Free Marked by Hades by Reese Monroe Page A

what if she is my Mate? I can’t touch her, so it makes no difference.” He wasn’t going to touch her anyway, even if he could.
    Either way, he got what he wanted. No Mate. At least that was what he thought he wanted.

Chapter Thirteen
    “I helped you get these scrolls?” Yvonne pushed them away and slumped onto the kitchen chair, her leather pants groaning in protest. She couldn’t stomach any more good news about what she was.
    A fully fanged-out demon named Dyre. She was evil and had lived in Hades with an upper-level demon called Agares—or, as Sadie called him, Aggie.
    And she’d had sex with him. Was his… bitch, it sounded like.
    “Yep. Sure did. Sorry I killed your boyfriend. But obviously it was to make room for our big Shomrei pouting upstairs.”
    Yvonne glanced up the hallway. She could see why he rejected her. “How is this possible? And if I’m not a demon anymore…what am I?”
    “For one thing, you’re Shomrei now—well, you will be once you’re fully mated, and that means you’re immortal for the most part.” Sadie nodded. “Don’t worry, I freaked at first when I found out I wasn’t human anymore. Just take things slow on that front. As for once being a demon but now you’re not, I don’t have any idea. Aggie did say you were being punished just before I killed him.”
    “Punished.” Something rang true about that, but she couldn’t pinpoint what.
    “And Theo…” Her breath hitched. “Theo said the last demon he and Justin killed mentioned something about that, too. You getting banished from Hades was a form of punishment. For helping me.”
    “That doesn’t make sense. Seems it’d be good to get out of Hades, right?”
    “Obviously not. Well, except for you. You happened to get mated to a pretty awesome guy.” She drank the last of her orange juice. “But that demon mentioned that punishment could be worse than Hades.”
    “I can’t touch anything without killing it. Maybe that’s what my punishment was.”
    Sadie sat up straight. “Of course.” She pushed to her feet and held her head with her hands. “Of course that’s your punishment. When I woke up in Aggie’s cave, you were serving him. I distinctly got the sense that you were with Aggie because he was someone who could take care of you. Had promised you things. That you longed to be with someone. Anyone, rather than be alone.”
    “And now I’m here. No memory. Lost. Can’t touch anyone when that’s all I want to do.” She glanced over her shoulder again. Especially Justin.
    To glide her bare fingers over the valley between his pecs she’d felt through his shirt the one time they’d been close. Or to suck on that pouty bottom lip. Or peel back—
    “And by the look on your face and thoughts careering through your mind, you wouldn’t mind being able to touch the big oaf upstairs.”
    Heat steamed through Yvonne’s cheeks. “You think it’s possible they sent me to earth unable to touch someone without killing them as my punishment for helping you and betraying this Aggie?”
    “That’s exactly what I think.” Sadie pulled out her phone. “Let’s get Halena’s people on that train of thought.”
    “Where is she? You’re calling her?”
    “There are several levels to this house. She pretty much hates you, so I’m thinking she’ll stay hidden until she needs to come out.” Sadie gulped. “And she’s working on finding Theo.”
    “Sadie!” A new voice entered the conversation, sending Yvonne to her feet, heart battering her chest like a pickax.
    “Oh my gosh, I forgot.” Sadie darted out of the kitchen. “Dasha!”
    Yvonne moved to the doorway to find Sadie embracing a short girl with red hair, a few shades lighter than Halena’s.
    “Are you okay?” The small girl named Dasha looked past Sadie at Yvonne. “Oh.”
    “Hey, Dash, this is Yvonne. She’s um…”
    “Complicated.” Dasha nodded. “Halena told me. Where’s the food? I’m starving.”
    Hand in hand, Dasha and