Reclaimed (Shadow Beast Shifters, #2)(70)

“Never,” I parroted.

And in that moment, I meant it. Shadow hadn’t been exactly warm with his “true mate” since our arrival, and he was clearly playing some sort of game. Until I knew my part in it, I had to be cautious with my approach. For my future sanity.

When we took our seats at the table, I looked toward the food, which was in a long line down the center of the crystal. There was absolutely nothing I recognized, but with the help of Angel and Midnight, who popped down from the ceiling long enough to wrap around me in a welcoming hug, I managed to find some food I would have eaten on Earth. Mostly the realm’s equivalent of fruit and crackers. “They don’t always eat, but when they do, it’s definitely the good stuff,” Angel told me. She, of course, still wasn’t eating, but she did move a plate of food around.

Just like old times.

While eating, I drank about ten gallons of fresh water, my body needing replenishment in more ways than one, and the entire time I chatted to Angel, who told me about their dash across the realm to find us. “We had days over the water,” she said with a huff, “and I would have been more than a little drained if Midnight hadn’t allowed me to regenerate some energy through their network.”

Thank you.

Midnight responded immediately. Your family is my family.

I honestly couldn’t thank it enough. And while this unexpected bond had freaked me out at first, I felt differently now.

I’m so honored that you’re part of my life. That we are bonded.

Midnight swelled larger and did a jiggling move with lots of sparks of its synapses.

The honor is mine.

We would work this bond out over time, and even in the short days we’d been together, I was growing used to the feel of its energy within mine.

Speaking of… “I felt you when you got closer,” I told Angel, eating a soft “cheese” spread on a cracker. I hadn’t bothered to ask what it really was because that would probably gross me out. I preferred to just enjoy the new experiences.

“You felt me how?”

I tapped my chest, swallowing the last bite. “In here, like a warmth that flared harder as you arrived in The Grey Lands.”

Her smile was near-blinding. “I mean, we were warned about never bonding to any being not from Honor Meadows, but… I had a gut feeling, as your humans would say, and I went with it. The fast evolution of our bond is quite exciting for me; I think it speaks of a connection truly destined to exist between us.”

“What warning did they give?”

She hesitated, reaching out to pick up a round, purple fruit that tasted like a melon but with large, passionfruit-like seeds. “Bonding allows our energies to intertwine, and over time, there’s no telling what might result from that. It was a risk worth taking for me because there’s another bonus of this bond. When I die, you will inherit my power, and since I have no line left to pass it on, it’s imperative the power goes to one who is worthy. One I want to have my family’s protection.”

Tears sprang to my eyes, even though there was no reason to think Angel wouldn’t be around for another few thousand years.

“I don’t want your power,” I whispered, my voice choked. “I just want you to always be alive.”

She smiled. “I have no plans of going anywhere, but I like to be prepared. We always bond within our family, from birth actually, so no power is ever lost in our passing. I now have a millennia of family members’ power, and it cannot die with me.”

The odds of my immortal bestie dying before me was slim to none, but the fact that she considered me worthy of this honor, absolutely destroyed me.

“I love you,” I said, throwing my arms around her. “But if you do ever die, I’m going to be pissed as fuck. I’ll figure out a way to find your afterlife and kick your ass.”

She laughed, returning my hug with the skill of someone who’d been hugging her entire life, when I knew for a fact, she was brand new to the experience.

“I love you too, Mera. You’re the friend I never even knew I was missing in my life. You’re my ride or die, and I will bury every body for you.”

She was mixing Earth sayings like a pro there, and as a laugh of pure joy escaped me, I wondered why I even gave a fuck about Shadow.

This shit right here was what life was all about, and I was one lucky bitch to have it.





34





“Should we head to the wall now?” Ixana was all business, her white robe trailing down her body as she stood before us. Her hair was out of the braid, styled up today, with a different silver crown.

She looked very put-together and I would have guessed she’d made a true effort to dress up for her mate. Couldn’t blame a chick for that. Shadow was a catch, that was for sure, but no one would “catch” him with fancy clothes or hair. That wasn’t how he rolled.

Not to mention, girlfriend had the most advantage of all, being his true mate. Fucking fate wanted to push those two together, and they would feel a bond and craving for the other, based just on a quirk in nature.

It was kind of a no-brainer, and yet, there was a distance between the pair that she hadn’t managed to lessen. At least not yet.

No one answered her, but we all moved closer, which was an answer in itself. Angel and Midnight remained right at my side, and while Inky was with Shadow, the pair didn’t walk with Ixana. She was out front with her two main guards.