was none of their business, I just shoved past Shadow, taking care not to touch him before dropping into a squishy sofa.
“One of you assholes better get me food,” I said grumpily. “Since this is supposed to be a dinner.”
There was laughter, although Reece and Shadow, who were still doing their stoic enforcer thing, remained silent.
“She’s legitimately not afraid of us,” Len said, shaking his head. He leaned forward in his chair. “Why are you not afraid of us, lamb?”
I mimicked his movements, crossing my legs as I leaned forward, no doubt flashing everyone way more cleavage than they’d expected to see tonight. “I’ve been tortured by powerful men my entire life. Growing up in my pack as an outcast, there’s very little that wasn’t inflicted on me, outside of rape. At some point, I had to stop fearing my demise and start living for every day I got to remain on Earth. I choose to embrace my power and strength—and never show my fear. This is who I am now, and I won’t change for anyone. Not even you six scary motherfuckers.”
Len was no longer smiling. Instead, he was staring at me like I’d just stripped butt naked to wave batons and do a cheer.
Reece took his first step from Shadow’s side, watching me closely in a way he hadn’t until this moment. He didn’t say anything, and while he still looked somewhat pissed, much of the tense anger had left his jaw. My words had thawed a little of his chill. Very little.
“You don’t need to fear us,” Alstair told me quietly, drawing my attention from Reece.
Shadow grumbled. “Speak for yourself. I’m still trying to figure out if my best move is just to kill her and forget about Earth. Would save me a shitload of trouble.”
I flipped him off, because why not, right?
His eyes darkened, and as he started toward me, he grew in size.
“Ah, fuck. She’s gone and done it now.” Lucien groaned. “Shadow is going to beast out and we’ll all have to pick up the pieces. Just leave her alone, man,” he called out. “She’s too beautiful to tear apart.”
“Silence,” Reece demanded. “This is Shadow’s property, and he will choose what to do with it.”
So I flipped him off as well because fuck you, dude.
Len was in hysterics at this point, half out of his chair as he held his stomach and laughed. “Fuck.” He snorted. “I hope Shadow brings home more stray humans for us to play with. This is the most interesting night I’ve had in ages.”
“Enough!” Shadow rumbled, and it was almost impossible to understand him with so much beast in his words. “Get the fuck out. Now.”
His friends didn’t sweat his mood swings, taking their time getting to their feet and finishing off their drinks. Half of them waved or saluted goodbye and left the lair. The other half probably thought Shadow was going to murder me tonight and they’d never see me again.
And they might be right.
27
Once the room was near empty, I noticed Reece was still there, posed in what I was dubbing his look. Arms crossed, face expressionless, eyes stripping me to the core.
He was most definitely Shadow the second.
“It’s fine, Reece,” Shadow the first rumbled. “I just need to put a wolf shifter in her place.”
Shadow one and two exchanged a brief look, and it was clear that enough years of friendship existed between them for wordless communication.
Reece shot me a commiserating stare but said nothing else as he left the room.
Alone with Shadow, everything felt a touch scarier; the beast looked like he was fighting an internal battle. “Why that dress?” he finally bit out. “Red is a trigger for me. In many ways.”
Great. I glanced at the long, red curls that were trailing across my shoulders. “That wasn’t in the rule book,” I told him. “You should print a copy for the next person you kidnap.”
“You obey rules?” he asked, some of the fury and rage in his voice fading.
I shrugged. “Only if I agree with them. It’s not like I’m trying to be completely obstinate for no reason, but I have a mind of my own, and I choose to use it.”
He was in front of me in a heartbeat, too fast for me to even anticipate the death that was coming for me. Despite my bravado, I trembled as he leaned down to trace his hands over my body without actually touching me. I couldn’t breathe, or think, or even speak as