Deserted (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 4)

By the time dinner was done, Mera had once again convinced Shadow that it was too late to journey back to the library and that they best discuss it again in the new-moon. Len and I exchanged an amused glance, even though he was dangerously close to losing this bet.

Reece let out a huff as he got to his feet and swept out his hand to clean away the remaining food and dishes, sending everything to the galley. Without looking my way, he left, his broad shoulders disappearing from the cabin.

Len sidled closer to me, just as I was rising from the table “Should we relieve him for the night?’ he asked.

My knee jerked into the table in an uncharacteristic show of incompetence. ‘What?’ I managed to say.

‘Relieve him of steering duty,’ he said slowly. “It’s been a few moons, and I haven’t seen him use a cabin once.”

Oh, right. ‘From what I know, he’s been leaving the sands in charge if he needs to rest, but I’ll check in on him.” In my flustered state, my words were rushed. ‘You all get some sleep. We’ll wake you if there’s any issue.’

No one argued since a sense of frustration and mild fatigue had started to filter through our energy after a few moons stuck on this ship. One by one they left the table, heading to the bedrooms, until only Mera and Shadow remained. ‘See you in the morning,” Mera said with a smirk, “after you check on relieving Reece, of course.’

‘Shut it!’ I mouthed, and she just chuckled like the maniac she was.

Even Shadow looked amused, and it was clear that he knew as much as his mate. There were no secrets between them, which was exactly how it should be. Truth be told, as I bid them goodnight and made my way to the deck, I really hoped this night would include some relief. Our time in the deserts was coming to an end soon, and so far, our bargain was going sadly unfulfilled.

When I hit the higher deck, I felt the brush of Reece’s power, but everything else was calm. Such a vast difference to the previous moons. The breezes barely even ruffled the strands of my braid, and the light black shirt I wore tucked into my cargo pants was more than sufficient to protect me from the sands.

Crossing the deck, bathed in the blue rays of the dark-moon, I approached the bright spot that Reece appeared to occupy. He looked otherworldly, his energy giving him a glow so obvious he almost didn’t seem real. Even here in his dominion, he was noticeably… more.

My footsteps were light as I got closer, wondering at the reception I would receive. ‘Do you need us to tag in and keep watch—’ was all I managed before he spun and scooped me up.

On instinct, my legs went around his waist as he hauled me close, and I was already lifting my head, ready for the slam of his lips on mine. Reece did not disappoint, his tongue sweeping across my lips and demanding entry. I complied because I felt like I would explode if I didn’t taste him… if I didn’t feel that surge of his power colliding with mine.

Sand swept us up, and I wondered if we would once again be high and hidden from the world.

‘The other ship is too close,’ Reece grumbled against my mouth before dragging out another long, delicious kiss, his left-hand tightening on my ass to almost painful levels. ‘We will seek privacy elsewhere.’

I hadn’t seen Darin’s ship for days, but now that we were in the slower currents, it seemed that he’d caught up. There was no time to think about the journey though, for tonight was about Reece and me and the sparks of fire igniting between us.

His sands lifted us higher, zooming us across the river in the direction of the red land visible far off in the distance. ‘Will they be okay on the ship?’ I gasped between kisses, my brain spinning as I sought to remember the others. ‘I didn’t wake any of them to steer.’

‘The ship is safe,’ he said, lifting his head so his eyes could stare into the core of my essence. ‘I would never risk them. Now, forget everything else, and focus on us. This is your only need to be filled.’

Need. He couldn’t have picked a more accurate word, and I was instantly reminded of the conversation I’d had with Mera a few hours earlier. It wasn’t weakness to give into the demands of my body. I could do this and be a warrior. It was time for me to stop stereotyping myself and just enjoy the ride. In all ways.

Living in the Desert Lands with Reece had been my childhood hope and dream, and we should never have let ourselves fall apart as we had. It was time for a new future.

Maybe… even some hope.

