Shadow was spilling pure, unadulterated power. He’d lost control, ready to destroy the worlds because I’d died. It was probably narcissistic to jump straight to that conclusion, but my mate had spent two thousand years not destroying shit, even when he’d suffered plenty of losses. I was the catalyst that had changed it all. The one who’d finally put a chink in his armor.

And I was owning that shit because I’d landed the freaking Shadow Beast. Take that, Sisily, you dumb bitch. You only got Torin.

Apparently, a metamorphosis-style rebirth didn’t make me less petty or more mature, but that was okay. My way of looking at life had gotten me this far, and for that, I’d never curse it again.

When Shadow’s hands finally landed on me, his grip unyielding in its desperation as he pulled me into his chest, I sank into him, not even caring if he crushed my new wings.

We were twenty feet in the air as he held on to me like I was the last anchor in this world, heat and rage spilling from him.

“Shadow,” I murmured against his chest, unable to lift my head from the strength of his hold. I loved it, though, the feel of being caged against him, his scent filling my nostrils until I could smell nothing else, our powers mingling strongly. “Shadow?” I repeated. “What happened?”

I knew what had happened in the moments before I’d died, but I had no idea what had gone on in the time since I’d returned to the Nexus.

“You left me,” he rumbled. Chills traced along my spine as sparks of electricity hit me in time to his thundering voice. “You left me, Sunshine, and the world went dark.”

His voice broke, and I fucking lost it, crying like a damn baby. One of Shadow’s hands came up to my face, and without saying a word, he wiped my tears away, still cradling me against him.

Comforting me even though he’d been the one suffering.

Hurting Shadow had never been my intention, and even though we were together again now, I knew in those moments he’d believed I’d been dead, it would have been truly devastating. As it would have been for me if the roles were reversed.

I tried to say something, to offer comfort or an apology, but before I could, his power eased up enough that we could pull back to see each other. “You were reborn,” he said. “I feel the change in your power, see the fire wings you sport, and yet, you’re still my Mera.”

I tipped my head back—the extra addition to my height did bring me a little closer, but I would always have to look up to the Shadow Beast.