Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters #1) - Jaymin Eve Page 0,93

to claim his trophy-mate.

“Shadow,” Torin breathed, looking both panicked and furious. “That’s who you were calling out for? The fucking Shadow Beast?”

With a smirk, I leaned in closer. “I’d take him over you any day, Torin.”

He tried to grab me again, but Shadow was there now, a glorious sight as his flames filled the field with heat.

And who would have ever thought I’d be so relieved to see that giant, scary asshole.

Beasting out, Shadow slammed a single palm against the alpha’s chest, sending Torin flying across the field. A dark satisfaction filled me; stupid asshole deserved that and so much more.

Despite the mortal danger of taking on Shadow—he’d seen this beast destroy his father with barely more than a thought—Torin didn’t hesitate to get back to his feet and try to attack. A bravery I’d normally admire, but in this case, I’d just slot him into the too stupid to live category.

“You can’t have her, beast,” he shouted. “I’m her true mate and I will not release her to you.”

Shadow was furious, his flames growing as his height shot up taller than I’d ever seen. He moved so he was firmly planted between me and Torin, and at the current height, I was all but staring at his ass.

“Shadow,” I murmured, placing my hand on his lower back. Heat engulfed my palm, but it didn’t burn me—I was not Shadow’s target today. “Let’s just go. He’s not worth it. We have the creatures to worry about.”

He ignored me, and this time, there was a small zap of electricity down my arm, a warning to get my hand off him. So I did.

“You can’t ignore the laws you laid down at the creation of shifters!” Torin shouted more bullshit.

I tried to see around Shadow, to determine where the alpha asshole was, but every time I moved, Shadow was somehow still blocking me completely from sight.

“As easily as I created your kind, it would be just as easy to destroy you,” Shadow rumbled.

Torin’s laughter sounded light, but I’d known him for enough years to know he was far from relaxed. “See, I don’t think that’s strictly true. I’ve been doing some research over this past year, and it turns out that we’re now an important part of the power structure of both this world and… of you. Without shifters, you would not be rocking the current level of energy you’ve grown accustomed to.”

Heat flowed from Shadow with an intensity that told me he was a bee’s dick from losing it completely. “Whom have you been speaking to?” he asked. “There’s no way that knowledge is written anywhere in Earth tomes or scripts.”

Torin chuckled again. “Yeah, see, we have a mutual friend in common. She’s been to your world. She’s been to a lot of worlds, wandering around, and it didn’t take much persuasion to convince her to spill some of your secrets.”

Wandering. Dannie was a wanderer. That was what she’d always called herself.

This time, I didn’t bother to take it slow, throwing myself to the side so I could get around Shadow. “If you’ve hurt her, Torin,” I shouted, my voice changing as my wolf got involved, “I will kill you.”

Torin’s eyes met mine, and it was the first time we’d really stared at each other since he’d started trying to chase me down. “Come home with me, Mera, and I’ll make sure Dannie comes to no more harm.”

My limbs trembled, and as heat burned through me, I wondered if any of that was from me, or was it all Shadow’s fire? He was all but pressed against my spine.

“You might kiss me against my will,” I spat at Torin. “You might touch and drag and hurt me. You’ve always had more power than me, but the one thing you will never have is me submitting willingly to you. Just ask Shadow here. My independence is the part of me I hold above all else.”

“He kissed you against your will?” Shadow’s words were sharp, each syllable a figurative blade.

I swallowed roughly. “Yeah, he did. Twice. Just before you got to us, so I now owe him a broken nose or two.”

The heat soared around the beast, and I almost gasped as Torin dropped to his knees, screams ringing from him. Jerking my head up to see Shadow’s face, he was staring the alpha down with an impassive stare—flames in his eyes.

Holy. Fuck.

I knew exactly what was happening, having felt this particular power before, and while I would never feel sorry for Torin,