Free Forged by Fate by Reese Monroe Page A

didn’t compute with her.
    “Can I ask you something?” Sadie asked as she leaned against the wall and hugged her knees.
    Dasha nodded, straightening her legs out in front of her.
    “Do you believe in love at first sight?”
    “Never have…until now.”
    “Really? Love? As in eternal, gonna-live-with-you-until-I-die love?” Sadie shook her head. “No matter what I’m feeling for this guy, it can’t be love. Lust, maybe, but not love.”
    “And about thirty minutes ago, I thought demons, Hades, and superpowers were impossible, too.” Dasha pinned her with a stare. “Who’s to say this Mate thing isn’t for real? I mean, he got your mark. You said it formed on his neck when he took you from the security offices?”
    Sadie nodded.
    “That’s fracking amazing.”
    “Fracking?” Sadie giggled.
    “Yeah. Trying that one out. The real eff-word hurts my ears.”
    “So, just to clarify things. You believe in love at first sight. Maybe even this Mate crap he’s spewing about?”
    “You’re the scientific type, aren’t you? Have to have substantial proof, or whatever other fancy words you like to use, before you believe in something.” She shook her head. “I mean, that’s cool and stuff—you’re mega-smart, I get that—but you’re kinda dumb sometimes, too, girl.”
    “Gee, thanks. And what do you know about love? You’ve never had a steady boyfriend other than flings in high school and then Joseph from Intro to Physics.” Sadie shifted her weight and rested her head against the wall. “I mean, I get the sense from Theo that this Mate thing is indisputable and eternal, and he has absolutely no doubts in the slightest.”
    “What a fairy tale.”
    “Please. I was in freaking Hades, Dash.” Sadie hopped to her feet. “Hell. As in devil, horns, eternal-suffering shit. I’m not okay with that.”
    “That part sucks rocks. Try talking to him. I don’t know, like, get to know him or something.” She slowly rose to her feet, wincing and grabbing her shoulder. “Then maybe you’ll feel it, too, and go out and buy some diamonds or something.”
    “Jerk.”
    Dasha rolled her shoulders and tilted her head from one side to another. A chorus of cracks rang out.
    Sadie grabbed Dasha’s hand and led her to the door. “Okay. The first thing I’ll ask my Mate to do”—she shook her head—“is to fix your shoulder like he fixed my arm.”
    “Oh, man. If he can, I’ll be his Mate if you don’t want him.”

Chapter Fifteen
    “Wow. It feels as good as new.” Dasha swung her gaze from Theo to Sadie, then back. “You really sucked it into you, and then it went away?”
    Theo nodded, furious Sadie had told Dasha everything. He would have to ask Justin to work some memories from her. Humans couldn’t know about them. What was she thinking?
    Sadie stood beside the door, watching. She’d been doing that since they’d walked in. He’d been on his way to pound on the restroom door yet again because they’d been taking such a long time.
    And now he knew why. She’d told this human everything. He ground his molars. Stay calm.
    “Okay, then. I’m outta here. I have to get up in a few hours for my stupid psych final.” Dasha opened the door and gave her friend one last look, then whispered something beyond Theo’s hearing. He could have gone into Sadie’s mind to get it, but didn’t. He’d learned over the centuries to offer privacy when he could.
    Sadie leaned against the door and toed the carpet with her bare foot, obviously uncomfortable with his presence in this tiny room.
    If only he could take her to his home. It was a mere hour from campus, in the foothills surrounding the city, but it was a fortress. Magically hidden from everyone for centuries, he’d enjoyed the solitude and often lamented the sprawling city slowly making its way toward his sanctuary.
    Sadie moved to her lofted bed, then pushed up onto her tiptoes and grabbed one of the three pillows. She hurried to the couch and pulled