Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1)(79)

Starting toward the door, I found myself hesitating, swinging back to stare at him. “Will you be okay, Shadow?”

“Fine!” he snarled. “The two of us just need to have a little chat.”

Igorna hissed his loudest hiss so far, and I didn’t like the sound of it. But this was no place for me, in a battle between shadow beasts. I just had to hope Shadow would once again prove the rumors true and be the scariest one of all.





44

R ushing from my room, I headed straight for the Library of Knowledge. The urge to run back to Shadow was strong, but there was nothing I could do to help him except get in the middle and die. He was the scariest, most badass being I’d ever met, and I had to have faith he could hold his own. Not to mention the bastard had locked me away for days, so really, would I mourn if he died?

When I entered the library, I couldn’t get over how normal it all was. Bright and airy, filled with beings milling around, doing their research. Like none of them knew about the days I’d been locked away. Or the new shadowy dangers I’d brought into our midst.

Marching through the shelves, I ignored the confused looks. Hadn’t they seen a chick on a mission for food before?

“Ms. Mera!” A cheery voice caught my ear. “You’ve finally finished your research project! We missed you.”

I paused, turning to find Gaster and his genuine smile behind me. Swallowing down my fury, I forced my own smile to appear. When I’d been stuck in the room, I’d felt very betrayed by him… by everyone. Thinking they’d all known I was imprisoned, and no one had even slipped some food under the door. Logically, I knew it was stupid to expect anyone to go up against Shadow, but it had still hurt.

“Research project?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes. Shadow said you were helping him out and wanted to remain undisturbed.”

He did, did he? I returned his smile. “Shadow is a fucking liar. I was locked in my room, a prisoner, without food or entertainment. So if you’ll excuse me…”

I marched off, but not before seeing his face fall. Yeah, that was mean and bitchy of me toward someone who didn’t deserve it, but I was hungry and stressed, and that was never a good time to corner me with stupid happiness.

When I reached the dining hall, my first glance was to look for Angel, but her spot was empty.

Typical. I finally get out of my prison and my one friend was MIA. She clearly had a life that didn’t involve me and the needy bitch that I was didn’t like that. Hopefully, she at least noticed I was missing and asked someone about me. I had to believe that there was one supernatural creature here who gave a fuck about me. Since Shadow clearly didn’t.

Inky popped up out of nowhere, wrapping around me, like it wanted to remind me that it cared.

“You don’t care,” I said, shooing it away. “You’re just Shadow’s sycophant, and that means I can’t trust you.”

Inky swelled and it had been a while since I’d seen it do that, so I stared, mesmerized by the beauty of its sparking synapses. For a minute, before I forced myself to turn away. It was time to start distancing myself from Shadow and anything connected to his world.

The small metal servers ducked around then—I’d grown very used to the robotic-type beings, having learned they originated in the land of Faerie. Normally, I didn’t like being waited on, but from what I knew, they didn’t mind the tasks they’d been given. After all, they had been created by the fae with the sole purpose to serve. The square, metal “face” didn’t have eyes or a mouth, so there was no way to tell if they were happy, but I somehow doubted they even felt emotions such as those.

Or maybe I was justifying it because I really loved their efficient service.

Once I’d placed my order, I sat back, trying to ignore my rumbling stomach and the small part of me that was worried about Shadow.

“Why are you still sitting here?” I spun to see Angel on my right.

“Did you just…” I looked around to try to figure out how the hell she’d gotten here so quickly and without me noticing. Had she appeared out of thin air? Or could she move at superspeed?

“Shadow is occupied with another powerful entity,” she whispered, leaning close to my ear. “My spies told me that he’ll be away for at least a few hours. Let’s get you laid.”

I should have been on my feet sprinting for the hallway out of here, but I hesitated. “I need food first. I haven’t eaten in days.”

She leaned back, looking me over more thoroughly, her eyebrows furrowing. “Let me guess.

Shadow didn’t have you on a research project.” I shook my head and she made an angry rumble of a sound. “I need to beat the shit out of him.”

Same, girl. Same.

“He had me locked in my bedroom until I figured out how to open the Shadow Realm. I tried to call you through our bond, but I probably have no idea how it actually works.”

Her angelic face morphed for a moment into something that resembled an avenging harbinger of death. It was no less beautiful but was terrifying in its intensity. The sort of face that when directed at anyone would send them running. “Our bond will take time to mature,” she bit out, “and eventually, you’ll feel me as part of your energy, in a similar way to your wolf.”

I nodded because that made sense.