Deadly Bond of My Fated Mates

Chapter 1

Chapter One

~ Shade ~

“Now, who the fuck is trying to kill my bestie?” Blake’s question hangs heavy in the air as she glares at Queen Krosia and the surrounding shadow warriors.

Power leaks from my friend, and the demon queen tucks her black wings in tighter, a single loose feather falling to the ground as the promise of violence burns in her golden gaze.

The ground trembles, and those familiar battle horns blare again, the low droning sound filling the amphitheater.

A chorus of roars starts up from beyond the high black stone walls, followed by the thudding of marching boots and the clang of steel.

Bumps race along my skin. She came. Blake came for me.

They all did. Tears well in my eyes, and I hastily blink them back before they can spill over.

Growing up, I’d never had anyone to fight for me.

I remember that now. But today? Well, today it seemed my best friend had brought the whole demon army to the shadow queen’s realm, all for… me.

I choke down the lump in my throat, still hardly able to believe it.

I’d known my friend would try to find me, and if anyone could have succeeded, it would have been the demon queen and her mates, but for a moment there, I really had thought it was all over.

I’d thought… I don’t let myself finish, and I try not to recall how close Germain’s sword had been to my neck just moments earlier.

Instead, I turn my attention to the pile of ash that’s all that remains of my bonded creature, and grief smothers some of the light inside me.

We’d only just bonded, and I’d already lost my new companion.

Not far from the ashes, my shadow mates remain restrained.

Raith, Galen, Thane, and Knox all struggle against Queen Krosia’s shadow binds, the four of them fighting desperately against her power as their knees burrow into the sand.

I want to tell them that everything will be okay now that Blake’s here, but truthfully, I’m not sure if it will be.

The demon queen and her mates are powerful, but they’ve never battled against shadow forces before, and I don’t know the limitations of Queen Krosia’s power.

She obviously has the ability to draw on the energy of the other shadow warriors around her, and that changes things.

The originals all look surprised by the arrival of the demon royals, but the shadow queen maintains her composure, keeping her head high as if she’s unbothered by the situation.

A cold smile curves Queen Krosia’s lips.

“Your…bestie?” she inquires, acting clueless though she must know Blake is talking about me.

Still, the shadow queen deflects from my friend’s question and goes on to say, “Queen Blake of the demon realm, I’m not sure why you and your kings have seen fit to grace us with your presence, but I do know that you all trespass on my land and interrupt our affairs.

This is neutral grounds to the other realms. You have no cause to be here. ”

Blake gives the shadow queen a twisted smile of her own.

“And yet, here we are,” she replies, gesturing to her formidable mates at her sides: Mason, her centaur shifter who helped free his people, Nate, her playful jaguar shifter with a thieving past, Alaric, the gruff giant with shifting abilities who had originally been sent to assassinate her (though, that’s another story), Dante, her seductive demon and previous clan leader, and Callan, the archangel royal of the realm of Toralyn.

The kings of the demon realm, Seral, are dressed in gleaming battle armor that matches Blake’s, and they all look just as pissed off as their mate.

The power pulsing from them makes my eyes water.

Yep, that’s right, the power. I’m not at all teary because they’ve come to save me like overprotective brothers. Nope. It’s not that at all.

Blake flicks her long battle braid over one shoulder, and it thuds against the plates of armor that cover her back. “And as I’m sure you’ve figured out we didn’t exactly come alone,” she adds.

Queen Krosia’s brows draw together, but before she can reply, a shadow warrior bursts through one of the stone archways that line the arena.

He stumbles onto the sands, blood running from a gash on his forehead and trickling past his eyes.

“Your Highness!” he rasps, struggling for air.

“Your guards around the amphitheater. They’re all gone!

The demons….there’s… there’s thousands of them!

” He sways on his feet as if it had taken all his energy to pass on this message, and then he collapses, falling face first onto the sand and becoming still.

As far as dramatic entrances go, I give this guy a ten out of ten.

When he doesn’t move, I frown. Crap. Is he dead?

No one else seems to care or bothers to check on him, especially not the shadow queen.

