Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(10)

I was too far gone to stop now, though. “I’m not your property, and true mate or not, you haven’t earned the right to me or my body. Remember that.”

Spinning on one bare foot, I stormed away, not glancing back once, despite the gaze I felt burning along my spine. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about whatever Torin was planning because I was distracted by another flutter in my chest and the itching on my palm.

At this rate, I was going to tear my skin off before I got back to my crappy old apartment—

“You’re hurting him, you know.” Sisily’s voice jerked me out of my angry march when I was about halfway into town.

How in all the fucks had she crept up on me like that? I really needed to get out of my own head before I got ambushed; I was rusty at protecting myself these days. One slip up could be a death sentence, and I would not give them the satisfaction.

“Excuse me?”

Even a moron with half a brain knew that “excuse me” delivered in that tone really meant, What the actual fuck did you just say to me?

Sisily though, who was apparently swimming in the less-than-half-a-brain category, took me literally, speaking up. “I said you’re hurting him. Torin. Making him look weak in front of everyone.”

I was laughing before she even finished, gut-hurting laughter that in no way spoke of me being amused. Darkness descended over my vision; Sisily had picked a really bad time to bring this shit up. She looked taken aback as the laughter died in my throat and I took a step toward her. Whatever she saw in my face had her own falling into terrified lines, and with a brief squeak, she turned and sprinted away like her tail was on fire.

I wanted to follow her, but again, I couldn’t hurt a lesser member of the pack without reason, and her trying to defend her alpha was no reason. Her words had hit me deep, though, bringing up every memory of how much Torin used to hurt me, with his harsh words and heavy hands, with his dismissiveness and lack of protection against his father. Everyone in this pack had turned a blind eye to Victor’s treatment of my mom and me.

And now I was supposed to be their alpha-mate?

None of them deserved me. Maybe that was my current issue… my current anger. I was alpha-mate to a pack that I wished didn’t exist… and I couldn’t pretend to half-ass this role for much longer. Once I got to the bottom of this mystery about my memory and what had caused Torma to lose a few years of life to the Shadow Beast, then I would leave this pack behind and forge a new path. One hopefully with Simone in it.

By the time I made it back to the apartment, a plan had started to form in my head.

I’d take Jaxson up on that suggestion of interviewing members of the pack, starting with the higher-ranked ones. Someone had information and even the most insignificant fact could help.

I also wanted to get to the bottom of why my father had attacked Victor all those years ago. I’d always assumed it had been some sort of jealous lover shit to do with Glendra, Victor’s mate, who was notorious for stirring the male ego and temper, but maybe there had been more to it.

I was finally in a position to push for answers; only Torin could stop me in this quest, and if that fucker knew what was good for him, he’d carefully consider all moves made around me.

Just like on a chess board, the queen ruled everything.

He’d made a mistake in revoking the rejection because I was the fucking queen here, and I would sacrifice them all to learn my truth.





6





At some point through the night, in the middle of my angry musing and plan making, I wrote my six objectives down and left them on the notepad beside my bed so they’d be the first thing I saw upon waking.

1. Figure out what happened to me in the two months my memory was wiped.

2. Search out the catalyst for my father attacking the alpha.

3. Determine if Simone is safe and proceed to yell at her for worrying me.

4. Find out exactly why the Shadow Beast cursed us to lose time. Did it impact all the packs or only Torma? And why is no one more concerned by this abuse of power?

5. Make sure Lucinda Callahan, a.k.a. Mom, is alive and shacked up with an alpha. Then forget about her as solidly as she’s always forgotten about me.

6. Figure out why my heart is fluttering and palm itching.

I had zero explanation for number six, my skin showing no signs of any irritation except for the marks from where I’d near scratched it to thebbone. In regard to the flutter in my chest. Dr. Google was sure it was an early sign of a heart murmur or impending heart attack, but of course, those were human symptoms. In the preternatural sense, I had nothing.

When I eventually fell into a restless sleep, I tossed and turned through the night, until eventually I woke panting and crying out. The heart flutter and itchy palm was gone, only to be replaced with skin that felt like it was on fire. I ran my hands across my body, letting out a low moan as my overactive sex drive kicked into gear. I slid my fingers into my panties, only… every time I tried to touch my aching pussy, I couldn’t quite reach the spot desperate for relief.

Mine!

It was a growl of a word, and it jerked me from my half-sleep so fast that when I sat up, my head spun. I quickly looked around to determine that I was still alone, ragged bedroom furniture my only companions.

As I moved to the edge of my bed, the throbbing ache between my thighs deepened. In desperation, I staggered into the shower and cranked the water on as hard as it could go. Sinking into the small stall, I let the cold stream wash over me. I tried to bring myself to orgasm again, but again, no matter how much my fingers scraped over my clit, I couldn’t get close enough to do what needed to be done.