‘They’d be happy, you know.’ The words slipped out as memories of the past filled my mind. Maybe it was the red sands or the new knowledge that there was a tattered bond between Reece and me, waiting to be finally dashed or fully formed, but either way, I was stuck in the past for a moment.

‘Who would?’ he asked as he followed my line of sight into the endless Rohami sands we approached.

‘Our families.’

Pulling my gaze back to him, he lowered me to his sands, and I wished I hadn’t said a damn word. We were supposed to be keeping this casual… unemotional. Reminding us both of our past and the love we’d shared was the surest way to remember the betrayal and pain too.

Not a healthy path in moving forward or changing our narrative as I’d previously hoped.

Reece didn’t answer, and as I sought a subject change to get us back to the sexy vibe we’d had before, he reached up and brushed his hand across my cheek. ‘They loved you,’ he murmured. My throat grew tight at the emotion in his tone. ‘Mother always told me that you were the epitome of honor and strength. She told me I was the lucky one to have you, and I think that’s why I took the betrayal so hard.’

I didn’t have to ask for clarification on what betrayal.

‘Guess I ended up being a disappointment,’ I conceded. ‘But for what it’s worth, I loved them too. I loved your entire family and considered them mine as well.’ Despite their flaws, and fascination with power, his parents—and mine—were worthy of our love.

Reece, wearing an oddly blank expression, shook his head. ‘You wouldn’t have disappointed them, Lale. They would have understood your choices that day. I expected you to carry us all in a fight that wasn’t even yours. A fight where you lost Leka. I should have tried harder to understand, and I’m the reason we spent so many years apart. If I could go back…’

Every part of me was screaming in both sorrow and joy, the emotions mixed and mangled together until I was a mess. Reece had finally given me the grace I’d been desperately craving as I’d punished myself through the years in failed attempts to make amends.

In the end, our world had never been made up of black and white morals, good and bad deeds, or betrayal and hate. There was more than one side to a coin, and acknowledging that might give us a shot at finally moving forward.

‘We can’t go back,’ I reminded him. ‘So, let’s not waste this chance to move forward.’

Our gazes locked, and the flames burning deep in the galaxy of his power warmed me to my core. ‘My sentiments exactly,’ he rumbled.

I lifted my head and initiated our kiss, and once again I found myself off the ground, legs around his waist as I arched into him. His left hand slid up my spine to tangle in the strands at the back of my braid, pulling my face into his. Reece kissed with the sort of intensity that could destroy worlds. It near destroyed me, so I was most certain of this fact. Opening my mouth, I let his tongue stroke across mine. The more I tasted him, the more I wanted, and with a groan I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling our bodies as close as was possible.

By the time Reece’s sands began to descend, I was breathing heavy, my lower body aching. This was the point where I was ready to claw his clothing off. ‘We need to be naked,’ I muttered, feeling put out that I wasn’t having an orgasm already.

Reece’s husky laughter didn’t help the situation. ‘You’ve been spending too much time with Mera. Patience… You should have learned it by now.’

Oh, was that right? I arched my back and ground against him, feeling the strain of his hard length through our clothing. Reece’s eyes darkened to midnight, the flash of stars and galaxies brighter than ever, and I knew my expression was smug as I smiled.

His growl was impressive. ‘Yeah, you’re right. Fuck patience.’ Hot sands washed over us, and within a beat, I was completely naked. As my breasts fell free, Reece leaned over and closed his mouth over my right nipple, teeth scraping as he applied pressure before he swirled his tongue across the peak. By the time he moved onto the left, I was groaning, both hands gripping the back of his head.

Even though I loved his warrior look, with closely shaved dark hair, at this moment I wished he had something for me to grip. When he lifted his head, I met his gaze, my panting breaths loud and shallow.

‘No more patience,” he repeated, lowering me to my feet. My legs took a second to hold me up, but once I found my equilibrium, I was able to stand and look at where he’d taken us.

