Reclaimed (Shadow Beast Shifters, #2)(16)

I had to laugh because if she didn’t breathe soon, she was going to pass out.

“It’s definitely been a journey,” I told her when she finally ran out of steam and I could get a word in. “And you have to meet one of my favorite people here. Not that she’s a person, of course—Angel is a damn goddess. Which you’ll see quite clearly when you see how freaking gorgeous she is.”

Turning Simone toward the table, I looked for Angel, only to find the spot where she’d been empty. “Oh, guess she had to take off. But there will be plenty of time to meet her. Shadow said you could stay as long as I was here.”

Simone all but fell into Angel’s seat, and I had a flicker of worry that maybe I should ask her to move to the other side of me. Angel was pretty particular about this chair, and I sensed she was already upset about the way I’d ditched her mid-conversation to go to Simone.

Fuck. This was complicated, and hopefully my narcissistic ass was just creating drama. Angel was probably off preparing for our journey too.

I scooped up more of my food, knowing I had to finish it. “Are you hungry?” I asked, shoveling another spoonful into my mouth.

She shook her head. “Nope.” She popped her p. “I’d literally just finished dinner when a dark smoke cloud arrived with a note for me.”

Clearly, Shadow had gotten around Inky’s inability to communicate, and the mention of dark smoke clouds had me looking for mine. Midnight was still hovering up high, keeping an eye on everything. It swelled when my gaze turned its way, and I just waved my hand to say hello and I’m all good; you don’t need to come down to me.

We couldn’t actually communicate at this distance, but when it didn’t move, I figured it got the general idea.

I focused on Simone again. “Did Shadow show you to your room?”

I wanted her completely settled in before I left.

She nodded, brown eyes practically sparkling in excitement. “Last door on the left of the hallway before the library. It’s really nice, with a little lounge, television, and a marble bathroom! I mean, shit, it’s nicer than my parents’ house by a lot.”

Her parents’ house was pretty damn fancy. “Shadow Bastard hasn’t let me near a television since he kidnapped my ass,” I grumbled. “I’m gonna have words with him about that.”

Simone looked around in a panic. “Should you call him that out loud, I mean, especially here? Everyone is so scared and respectful of him.”

There was a deep chuckle from behind us, and Simone let out a squeak, spinning in her chair. I sighed, turning slower since I already knew what I’d see. And sure enough, there he was, leaned in his favorite position against the nearby wall. Shadow Basta—Beast.

“Sunshine is about the least respectful being from any of the worlds I’ve ever met,” he said, sounding amused.

Simone’s head jerked to me. Sunshine? she mouthed, her eyes wide.

She didn’t bother waiting for me to reply, her gaze returning to the beast in question. I had no idea if she’d ever really seen Shadow before—in the theater basement there had been so much chaos, especially with my tiny little fire incident, that I doubted she’d gotten a decent look.

She was making up for that today.

“Damn,” she murmured under her breath, and I hid my laughter in a cough.

“His face might be pretty, but his personality needs a lot of help.” I reminded her of the facts while eating another spoonful of stew.

Simone raised an eyebrow at me, panic in their dark depths. “Girl, you did not just insult the fucking Shadow Beast to his pretty face. What is wrong with you?”

I shrugged, chewing and swallowing before I answered. “What’s wrong with me? Let’s see… My father fucked up my entire life; I was mated to a piece of shit shifter; got kidnapped; got over being kidnapped; decided that if I was going to die, I might as well go out with a bang. Ever since then…”

“She’s let whatever random smartass thought she has fall from her mouth,” Shadow finished as he took the seat beside me.

Simone’s breathing grew heavier, and I couldn’t blame her. Shadow was a lot. Like… a lot lot. The intensity didn’t wear off as time went on, either—in all truth, the tingles that ran across my skin in his presence might actually be getting worse. I’d just learned to hide my reaction better.

And Simone would get there too. One day.

“When you’re done with this meal, we need to head into the realm,” Shadow said, focusing all of his attention on me, and, if his intense, lingering gaze didn’t lift from the side of my face, I was about to join Simone with the labored breathing. “The longer it takes for me to get to my sister, the greater the chance she’ll have amassed an army to stand against me.”

“What?” Simone leaned forward to see Shadow. The moment he was in her line of sight, a hungry expression pulled at her features, and I would bet good money she wanted to lick him. No judgement from me, even if I did sort of want to kick her ass for looking at him like that. This possessive shit was going to get me into big trouble one day.

“We’re heading into the Shadow Realm,” I told her. “To hopefully figure out how I’m able to burst into flames and draw creatures into this world. Oh, and yeah, Shadow has some shit to do there too.”