Reclaimed (Shadow Beast Shifters, #2)(59)

Shadow straightened, tugging me against his side, his grip not easing at all. My thighs clenched at the sensation of his strong hold. It reminded me of a hold that had not very long ago been on the back of my neck…

“Wait right here,” Cat-man demanded. “I will ensure the leader is ready to see you.” His little black nose quivered in the middle of his blue-furred face, and I had this sudden urge to reach out and pat his head, just to see if it was as fluffy as it looked.

My hand lifted, and it was only Shadow capturing it—he now held both my hands—that stopped me from petting the being. “Don’t keep us waiting long,” he snarled at Cat-man, who swallowed hard, spinning to run away.

When he was gone, Shadow relaxed, releasing his hold on me. “Were you really going to try to pat that being like it was a literal cat?”

I shrugged. “What can I say? It’s been ‘Cat-man’ in my head since we first saw him, and… it he’s really fluffy.”

Shadow’s stare was expressionless until he eventually shook his head. “I cannot leave you alone for a second or you’ll most definitely get yourself killed.”

“Maybe not,” I replied. “Weird creatures seem to love me, so it might have worked out okay.”

There was nothing expressionless in his face now—it was filled with fire and darkness and shadowy intrigue, as he considered what I’d just said. Shadow might not have been a creature who loved me, but he certainly held a fascination toward me that was unexpected.

I always hated those stories where everyone just fell for the main character, and there was legitimately zero reason for it to happen. And while there was a little of that going on here, with my power being such a mystery, I did somewhat understand the connection between the beast and me.

We were not a “love at first sight” or “fated mate” situation, but we did have energies that meshed and connected. Drawing us together, like moths to a flame.

Just like the shadow creatures fascination with me, Shadow Beast’s was definitely due to whatever I was. No point denying it after everything that had happened, and until I knew where this other energy I rocked came from, I couldn’t really trust my feelings for him.

And I definitely couldn’t trust his for me.

Didn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy it while I had it, though. The sex was just too fucking good. I’d be a smarter person next week, after a few more orgasms.

If we lived that long, of course.

“Can you tell if the mists are still on the way?” I asked, lowering my voice. “I can only converse with Midnight when we’re close, and while I can feel it in my energy, I can’t figure out how far away it is.”

He tilted his head back, strong throat muscles contracting as he communicated with Inky. A look of frustration dragged on the sides of his face as he let out a huff. “I can’t sense their exact location.” He lowered his gaze to meet mine. “I could before, and they were following our path, but now we’re being blocked.”

He looked around at the silvery hall. “The design of these dwellings… it’s deliberate so that the shape of the snowflake interferes with natural energy waves. When our mists get closer, our bonds will be strong enough to overcome these barriers, but until then, only the one who created this mess of a maze knows how to manipulate it.”

“Yeah, I got that,” I said. “They weren’t exactly subtle in their endeavor to control their security this way, and… one day I might just do the same thing. Fuck strangers wandering in without warning.”

Shadow let out a low laugh, and as rare as his real laughs were, I craved to hear another. “Not a bad idea, Sunshine. You require a fortress to keep you safe.”

There was so much I read into that statement, and so many things I wanted to say, but thankfully, we were interrupted before I could make a fool out of myself by falling into my feels.

“Follow me,” Cat-man called, waving from the far-off opening in the wall he had exited through earlier. Shadow remained close to my side as we crossed the empty room, and it was scary how right this was starting to feel. I was making a mistake letting this get into my head, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

“Pack,” I murmured. Shadow felt like pack, now more than ever.

His eyes drifted from where they’d been focused ahead, meeting mine—I’d been staring at him without even realizing it. “Sunshine?”

I shook my head. “No, nothing. Just… It’s weird, but I feel like we’re a pack. A team.”

The flames roared to life in his eyes, a sure sign his emotions were getting involved. “They’re going to wish they never put you in danger, little wolf,” he whispered ominously. “Whatever diplomacy I felt was dashed the moment you got involved. Now, it just might be a bloodbath.”

He released me by turning away, and I sucked in a few short, panting breaths, trying to get myself under control. Had I just heard him correctly? Was I important enough now that he would kill them all to protect me?

And why was there a fucked up part of me that liked this side of him the most?

“Come on,” Cat-man called again, voice impatient.

Shadow and I countered that by walking slower than ever. I might have even gone backward at one point, but eventually we couldn’t piss off the scowling cat any longer, reaching the doorway it stood in.