When he was finally ready to rest, a doorway appeared in front of us, huge, shiny and black. His massive frame fit through easily, leaving behind the icy chill of the lair to enter his bedroom. I’d been here only one time before. Once when I’d been near death and he’d taken care of me. Now, it was my turn to do that for Shadow.

I just had to make sure that he didn’t murder my ass in the process.

He prowled forward and I would guess by the general warmth and untouched look in here that this was the first time he’d entered since Dannie had betrayed us. Ignoring the bed, the beast prowled to a thick olive-green rug, and there he curled up, tucking me securely against his chest.

My breathing grew shallower thanks to his tight hold, but I didn’t complain. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was comfortable and warm, if not a little overwhelmed at whatever was happening right now. Trying to snap him out of this quickly was not without its risks, and while it was too soon to feel overconfident, we were definitely moving in a positive direction.

I was still alive, for one.

Shadow’s beast form had claimed me, treating me like a possession it was quite fond of, and I was almost certain that was progress.

Despite the exhaustion I felt seeping from his aura, the massive body behind me remained tense. Eventually, I managed to free one hand so my fingers could run across his fur and skin, stroking the beast softly. “Sleep, Shadow,” I whispered. “I’m going to hazard a guess that you’ve barely rested since Dannie fucked both of our worlds, but you can now. I’ll still be here in the morning.”

His tension remained for a beat, and then… he relaxed.

My chest grew tight, emotions forcing their way up until my eyes burned and watered. I beat them down, focusing instead on Shadow. I could deal with my mental scars later. For now, he was my only worry.

21

I never expected to sleep. Firstly, my heart was pounding like a freaking jackhammer in my chest, thanks to finally being with Shadow. And secondly, our energies were buzzing together with the force of a power plant.

The magic in our souls had always been copacetic, taking every chance to mingle. It explained why our connection had been solid from almost the first meeting. Maybe we hadn’t recognized it then, but looking back, it had clearly been there.