Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1)(68)

Shadow’s expression was deadpan. “All of them.”

All. Of. Them?

“Jealous,” I cried, in a poor Napoleon Dynamite mimic, and what do you freaking know… he actually smiled.

“Maybe, if you can figure out how to do the one task I’ve set for you, then I’ll give you some screen time.”

“Like a toddler,” I drawled. “Should I call you ‘Daddy’ too?”

The red and gold in his eyes shimmied to black, and I didn’t even try to pretend I’d misunderstood the double entendre of what I’d just said. I had not forgotten Angel’s plan, and almost dying wasn’t going to stop me from fulfilling my part.

“Get the fuck out before I take you over my knee,” Shadow rumbled, his voice deeper than ever.

“Calling me ‘Daddy’ will be the least of your worries.”

Of course, that jolted through my chest like an arrow shot from a magical blade, one that would never miss its target. My father. He was what had started all of this and almost gotten me killed by a dark realm. Was this the last time I’d sidle close to my final breaths for that man? Should I just say “fuck it” and let him go now? Kind of felt like I’d fought for my dad as much as possible, and yet I couldn’t quite release my last shred of hope for answers. My last hope to see him one more time.

My head was a mess of father drama as I stumbled from the room, only to realize I hadn’t paid attention to where I’d exited, and when I looked around for Shadow’s door, there was nothing to be found. Just a set of familiar shelves near the fire. Well, apparently, his room was like the hallway to Earth: only Shadow could find it.

My bedroom, thankfully, wasn’t playing musical rooms, and when I entered, I sank against the door, wishing that the weakness in my body would fade. My wolf felt like a shell of herself today, and it was so out of the norm that I was genuinely worried.

Sucking up as much strength as I had, I pushed off from the door and made my way into the bathroom, where I half-drowned myself in an attempt to get clean and clear my head. By the time I was done—never-ending hot water, bitches—I felt much more like my usual self. My usual self with a lot of questions and a new burning desire to discover what had caused that door to the Shadow Realm to react like that.

Why was it closed off to everyone?

I pulled on the clothing that I liked to think of as my “get the fuck out of my face or I’ll kick your ass” style, including black leather pants, thigh-high leather boots with a decent heel, and a white tank that I tucked into the pants. I braided my hair—poor attempt but better than Simone’s—and headed out to get some answers.





38

Stomping my way into the library, I had my resting bitch face ready for anyone who even glanced in my direction. Thankfully, Shadow had prepped the room for that, with every being who had been in there scattering the moment I appeared in their view. I’d temporarily forgotten that I was off-limits in a whole other way, but it didn’t even matter.

What mattered was the door.

The Shadow Realm.

It called to me and I was going to figure that fucker out.

Marching toward it, heels clicking on the hard floor, I never let my focus waver. Rounding the corner, I stopped short at the sight of the door itself. No longer was it non-descript. Instead, the darkness I’d seen in my double vision was clear as day for everyone to see. Like a swirling portal of smoke, sliding up and down, blocking the actual door.

Reaching out, I stopped myself from touching it, instead just skirting my hand over the top, getting a feel for the energy. I could almost taste the cold, metallic spell on my tongue, and with it came a triggering memory of being locked in the throes of darkness, unable to break free.

“Heard you had a little adventure.”

I recognized Reece’s rumbly voice and raspy accent.

Not bothering to turn, I growled. “If you’re not here to have sex with me so I can win the bet with Shadow, then fuck off.” Not that I was particularly attracted to Reece, outside of admiring his pretty lashes, but at this point I’d take almost anyone to beat Shadow.

A deep chuckle sounded behind me. “It all makes sense now,” he remarked. “So much sense.”

Pulling my hand from the darkness, I waved it at him. “You aren’t making a lick of sense. Please just go away. I don’t need the distraction.”

He didn’t move. I could feel his powerful presence in the same way I felt Shadow’s, like I was standing too close to a power plant, surges of energy traipsing across my skin.

“What if I told you about the spell that holds this world hostage from us?” he said casually.

My curiosity was too great to ignore any possible information, so I spun, reaching out to grab at him before remembering it was a super bad idea to touch these guys without their permission. It was too late, though, as my hands landed on his chest, but thankfully, unlike Shadow, I felt nothing from Reece except an exceptionally firm pec muscle, and a whiff of something dry and earthy.

He looked down at my hands, not saying a word, and despite the laugh I’d thought I heard, his gorgeous face was once again stoic. Yanking my hands away, I swallowed roughly. “Please, I need to understand.”

He nodded. “You will understand as much as I can give you, but I don’t have all the answers.