Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(37)

In the split second it took for me to blink, I was in his hands, a biting grip around my stomach as he stole me away. Flames continued to swirl around us as death held me in its grip, and I’d never been happier.

Shadow took me deep into the library, way past the point I’d ever ventured in the never-ending hall of shelves and books. His grip on my stomach did not ease, his claws cutting into me at times, leaving behind minor flesh wounds that healed instantly. In his own beastly way, I had the feeling he was actively trying not to hurt me. A nice and positive step forward.

Unless, of course, this entire venture was all to keep his prey intact until he reached his torture chamber, where he planned to kill and eat me. But, I mean, why bother taking me away from the main entrance? Plenty of room to dismember a body right there… and I really had to stop with that line of thought.

Shadow just kept running, and I didn’t fight, allowing him this time to work through whatever he was working through. The beast-man was walking on a thin line, and I sensed he could be tipped either way if I screwed up my next move. If one potential result here was losing him to the darkness forever, I had to ensure that never happened.

The running went on for hours, and by the time he was done, I could see he’d been trying to exhaust himself. Had that been his life since he’d returned to the lair? Running to forget… to not feel?

When he was finally ready to rest, a doorway appeared in front of us, huge, shiny and black. His massive frame fit through easily, leaving behind the icy chill of the lair to enter his bedroom. I’d been here only one time before. Once when I’d been near death and he’d taken care of me. Now, it was my turn to do that for Shadow.

I just had to make sure that he didn’t murder my ass in the process.

He prowled forward and I would guess by the general warmth and untouched look in here that this was the first time he’d entered since Dannie had betrayed us. Ignoring the bed, the beast prowled to a thick olive-green rug, and there he curled up, tucking me securely against his chest.

My breathing grew shallower thanks to his tight hold, but I didn’t complain. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was comfortable and warm, if not a little overwhelmed at whatever was happening right now. Trying to snap him out of this quickly was not without its risks, and while it was too soon to feel overconfident, we were definitely moving in a positive direction.

I was still alive, for one.

Shadow’s beast form had claimed me, treating me like a possession it was quite fond of, and I was almost certain that was progress.

Despite the exhaustion I felt seeping from his aura, the massive body behind me remained tense. Eventually, I managed to free one hand so my fingers could run across his fur and skin, stroking the beast softly. “Sleep, Shadow,” I whispered. “I’m going to hazard a guess that you’ve barely rested since Dannie fucked both of our worlds, but you can now. I’ll still be here in the morning.”

His tension remained for a beat, and then… he relaxed.

My chest grew tight, emotions forcing their way up until my eyes burned and watered. I beat them down, focusing instead on Shadow. I could deal with my mental scars later. For now, he was my only worry.





21





I never expected to sleep. Firstly, my heart was pounding like a freaking jackhammer in my chest, thanks to finally being with Shadow. And secondly, our energies were buzzing together with the force of a power plant.

The magic in our souls had always been copacetic, taking every chance to mingle. It explained why our connection had been solid from almost the first meeting. Maybe we hadn’t recognized it then, but looking back, it had clearly been there.

So tonight, teamed with my emotions, our powers, and the chaos in my head, I figured there was no way in hell I’d relax enough to sleep. At one point, during the endless loop in my head, I found myself desperate to pee. I tried to wiggle my way out of his hold, knowing there was a bathroom nearby. The moment I moved, the beast dug his claws in tighter, to the point of drawing tiny pricks of blood across my bare skin.

Apparently, I was going nowhere.

Shadow shifted our positions slightly, clawing at the already torn-up yoga pants and white shirt I’d been wearing. My clothes were annoying him, and he only settled when one of his large paws gripped my right breast.

Just like that, the beast was holding my fucking tits like they belonged to him.

“Don’t try any funny shit while you’re rocking Egyptian god,” I warned Shadow, my voice rumbly in the semi-dark room. “I swear, I will make you regret it if you do. I don’t swing that way, okay? I’m not into furry.”

The beast howled, a low, soulful sound, seemingly disappointed by my response. The hold on my breast didn’t ease, though, and if anything, Shadow’s beast just continued lightly clawing at my clothing until eventually I was all but naked, still tightly held against his chest.

Thankfully, he was satisfied then, never touching me anywhere that would cross my line. I was okay with his tit obsession, and it was nice to relax against him with one of his hands across my thigh and the other on my chest, pulling me into his fiery heat. A hard erection rested against my ass, but again, as long as it stayed on the outside of my ass, I could deal because this was a huge first for us.

We’d never cuddled. Not after sex or when we’d almost died. Never.