Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1)

by Jaymin Eve

There had to be something fundamentally wrong with me, that even while I was trembling with fear, anticipating my last breath, part of me was turned on by the brute of a beast. The taste of his power on my tongue was intoxicating, my legs clenching as need filled me.

mmm

I couldn’t tell if I’d failed or not, and even though his power cascading over my naked skin had me wanting to climb that beast and fuck him until I screamed, I was proud of myself for saying no.

so when will you f him ?

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.

“Ready to return home, little wolf?” she asked when I lifted my head. “The beast will be raging, so it’s probably best we don’t annoy him any further.”

lmaaoooo

The abervoq let out one final bellow, but it didn’t claw us to death. Instead, a paw draped across us, almost protectively, and once again, safe from the wrath of the Shadow Beast, we slept.

ANSWERS I WANT NOW

“You belong to me,” he said, his voice nothing more than a rumble of fury and demon. “Not to Honor Meadows. Not to the shadow creatures. Not to the wolf pack. Not to any of them.” His voice was louder than I’d ever heard. “No other can lay claim to you while I do. You would do well to remember that, wolf.”

yeah yeah

“What do you want from me?” I breathed. “If you think you have a claim over me, then what the hell are you going to do with it?”

MISS GOWRL

Blah blah. “Yeah, I get it. You want to kill me. You’re sad you can’t kill me. All you dream about is killing me. It’s a fun dance.” He released me, but already anticipating this move, I landed easily on my feet. This time, when I scrambled around him, he let me go.

same old same old

She considered this, her brow furrowed. “Is that the worst afterlife their minds could conjure? Because, for me, I’d take being burned day after day over other events. That’s just physical pain…”

oop

“You’re the first being to talk to me in five hundred years. I come here to smell the food and feel the energy, but other than that, I’m always alone.”

awww

He straightened, stepping toward me. “And once again, here you are, gathering powerful allies to your side. Allies whom no one else could tame, no matter how they tried.” “Angel is a powerful ally?”

look at u girl

“I could send Inky?” It was all kinds of amusing that he’d adopted my nickname for his smoke friend, but I’d laugh about that another time.

lmaaoooo no he didnt

His expression showed zero concern about this poison currently absorbing into my skin, as his palms cupped my face. Heat slammed into me, the fires of his eyes burning bright as he ran his hands across my cheeks. His touch wasn’t smooth; the skin of his palms roughened in sections. I wasn’t sure how that worked for a god with ever-repairing skin, but it was what it was. The worst part was that every time his touch caught on my skin, my stomach did some fucked-up swirl, heat pooling low in my gut.

“It wants you,” Shadow said, the full force of his gaze meeting mine. “I’m fucking shocked, are you?” I gawked at him. “Did… Did you just use sarcasm?”

lmaaoooo

an actual legit smile on his face. “Haven’t climbed a tree in five hundred years. Forgot how fun it is.” I just blinked and blinked, wondering if I’d hit my head. Or maybe the poison had managed to infiltrate my blood and I was hallucinating. Shadow looked almost… happy. I had no idea what to think about that.

But there was no time to worry about my laziness, as I went into stealth mode, stalking the male I’d caught sight of before: Len of the Silver Lands.

lmaaoooo he knows

“You could help, rather than lurk in the shadows,” he said, not turning. “Pun intended.” Pun? Some sort of dig about Shadow that I wasn’t quite getting.

LMAAOOOO

A snort of laughter escaped me. “Rumors? Bet he started them himself.” Len genuinely looked like he was trying not to laugh. “A true friend never tells.”

Len shook his head. “Gonna take more than a beautiful face to get me to spill secrets about that guy. He’d kick my ass, and trust me, it hurts when he does.” “So I gotta ask him,” I said with a sigh.

LMAAOOOO

“Will you have actual food this time?” I shouted into the empty space. My only answer was a deep laugh, and then his energy faded from the library.

she better go

“What are you doing, Sunshine?” I didn’t jump because I was too cool for that shit. Especially in front of Shadow.

don’t be a pick me

“Learn about the ten worlds, read all the books in the library, discover your secrets, and lose my virginity so I’m not the only twenty-two-year-old shifter virgin in the world.”

lmaaoooo girl stfu

shrugged. “I haven’t decided exactly who, but I’m perusing the selection for sure. I mean, a girl has needs.” His eyes dropped to the way my breasts, barely caged in the skimpy white tank, were pushed up against his chest. “Is that right?” Fuck. Me.

“No one will even look at you twice if I give the order, you know that, right? You’d have more chance of losing your virginity on a deserted island with birds as the only inhabitants.”

u forget u have 5 sexc men waiting for me in there

“You are no challenge,” he shot back. “You live on my fucking will alone. What makes you think you can best me in any way?” That was it. “I bet I can lose my virginity in the next two weeks.” You are the dumbest fuck, Mera.

