Forged by Fate Read Online Free

clutching his stomach. “Theo…by all means, take your time. This doesn’t hurt at all.”
    With a grunt, Theo pushed to his feet. He scented the air and found no trace of evil’s sour stench. Sadly, nothing of his Mate, either.
    He made his way to his fallen sibling and knelt beside him. Beads of sweat gathered on Justin’s forehead. He wasn’t immune to the evil-tainted daggers and claws as Theo was. That came only with the Gatekeeper job description.
    “So, they can make splices wherever now?”
    “There’s a gate nearby, but I sensed no activity there.” Theo reached for the shredded flesh. “The splice Aggie created this far from the gate is a new development.”
    Justin groaned as Theo touched the raw flesh. “I hate being the pincushion.”
    The fire-hot agony of Justin’s wounds sliced Theo’s side. He bit back a groan so as not to make his brother feel bad. Phantom pains ripped through his stomach as he absorbed the injuries.
    His heart hammered, but the flesh on his side had a separate pulse. Throbbing. Aching. Theo drew in a long, crisp breath and blocked out the pain screaming for him to release his brother.
    But he wouldn’t. Theo needed to absorb the injury. The pain. Drawing it from the victim if the wounds were to heal.
    Within minutes, Justin’s injuries were gone.
    Theo stood, sucking in oxygen to stave off the residual pain. “Those were deep.”
    “He met bone.” Justin stood. “Sorry, brother. I don’t enjoy the fact that you have to take in my pain to heal it.”
    “Comes with the territory.” Justin was Theo’s Companion, and Theo was responsible for his brother. To lose him…Theo’d seen it before. The Gatekeeper was never the same after having lost his or her Companion.
    So, Theo’d heal Justin, no matter what. He was family.
    “Sucks, if you ask me.” Justin shook his head. “So, do you know where your female lives?”
    “No. But her Mark calls to me. I’ll find her.” He glanced down the deserted street, scanning the darkness. She’d gone south. Thank The Great One Sadie had fled before Aggie appeared. But that was too close.
    “What is it?” Justin asked.
    “I’m not sure. Aggie shouldn’t have been able to breach Hell’s walls like that.”
    “Aggie?”
    Theo laughed. “When we last met, I gave him that name to piss him off. His full name is Agares.”
    “I’d hate Aggie as well.”
    “Problem is, I sent him back to Hades months ago. That should have been binding.”
    “As it is with the others.”
    Theo nodded. How could Aggie have escaped the fires of Hades? Someone had to be helping him. But who? Better yet, what? And why would he—
    A sense of dread tightened Theo’s chest. “They know.”
    “Who’s ‘they’? And what do they know?”
    “The demons. Shit. And Aggie came here. To this restaurant. This very moment.”
    Justin turned a circle, searching the surroundings.
    Theo fisted his hands at his side. “It would have taken great strength and magic to bring him here. To this spot. Such a far distance from the nearest gate.”
    “What do they know?”
    Theo looked down the street where his Mate had fled. “They know about my Mate.”
    Justin ran his hands through his hair. “If they kill her, leaving you Mateless, you don’t get your full powers.”
    “Doomed to remain half an entity. Strong, but not strong enough to maintain all of the gates.”
    “Therefore, more demons roaming around freely.”
    Theo stalked toward his bike. “That simply will not do.”
    He would go find his Mate and claim her.

Chapter Six
    “Ms. Nowland?”
    Sadie jumped in her seat and looked up. Professor James stared down at her over the top rim of his glasses.
    “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
    She glanced around and found the classroom empty. Panic seized her stomach like a vise. She’d wasted the whole hour?
    “Are you finished with your exam?”
    She looked at the sheet and, much to her relief, saw the two questions on the front filled in.