Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1)(30)

He killed someone as powerful as Alpha Victor and kidnapped us, I reminded her. He’s beyond dangerous.

I felt her trust in my decision, and I knew I’d have her support no matter what. This gave me the courage I needed to move. Sprinting, I headed for the closest door, having already wasted too many seconds pondering if I should do this or not. When my palm landed on the brass handle of the white door embossed with flowers and thorns, I felt a buzz of static electricity and almost jerked my hand back.

If I hadn’t been so desperate, I wouldn’t have risked whatever lay beyond this, but I couldn’t continue to live as a prisoner and victim. As I turned the handle, there was a click, and an ethereal melody slipped through the tiny crack. A sigh escaped from me, the smallest of breaths, and all fear fled.

Yes. This was the right move. I needed to be in this land of beauty and light and love and warmth.

My eyes fluttered closed as I pulled on the door, ready to embrace my destiny.

Before I could take that final step, something hard slammed into me, knocking me sideways. The music was cut off a second later, and as the fuzziness in my head faded, pain returned along with my sanity.

Shadow Beast loomed over me, staring down, his eyes narrowed. “You really are the stupidest fucking shifter I’ve ever met. Almost got yourself trapped in the fae realm.” His lips twitched in dark amusement. “What they do to Earthlings who stumble into their world makes me look like a fucking saint.”

With one last derisive stare at my pathetic ass, he turned and walked away, and I huffed some air into my lungs, trying to calm myself. I had no idea what “fae” meant, but if it was short for “faerie,”

like in the fantasy stories, then… WHAT THE FUCK, MAN?

That music had not been of this world, so I could only assume Shadow was speaking the truth about the fae realm. And apparently, he’d already crossed back through the veil, trusting that this time I wouldn’t take my chances on another world I didn’t understand.

Dude vastly overestimated my intelligence and sense of self-preservation.

Or so I thought until the smoky swirls of his little friend wrapped around me, lifting me up into the air as I squeaked loudly. Okay, then. He had sent in reinforcements and had zero trust.

Realizing it was pointless to fight at this stage, I just relaxed into the weird sensation of being carried by air and closed my eyes briefly as we drifted through the dark veil. When the next room came into view, I gasped and all but threw myself out of the smoke trying to get a better look.

“What the fuck?” I gasped, scrambling to my feet. “You live here?”

I wanted to make a reference to another beast with a growly disposition, because just like the dude in that movie, the real-life Shadow Beast lived in the freaking library of my dreams.

Actual. Literal. Dreams. But unlike the movie, I would have kicked this guy out in the cold if it meant I got to keep his library.

Stepping farther into the room, I all but drooled over the dark timber shelves lining the walls, running as far as I could see. Every single shelf was filled with books—thousands upon thousands of incredible new adventures to discover.

Trying to act cool, I casually sauntered closer to the first shelf, running my fingers over the many books. Most of the covers in this section were in shades of muted reds and greys, with gold writing across the spine. The writing was not in any recognizable language, which only made me want to read them more.

Closing my eyes, I took a second to breathe deeply, inhaling the various scents into my lungs.

Gods, it was perfect. If I made it through my time with the Shadow Beast, I was making it my life work to get a library like this. No matter the cost.

A rumble from across this magnificent room drew my attention, and I reluctantly turned away from the sweet scent of adventure and followed his energy deeper into the library.

Gods, it was huge. Bigger than the biggest shopping mall I’d ever seen, it reminded me of an ancient, gothic, turn-of-the-twentieth-century abbey. And while the previous white room had been light and open, this one was cozier and more comforting, with the sort of ornate detailing reflective of boatloads of character. I particularly loved the huge crystal chandeliers—five in total—that were evenly spaced right through the center, hanging from the twenty-feet-high ceilings.

There was no more time to take it all in, though, because Shadow had clearly reached the end of his limited patience. One would think by the way he was rumbling at me, he’d been the one kidnapped out of his life and forced to deal with an asshole.

He waited for me in the sitting area of my dreams—fitting to be in the library of my dreams— surrounded by solid, heavily padded couches. At his back was a roaring fireplace, the mantle bricked with a dark stone.

As I passed through some couches, I noticed a small table with a couple of open books. Had Shadow been in the middle of reading when he’d been pulled to Earth by my actions? The urge to try to sneak a peek at what he enjoyed to read overtook me, but I managed to refrain, focusing instead on the beast himself.

“This is where you live?” I asked, my voice a little breathless at the pure perfection of his home.

“Yes.”

I shook my head. “Having this much beauty and knowledge at your fingertips is beyond words.”

Again, he stared at me like I’d said something unexpected, and I decided to shut up and let him have the floor. Even if I was still sneaking little glances at the library. Without opening one book, I knew there was information here that humans and shifters would kill to possess. Lost stories. Secrets.