‘This is the outer territory of Rohami,’ he said, grasping my hands and sliding his fingers through mine as he led me toward what looked like a sand dune rising about thirty feet above the flat plane.

‘Why did you choose this area?’ I asked, looking around for an answer.

His grip tightened as he pulled me forward. ‘I found a grotto.’

My feet ground to a halt, and for a beat I wondered if I’d misheard him. “Sorry, what did you say?”

He’d stopped with me, turning fully to face me. “It took me nearly a hundred thousand moons, but I finally found one.”

Staring wide-eyed, I opened and closed my mouth. “It’s a myth.”

In the Desert Lands, grottos were their version of an oasis, the fable of finding paradise in the middle of the desolate sands. In this world, it was said that they existed below the plains, but no one had ever found one to prove this tale. When we were young, Reece had told me of his plans to find one of these gifts that the ancients had supposedly left, even though none had ever achieved this task.

I should have known that if anyone could discover a grotto, it would be Reece.

“I can’t believe you actually found one,” I said, shaking my head as excitement pushed through my shock. “We spent so many moons making plans for what we’d do with all the treasures.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, a completely impromptu kiss, and it rocked me in a way that was unexpected. Pulling away, breathless, I asked, “How did you find it?”

Reece shrugged, his eyes still focused on my mouth. ‘I’ve had a lot of time on my hands, not to mention the sort of determination that’s gotten me through rough days.’

That sobered me up somewhat. I hadn’t been with him for the rough days—no doubt I’d caused more than a few of them. “I should have been here when you found it,” I whispered, drawing his gaze up to meet mine. “I missed that moment.”

The tilt of his lips was barely visible, but he didn’t look unhappy. “You’re here this moon, and we can finally fulfil our plans.”

Plans… “Who knew those plans would one day include naked body parts and multiple orgasms,’ I joked, needing a break from the heavier emotions.

‘I knew,’ he said, with a low laugh that stirred power deep in my chest. ‘This has been destined for a long time, and since I’ve never brought anyone to this spot for fear it would be stolen or corrupted, it looks like all my boyhood dreams are about to come to fruition.’

A sense of relief filtered through me at the knowledge that no one else had ever come to the grotto with him. This was still a chance to experience it all with him. A first for both of us.

Before I could say anything else, he released my hand, moving closer to the dune. He spent several minutes searching the grounds closely. “It shifts every moon,’ he explained, brushing away some sands. ‘And I haven’t been out here for a long time, but it’s usually…’

He trailed off as he leaned down further, dusting off another layer. Even in the dark moonlight, I could see what looked like crystals embedded in the red sands. ‘You won’t believe the color of the sand below,’ he said as he looked up, our gazes meeting. “It’s unmatched anywhere on the surface.’

I found myself crouching closer, and as I did, I felt his power moving deeper and deeper into the land. ‘What exactly are you doing?’ I asked.

‘Seeking permission to enter from the sand below.’

I pressed my hand to the ground near his and almost gasped at the undercurrent of power. The Desert Lands always had a flowing well of energy that could be tapped into, but this was something… bigger. As I moved my hands a few yards to the right, all I felt was the normal Rohami power.

‘The doorway is contained within a very small sliver of sand,’ Reece explained.

“Hence why they’re near impossible to find.”

He nodded, before lowering his head again and continuing to ask permission. In minutes, the sands started to shift and move below our feet, followed by a distinct rumble. Reece jumped up and all but dragged me back a few dozen feet. ‘I’ve only found this one,” he said as we both watched the sands drop away from the land until what looked a lot like a doorway into the ground formed, “but I believe more exist.”

All the lands here were equally powerful, and it made sense that Rohami wouldn’t be the only one to benefit from a grotto. The rumbling eased as the sands completely split the earth where Reece’s hand had been pressed mere seconds ago. The gap continued to widen until eventually the deserts were once again peaceful, except for this new opening with twinkling lights highlighting a path under the sands.

I was about to see a grotto with Reece, and for a beat I wondered how this was my life.