Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(48)

He nodded. “I will feed you,” he said, “just relax and let me take care of it all.”

I blinked at him, and fuck, if I wasn’t feeling some kind of thing about being taken care of. I mean, it wasn’t like I was ready to hand in my independent woman card, but having him fetch me food was almost a complete role reversal, and I was into it.

“Mera,” Simone snapped, “I’m going to need you to start talking.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, “hold on to your hair. I’ll tell you everything, but first…” I waved Sam closer. “I want you to meet the shifter who helped me get back here and ultimately restore my memories so I could bring Shadow back from the brink of Egyptian godhood. Samantha Rowland. Sam.”

Simone grinned as she reached out a hand to Sam. “It’s so nice to meet you. And holy hell, you are super gorgeous.”

Sam’s lips curved into a genuine smile. “Thank you, that’s quite the compliment from someone as beautiful as you.” When they were finished shaking hands, Sam pulled a cushion closer so we could all chat. “And it’s really great to have another somewhat familiar face here.”

“It’s like we’re bringing a little of Earth into this fantasy world,” Simone said, looking pleased with herself as she leaned back and laced her fingers across her flat stomach. She was dressed in the sort of outfit I’d never seen her wear before: blue flared harem pants, a white top with similarly flared sleeves, her long hair drawn back in a tight bun. Sam hadn’t just been blowing smoke up her ass to return the compliment; Simone was looking beyond gorgeous after her time in Valdor.

What had happened to her there? I knew there was more to the story than just being locked in Lucien’s castle. I’d get all the details one day, if we managed to save the world in time for girls’ night.

“So, remember Dannie?” I said, since Simone was once again glaring at me, ready for my story.

She nodded. “Yep. Scary shifter who owned a bookstore.”

Fighting a smile, I continued. “Well, yes, and it turns out that she’s actually a little more than a scary shifter with a penchant for paperbacks.”

Hitting the most important points, I detailed all the shit we’d gone through in the Shadow Realm. From Shadow’s former mate, to my unusual birth and rebirth, finishing up with what had happened when I’d crossed over to the Grey Lands, and Dannie had made her ill-informed decision to change our fates.

I’d been so intent on telling the story that I only noticed halfway as more and more familiar faces joined us in the sitting area. Len, Reece, Galleli, and Alistair were all there, along with other members of the ten worlds.

“And then I woke in Torin’s bed,” I finished with a huff, “thinking it had only been a few months since I turned as a shifter, remembering nothing from my time with Shadow.”

This was a part of the story I hadn’t specifically told Shadow before, and I wasn’t at all surprised when he leapt to his feet, his fatigue gone as flames whipped out in stormy arches.

“Mera.” He growled, his voice far deeper than normal. “What happened with Torin?”

I waved off his fire, even though I secretly wanted to bathe in it. “Nothing happened; I already told you that. Even without all of my memories, I knew he was a piece of shit. I spent most of my time avoiding him until eventually I had to slam him in the nuts to really drive the point home.” I smiled sweetly. “Even nuts as petite as his felt it.”

Shadow’s dark expression remained. “Remind me to kill that entire fucking pack when we get a spare minute.”

I tilted my head. “You say the sweetest things.”

He grumbled, retaking his seat, and before I could open my mouth again, he reached out and hauled me from my cushion onto his lap. The words died on my lips as I tilted my head back to meet his gaze.

“Mine,” he said softly.

Dammit, who knew I was such a hussy for that one possessive word? Because I was fairly certain my panties could swim out of here. When I finally managed to tear my gaze from his, I found Simone grinning like a maniac at me, with Sam slack-jawed as she shook her head.

I shrugged, shooting them both a small smile. Apparently, we were not hiding this relationship, which had the possessive shifter side of me unimaginably happy.

Of course, a desert god had to go and pop my blissful bubble. “What are we going to do about Dannie?” Reece asked, crossing his arms to showcase how huge his biceps were. He was dressed in his usual tan-and-brown fatigues, suitable for war if the occasion occurred. His dark hair was closely shaved to his head, with even less length than Shadow’s, and if it weren’t for the deep blue of his eyes, he’d basically be Shadow’s twin. In my opinion, those two were the closest of the six, even if all of them were close to Shadow in different ways.

“We have to kill her,” Lucien said, his voice rougher than I’d ever heard. I wasn’t sure if it was this situation or Simone who had this effect on him, but he was clearly bothered. “No one can be that powerful and remain unchecked. The balance she’s so desperate to keep… well, she’s the one throwing it off.”

Len nodded, also uncharacteristically somber. The silver-fae had not taken the loss of the sunburst stone well, especially since his prediction of it falling into the wrong hands had come to fruition. “In her quest to continue to bring balance,” he said softly, “she’ll only bring destruction. My family’s stone is not inherently evil, as some stones tend to be, but it was filled with a millennium of power. Too much for any to handle. There’s no telling how that has changed them both.”