climb out of the ditch. The box flew out of my hands and broke. I caught a glimpse of the Pandora, a small purple object that glimmered in the dim light before it disappeared into the water.

Gabriel and I shared a brief, chaotic look before I dove into the water. I was not losing it now that I had found it.

Gabriel grabbed my hair while my hands frantically searched for the object. Meanwhile, a massive wolf fight was going on above us. The weather wasn't my friend this time. I was up to my waist in water.

"Big mistake, human," Gabriel spat. He gripped my hair tightly. "Did you think you could take me on?"

I used my foot to search for the Pandora. It was a small purple box made out of glass. All I felt were rocks and mud on the ground.

"I'm an Alpha wolf, sweetheart. You're nothing but a pathetic human. You were born out of an affair! Your parents hurt an innocent woman, so the moon goddess punished you by not giving you a wolf!"

"That's not true."

He barked out a laugh. "It is! Max cheated on his innocent wife. He betrayed his legitimate daughter."

"You're wrong," I said, still feeling for the box. I slipped a foot out of my sneaker so I could feel better. It was all hands on deck at his point.

"It's true. You're pathetic. It was only fitting for Max to abandon you!"

I got it!

Gabriel awoke memories I buried years ago. Every taunt and tease Gunner ever said came back to me. I was nothing but a worthless human in this Pack. Then I remember who told me I was worth my weight in gold. My Father and Mother, and my best friend, who taught me how to defend myself.

I wasn't worthless.

"I am not worthless you dick!"

I grabbed his shoulders and slammed my knee right between his legs. Gabriel threw his head back and howled like a wolf. His eyes flickered between brown and red. I dove under and grabbed the tiny box. When I emerged, Gabriel reached for me again. I stepped back just in time.

"I'm going to kill you!" he roared.

"Zora!" Dash shouted.

As Gabriel reached for me again, I fisted the glass box and slammed it against the side of his head. A bright purple light nearly blinded me.

"No!" Gabriel screamed. "What have you done?"

A glowing purple liquid slid down his face while the rest fell into the muddy water. Gabriel touched the liquid on his face and panicked.

"No, no!"

The water around him rapidly changed from brown to deep black. I hurried away from it.

Gabriel screamed and clawed at his face.

"Come on!" Dash held out his hand for me.

I grabbed it, and he yanked me out of the water. Gabriel's screams filled the forest and rose above the heavy rain. Until suddenly, it was quiet.

I swallowed. We all remained still.

"Ouch!" I cried and clutched my thigh.

"What?" Dash asked frantically. "What's wrong?"

"It burns!" I cried.

"Her pants!" Zelda pointed.

Dash clawed my pants off my skin. Whatever was in that box burned my thigh.

"We have to get her out of here," Gunner said.

"What about the Pandora?" Zelda asked.

"It shattered. Whatever was in there was ruined by the rainwater," I explained.

Dash scooped me off the ground and brought me to his chest.

"Good. Mission accomplished."

"Yeah. It's over." I rested my head on his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.