Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1)(51)

When I got under the water, I turned it all the way to freezing, letting my head hang against the wall. The tremble in my limbs hadn’t subsided; the fire in my gut burned hotter than ever, and I wondered if maybe it was close to the full moon on Earth. My blood had never boiled like this before.

Spinning to place my back against the wall, I slowly slid to sit on the floor of the small shower stall. The icy water was like fire against my overly sensitive skin, and my body ached, a heavy thrum beating steadily between my thighs. Closing my eyes, I clenched my teeth.

My right hand slid across my breasts, playing with my nipples; gently at first, before I got a little rougher. The pain was a welcome relief as a moan escaped. At the same time, my other hand skated between my thighs, sliding into the liquid pooling there.

At the first stroke of my fingers across my clit, I moaned again, head pushing back against the wall, while I worked over the tight nub at my center. Whether it was the full moon or Shadow Beast, I was completely lost to the pleasure, and if he’d have been the one touching me, I might have promised him anything.

“Fucking hell,” I sobbed, my fingers moving faster as I slid them inside my pussy.

Shadow’s face crossed my mind; the way he’d kept his dominating stare locked on me all night, through each of his friend’s introductions. So darkly enticing, all the while stripping me bare in the almost-there dress…

I cried out as the orgasm slammed into me, with so much force that as I tried to suck in enough air to not die, I almost choked on the water streaming down my face.

The pleasure lasted so much longer than usual, and when I was done, I felt fucked in more ways than one. Mostly, it was the knowledge that I couldn’t let that happen again.

No longer would my orgasms have anything to do with Shadow.





28

“Still sweeping, I see.”

This was the third time Angel Face had spoken directly to me. For once, I was the cranky one, my wolf clawing at my chest as the need to shift pressed against me.

I snarked back. “Still moving food about your plate without ever putting any of it in your mouth, I see.”

She smiled, dropping the bread she’d been tapping against her plate.

“We don’t need to consume food in my world, but I love the scent, so I sit here to enjoy it as much as I can.”

I stared at her. “You don’t eat?”

She chuckled at the obvious incredulity in my tone. “We don’t eat food, no. This is not what sustains my race, but it smells so enticing.”

I slammed my hands on the table. “Are you shitting me?”

Amusement danced through her stunning eyes. “Humans have always been my favorites when it comes to a delightful turn of phrase.” She regarded me closely. “And you… You are special.”

I sniffed. “Trust me, I’m not special. I’m just bubbly. All of you supernatural creatures are so broody that when someone comes along who genuinely enjoys life, you think she’s some unusual creature that needs to be studied.”

Angel shook her head. “No, it’s something more than that. From the first time you sat near me, not even realizing that no one ever sits in my section, I felt a buzz of energy from you. My curiosity over you has grown with each lunch we share…”

My wolf chose that moment to surge forward, sending me into a half-shift before I got her under control. Shooting to my feet, I gripped the edge of the table. “Not to be rude, because I’m loving our new bonding moment, but do you know of a place I can shift and run?”

She didn’t miss a beat. “I do, actually. Would you like to visit my home?”

I blanched. “Is that okay? I mean… I was warned not to leave here.”

She was standing too, a head above me, looking like the goddess to beat all goddesses. One would feel insecure if one weren’t in the middle of fighting her wolf soul.

“Are you afraid, little wolf?” she asked me.

Another shudder and wave of energy. “No. Just… take me to…”

No more words were needed. Angel wrapped her hand around mine, and then we were in the library, standing before the beautiful door of the meadows. Inky, who must have been nearby even though I hadn’t seen him in the dining hall, swelled up into a huge mist to try to block us.

Angel waved it away. “I will watch over her. You know you’re not welcome in Honor Meadows, and I don’t need to remind you that it’s not in your best interest to get in my way.”

Inky started sparking, synapses visible inside the smoke, but Angel showed no fear. She just waved it aside. “We’ll return soon,” she said, opening the door.

The brightest light I’d ever seen had me shutting my eyes briefly, and I wondered how this was my life now. About to step through a random doorway into a new world, with a being who had done little more than grunt and glare at me for weeks.

But none of that mattered. This was my first taste of freedom in a long time, and my wolf and I were so ready for it.

Honor Meadows had a calming feel in the air, the light and warmth reminding me of late summer in Torma. It smelled good too, giving me vibes of grandma’s cookies, fresh-cut grass, and rain lingering on the horizon. Maybe this land was all about providing the perfect ambience to feel at peace. Because that was exactly what was happening.

“This is my home,” Angel said, waving her hands to encompass the pristine surroundings, which included a long field dotted with flowers in shades of muted gold. “You can run here as your wolf,”