“No,” she said. “You’ll agree to my terms because of this.” Smug, she tossed the coin at him.
He caught it without glancing away from her—and he smiled. “You found it.”
She gave a single nod. “I did.”
“Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news—oh, who am I kidding? I love it. Someone misinformed you, darling. Probably because I misinformed everyone who’s ever asked about the coin. It doesn’t buy you whatever you want. Not even a single wish.”
No. He was lying. He had to be lying, trying to trick her. To force her to back down.
Baden grabbed her hand, pulling her down beside him, hugging her and whispering, “The hounds will take you somewhere—anywhere—else. I’ll fight Pandora, and I’ll find you.”
“No. I’m not leaving you, and I’m not letting you hurt your...whatever Pandora is to you. But I also can’t enslave the dogs. I just can’t. They would rather die.”
“Katarina,” he said, his tone grave. “I’ll win. I’ll claim my reward. The safety of the hounds.”
Yes, but at what cost to his soul?
Sharp fingers tangled in her hair, yanking her to her feet. She cried out. Baden and the beast snarled in unison. The dogs growled.
She growled and twisted to bite Hades’s hand. Infecting him the way she’d been infected? Or did the link require conscious thought?
The king released her, stepping away from her.
She jumped to her feet, demanding, “What does the coin buy me?”
He rubbed the wound she’d caused. “A chance to fight and kill me and take my crown.”
Her stomach dropped. Fight Hades? How could she ever hope to beat him?
“Don’t you dare,” Baden shouted at the male. “You touch her, and I’ll kill you.”
“If only you could back up your threat with action,” Hades told him.
Roar and Werga moved to Katarina’s side, brushing her calves to claim her attention. She looked down and met Roar’s troubled gaze.
He rubbed his face against her biceps, his teeth scraping, cutting her skin, and a wave of dizziness hit her.
—We are now linked for the rest of our lives.— Anger roughened his tone. She’d gotten them into this mess, and they couldn’t kill her to get out of it.
Werga nuzzled her other arm before biting into her muscle. More dizziness...but it was accompanied by strength. Power. Animalistic, wild and savage. A burn at the ends of her fingers, worse than ever before. Little claws grew at the ends, and she couldn’t stop them. Inside her mouth, her teeth sharpened, cutting her gums.
“What’s happening?” Hades demanded.
“Did they just...link with her?” one of the warriors on the dais asked. “Willingly?”
—Hades tried to force a link before he slaughtered our ancestors. He soon learned it cannot be forced.—
She heard Roar’s voice so clearly now, as if he’d actually spoken the words, no filter between them.
“They did,” Hades said, emotionless. “Well, Miss Joelle. I accept the coin and your challenge. Weapons are lady’s choice. If your hounds enter the fray, my allies will behead Baden without hesitation. I adore the male, but I’ve learned to prioritize.”
He was going to fight her?
Likelihood of Getting Bitten: 100%. Yes, she was scrappy and had fought kids in school, but she’d never been in an all-out brawl. How was she supposed to defeat a monster? “I don’t want to fight you.”
“Too bad. The challenge was made as soon as you presented me with the coin. You can stand there if you’d like. I’m happy to do all the work.”
Okay. There was no way out of this. She had to defeat him, despite the odds, and that was that. The pups—as well as Roar and Werga—now counted on her.
“No,” Baden shouted, struggling with all his might to stand. “Fight me instead. I’ll be her proxy.”
“Denied.” Hades removed his shirt, revealing row after row of muscles, his strength deadly, his tattoos strange. “You’ll stay right where you are, warrior.”
More and more hellhounds jumped past an invisible curtain and landed inside the room. They raced around her, each scraping her with sharp teeth before darting away from her.
No longer was dizziness a problem. She was too strong for it. So strong she wasn’t sure how her body contained it, wasn’t sure how she hadn’t morphed into the Hulk.
“I’m waiting,” Hades snapped.
Jealous of her connection to the hounds? “I choose hand-to-hand combat,” she said. With the claws, she wasn’t sure she could actually grip a weapon.
“No. No!” Still Baden struggled, straining so forcefully a vein burst in his forehead. “Don’t do this. Please.”