I’m not sure why I instinctively want to.

Maybe it’s because of his boyish face or the unbridled fear that was in his eyes, a feeling I know all too well.

Maybe it’s because I know I’m the reason the demon army is here, and I feel a little responsible.

Or maybe, it’s just because I’m feeling vulnerable after losing my creature, and I’m not ready to see more death just yet.

Not unless it’s the shadow queen who’s dying. For her, I can make an exception.

In any case, before I can take a step toward him, Blake shakes her head at me like she’d already anticipated what I was thinking.

Right. Leave the random wounded guy alone, Shade, I chastise myself internally.

Then I remind myself that if anyone’s responsible for this guy’s death, it’s the shadow queen.

Ignoring the fallen warrior, Queen Krosia narrows her eyes at my friend, and Blake smiles like the warrior’s announcement came just when she’d hoped it would, and she’s entirely loving this moment.

“What can I say,” Blake comments dryly. “You brought this upon yourselves.”

“Nonsense,” Queen Krosia snaps, that composure of hers finally starting to crack. “As I’ve said, you have no cause to be here. We have no issue with the demons.”

Blake’s smile morphs into something feral.

“Oh, so you are going to continue to play dumb? Because I’d thought I’d made myself clear.

You dared to hurt my friend.” She indicates to me.

“In fact, you were going to execute her.” Blake’s eyes darken when she says the last part, and though her posture remains relaxed, I notice the change in my friend.

Blake might look like she’s calm, but she’s one word away from going psycho bitch on the shadow queen.

Not that I mind or anything. Seeing her like this is always terrifying but in a good way.

Queen Krosia reluctantly slides her gaze to me, like she’s finally willing to acknowledge that Blake had been referring to me this whole time. Enjoying the moment, I give the shadow queen a smile and a little wave, which only seems to irritate her more. Excellent.

“You expect me to believe you know this human, and even more than that, that you’re…friends?” Queen Krosia makes a face like she’s disgusted, which is rude if you ask me, but hey, I tell myself jealousy is just another form of flattery.

Blake gives her a mock sympathetic smile.

“Yes. I’m sure the concept of friendship is difficult for someone like you to grasp, but the truth is that some people are actually likeable and enjoy spending time with one another,” she replies sarcastically, somehow managing to say it with a straight face.

God, I missed my girl.

Nate snorts like he’s enjoying every second of this, but Alaric simply looks annoyed, like he’s tired of the conversation and ready to get to the killing part.

But Blake’s smarter than that. As much as I’m sure she wants to attack the shadow queen, she knows better than to hastily plunge the demons into another war. I’m guessing the army is here more as a show of strength, though I don’t doubt they’ll fight if it comes to it.

Queen Krosia ignores Blake’s insult, also showing restraint despite the way her shadows curl angrily in the air around her.

“As far as I knew, the other realms are forbidden from visiting the human world,” she says smugly.

“So there must be more that you’re not telling us.

What is this human to you really?” There’s an accusation in the shadow queen’s question, like she still doesn’t believe Blake is simply here because we’re friends.

I mean, it’s not my fault Queen Krosia doesn’t realize how amazing I am.

Or maybe she’s wondering if Blake has figured out that I’m part of the prophecy regarding the war with the Xalgrith.

Maybe she thinks Blake wants me for other reasons. That thought has my mind spinning.

Blake lets out an exaggerated sigh and rests a hand on her leather-clad hip.

“Admittedly, she can be a thorn in my side at times,” my friend says playfully, “but as it turns out, this human is a trusted member of my court, and the story as to how that happened is irrelevant.” Blake’s eyes soften as she stares at me, but the warmth vanishes when she turns her attention back to the shadow queen.

“What is relevant, is that by trying to execute her, you’ve declared war with the demons.

” Her voice is unforgiving at the end, and the impact Blake’s statement has on the shadow queen is satisfying.

Queen Krosia splutters. “You’re being absurd. I would never even entertain the thought of war with the demons. Defeating the Xalgrith is our only priority, and the sole reason we’re here in the shadow realm. What you’re suggesting is beyond ridiculous.”