Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(51)

Simone’s joking smile disappeared in an instant as she hugged me hard. “I’m so scared for you,” she said against my shoulder. “I think I’d rather be here and die, than stuck in Torma imagining the worst.”

I shook my head. “Girl, your death is my worst nightmare. I couldn’t do this knowing you were in danger. Just go to Torma, and… be careful there. You need a good cover story because they think you took off without permission. Be wary around Torin as well; he’s still the same evil dickhead pretending to be an alpha.” I looked between Simone and Sam. “Stick together.”

“I’ve got her back,” Sam said. “I know how to escape from a pack without detection, so if we need to run, we will.”

I had to hug her as well, my new friend who was already starting to feel like one of the pack. “I’m sorry to have dragged you into this, even if I’m not sorry to have met you,” I told her when I pulled away, “and if we all survive this, I promise to make it up to you.”

She waved me off. “Are you kidding me? Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. There’s this whole damn world that I never knew existed, not to mention all of these new supernatural creatures to learn about. Before I met you, I was lonely and sad all the time. I’d take the risk of death over an empty life any damn day.”

“See,” Simone said smugly. “We both feel the same, and I think you should let us stay.”

I didn’t bother to argue; she already knew it was a done deal, but it was in her nature to fight until the bitter end. Before she could try again, Shadow stepped into view, holding what looked like a piece of parchment in his hand.

When he got closer, it was clear how ancient the parchment was, made from a material far thicker and sturdier than normal paper. “Here,” he said, handing one sheet of it to Simone and the second sheet to me. “These are magically-connected parchments. It’s fae magic, and Len left these in my care. If you write on one, it will appear on the other, until such a time that the words are read. Then it disappears. Keep it on you at all times.”

Simone looked down at the parchment, her eyes wide and glassy as she clutched it to her chest. “Old school texting. I love it.”

“Yes, it’s perfect,” I said. “I’ll send messages through the parchment and you can pass it on to Sam.”

A tear spilled down Simone’s cheek, sliding along the smooth skin. “I love you, Meers. Please don’t die. I honestly can’t live in this fucked-up world without you.”

Dammit, now I was about to cry too. “I promise to do my very best to remain alive so we can bitch about men and eat junk food.”

Shadow rumbled, sounding pissed off. At first I thought it was my comment about bitching, but then he said, “Mera’s life is the most valuable life in any of the worlds. I will die for her, as will our pack.”

Simone looked relieved by this, and I could understand why. Shadow was scary and intimidating at the best of times, but when he was like this, he literally sent shivers down my spine.

With one more hug for them both, I followed them into the white hallway, waving as they were led to Earth by my beast.

“They’re going to be okay, right?” I asked Shadow when he returned to me, sans two shifters. “With those assholes in Torma? What if they get hurt there?”

Shadow’s smile was darkly evil. “Torin is about to learn a lesson about touching my wolves without permission. If he oversteps at all, he will suffer. Rest assured, Sunshine, your friends are safe.”

I hugged myself into his side, holding on as tightly as I could. “Thank you. For everything. For you.”

It was a weird thing to say, but I just felt this overwhelming gratitude to know Shadow. To have him in my life. To share parts of him that no one else did. My need to express that burst from me, but he handled it smoothly.

“You’re my Sunshine, and I protect that with all of my power.”

Swoon again. My mate had moves today.

As we strolled along the white hall, my eyes were drawn to the doorways. “Are my shadow creatures still here?” I asked, slowing. “The ones I pulled to Earth?”

“They are,” he said, “safe from my mother’s wrath.”

A terrible thought occurred to me and I had to ask it. “Can we use their energy in this fight?”

Shadow’s eyes darkened to a deep, burning ember, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like his response. But then again, what else was new?





28





“We can use their energy,” Shadow said, “as it has the potential to power our own in the fight. But… wouldn’t that go against everything you stand for? Do you think you’ll be able to handle the fallout of what might occur if their energy is used up?”

Fallout if their energy is used up…

I knew what that meant, and since I’d intimately felt the death of many creatures when I’d been bonded to them, I knew I’d react very badly to it happening again. But we were talking about the end of the worlds here.

“I don’t think we have a choice. Dannie is so much stronger than any being we’ve ever faced, right?” This question was more relevant to him since he was a few thousand years old and immensely powerful. My history was with the Torma, who were basically worms on the totem pole of power.