LMAAOOOO YEAH TO HIM

“You’re going down, asshole,” I seethed, my legs wrapped as tightly around his waist as my arms around his neck. I ground myself against him, feeling the hot pulse of pleasure inside. “I’m ready to fuck my way out of this state, and I won’t let anyone stop me.”

He laughed. Actually fucking laughed, and if it wasn’t for the hard cock pressed against my core, I might have thought him completely unaffected. Physically at least, he wasn’t as blasé as he often appeared.

“Shadow got to everyone,” Angel said. “Bastard is unbeatable when you challenge him.” In my fury I hadn’t actually noticed her there. “You’re allowed to talk to me?” I asked, exasperated.

let’s fuck

“So, like, humans when they haven’t had sex…” I trailed off as she grinned. “You know, don’t you?”

lmaaoooo

Angel grinned. “Oh, yes, and even better, I want you to spend those days trying to seduce Shadow himself. That way, he thinks you have turned your attention from the library to him. He’ll enjoy that little game and will miss my manipulations.”

oop

Angel patted my shoulder, her wings spreading out behind her as she got to her feet. “We’ll get you laid, my friend. Don’t even worry about it.”

lmaaoooo

Especially why it had been blocked in the first place. Warnings were there for a reason, and we should have heeded them. Because I had the sneaking suspicion that opening the Shadow Realm might prove to be the one thing that destroyed us all.

ofc

“Stop,” I cried. “It hurts.” I was struggling, but the steel trap that was Shadow’s hold didn’t give an inch. “Let me go.” I sobbed on his chest. “It’s too much. Return me to the darkness.” “I will fight the darkness to keep you,” he murmured against my skin. Maybe it was my delirium, but for once, he sounded possessive in the way a man would toward a woman.

and it begins

As I opened my eyes, the light split my head in two, and I rolled over to vomit off the side of the bed. Vomiting with a raging headache only made the pain worse, so of course, I threw up again. Vicious cycle right there. “You’ll be cleaning that up.”

asshole

I felt only naked skin. Blinking down at the silky sheets pooled around my waist, my tits hanging out for the world to see, I shook my head. “Well, damn. Why didn’t you tell me I was butt-ass naked?” Shadow’s chest rumbled as he actually laughed. “You act nothing like any virgin I’ve ever met.”

lmaaoooo

With a shake of his head, he stood, unfolding his long length from the chair and stalking closer to me. I swallowed at the dryness in my throat. How one could go from near death to horny as fuck in a few minutes was beyond me, but, hey, at least I wasn’t boring.

LMAAOOOO

“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.”

i’ve been bad so do it

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.

lmaaoooo

“Never. And from what I can tell, it didn’t adapt to you or your energy.” Reece eyed me closely. “If anything, you did some damage bringing it to view like this…” He waved at the swirls of smoke. “It’s unable to hide any longer and that’s a good sign.”

ofc

“There is nothing insignificant about you, Mera Callahan. From the first moment you stepped into the room, wearing Shadow’s signature color, I knew you were going to turn my friend’s life upside down. It was a worry, at first, but now…” He tilted his head. “Now I’m curious to see where this all goes.” Shadow’s color…? Well, that explained a lot.

“Yes, true,” I said, “and that’s what I initially thought as well. But the abervoq wasn’t interested in attacking me. Truth be told, I don’t think the sprecker was, either. And while I’m no shadow creature expert, didn’t they almost seem curious versus murderous?”

all hail the queen

“What’s interesting?” “That he lets you push him that far. The last few shifters learned fairly quickly that Shadow doesn’t suffer insubordination for long.”

He wanted me to unlock the Shadow Realm. Frankly speaking, it seemed like he needed his dick sucked more, to be honest. Dude was a tad wound up. “Whatever you’re thinking, you need to stop now.” I jerked my head up, wondering if he could read minds as well.

“Why should I hide it?” I asked with a little jerk of my shoulders. “Natural response to stimuli, and a normal shifter need. Don’t you have needs?” He bared his teeth at me. “My needs are being met.”

lmaaoooo

“That’s my theory. This was where you released them and your energy is strong in these lands. They’re seeking you out, for some reason.”

looking for there queen

“I promise, Mera,” he said, distracting me, “that if you help me with what I need, I’ll ensure the rest of your life is filled with every gift, power, and possession you could hope for.”

oop

Yikes. “Remind me not to betray you,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. Shadow was having none of that, though. “You won’t live long enough to worry about it if you do.” “Fair enough.”

“Let me go!” I screamed, finally finding my voice. “I command you to release me.”

🧍🏽‍♀️

“Mera Callahan, I command you to stay where you are!” Torin bellowed, half-wolfed out as he took off across the field that separated us. It was probably only half a mile, but he’d cover that in no time. I lifted my foot, taking a step back, and another, before turning and sprinting away. Heading back for where I’d last seen Shadow. His alpha command didn’t hold me.

YUH

Now I just had to stay out of Torin’s reach long enough to let those little leprechaun bastards do their worst. Torma might be searching for a new alpha before this day was done.

lmaaoooo oop