Deserted (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 4)

REECE

I‘d lived my life following the ancient rules. Loyalty, strength, never betray the sands. I’d let those rules cloud my mind, and in my younger years, when Lale had broken my trust, I’d acted like a stupid fuck and lost the best part of my life.

For years I’d forced my feelings for her deep inside, unable to move past my anger, but also unable to let her go. But I had never forgotten her, and even when I didn’t deserve her, I craved the bond. Lale was branded across my body… and in my damned soul.

Melalekin of the Honor Meadows was my destiny and always had been.

My sacrifice in the Delfora felt like the bare minimum she deserved from me, and no matter how long it took, my soul would find hers in the afterlife.

Like Rhett and Leka, where she went, I would always follow.

At the final explosion of my power, the world went briefly dark, before I found myself standing in the power moons with Rhett. For a long beat, we stared silently out into the universe, as we’d done many times in our younger years. ‘You sacrificed much, Reece,’ he finally said, turning to me.

I nodded. ‘And I would again to keep her safe.’

His hand clasped on my shoulder. ‘She feels the same way, and because of that, I think our time together will be short.’

In that moment, I did not fully understand what he meant, and as he faded out into the moon’s light, I expected to follow, only… I was stuck. Not just stuck, but the darkness was lifting until I could see the Delfora again, as clearly as if I stood a few steps above it. Not just the Delfora, but Lale.

She was on her knees, power spiraling from her, and I had spent enough time in her world to feel the essence of her family. ‘Until the sands fade, my brother,’ I heard Rhett call as he stepped back into the veil, but I had no time to respond as I was sucked into the storm of meadow power.

When the cells of my body reformed, infused with all the magic of the power moon and Lale, I truly understood the sacrifice she’d made for me. My strong, fierce, stunningly beautiful mate was one of a handful of beings in the world with access to enough power to restore a vessel and retrieve a soul before it entered the veil and was out of reach. Power that had been built from her family, which was all she had left of them.

She’d given it all to save me, and as I stepped free from the storm, feeling whole—if not stronger than ever—I saw her sprawled across the black sand. Fury and panic boiled within me, and as I raced toward her, I noted that the sand under my boots was turning to glass as heat poured off me faster than had ever happened before. Like Lale and Mera, I’d been reborn, and my essence felt more powerful… closer to the gods. Those insane fucks who’d almost cost me everything. Part of me really wanted to dig them up and tear their vessels into a billion pieces.

In fact, once I’d gotten to my mate and sorted out current world issues, I was going to figure out a way to remove the threat of the ancients permanently. A third pillar and the lack of another power moon for centuries meant we were most likely safe, but it wasn’t worth the small chance that in the future, they would rise again.

When I reached Lale’s side, I brushed my hands over her body, infusing my power into her. Through our bond I could feel that she was alive, but her energy felt cold. Empty. She had sacrificed so much for me, and while I didn’t deserve it, I had lifetimes now to prove my worth to her.

‘Love,’ I murmured, lifting her with ease and pulling her against me. Heat bloomed where we touched, twisting a fierce and protective need inside as a sense of rightness settled deep in my gut. This woman owned me, every fucking part of me, and I would destroy anything and anyone who ever got between us again.

She stirred as I carried her across the calm sands. No one would be able to tell that below this surface, there was a prison covered in bones, blood, and sacrifice. Too much sacrifice. Not only from Lale and me, but also… Alistair. My fury and pain spiked, heat seeping from me until the entire surface of the sand where I walked was glass.

As I crossed into the valley of the dead, there were no more sands or barriers, not for me. On the other side, it was empty, except for one giant blockade. Shadow stood unmoving, his face devoid of any expression, but I knew him well enough to feel the swell of fire within. I sensed that he’d parked himself there the moment the others were safe from the sands and hadn’t moved since.

‘You’re alive,’ he said shortly, eyes full of flames even as the rest of him was a statue.

‘Barely,’ I bit out. ‘Lale sacrificed all of her family power to save my ass, and right now I need to get her in a healing chamber.’

What I actually needed was to get her into my grotto. Silver sands would return her natural strength, even if the rest was lost forever. ‘Where are the others?’ I asked. “Where is Alistair?”

I hated the sliver of hope inside me. I knew he was gone, and yet… I couldn’t quite let go.

Shadow’s flames spanned down his cheeks and across his face. ‘The others returned him to Karn, to his waters and ancestors.’

My own burning energy rose, sands melting into a puddle of glass and debris beneath my boots. ‘He will be honored,’ I managed to get out, wishing like fuck this wasn’t necessary.

When would the sacrifices be enough?

Shadow dropped his head, and for the first time, my oldest friend looked weary. ‘As long as we get him back to the waters before his vessel disintegrates, he will find his honor in the afterlife.’

It was a small comfort, one all warriors held onto. This life wasn’t our only journey, and one day, all of our souls would meet again. “We will join them in the farewell,” I told Shadow, “but first I need to restore my mate’s energy.”

He nodded, and Lale stirred in my arms, moaning gently. I sent more power into her through our bond, and almost instantly she calmed. ‘I will return to the library soon,’ I said quickly. “Mera’s okay?”

Some of his fury eased, and I finally understood the calming effect of a true mate’s presence. I also understood the raging fire if she was in danger. No one was safe around me if Lale wasn’t safe.

‘She’s fine,” he rumbled, “if a little anxious. Bring Angel back before my mate destroys me with her fury and tears.’

Reaching out, I clapped my hand against his shoulder before once again wrapping it around the most precious being in my world. ‘Thanks for your help, brother.’

Shadow let out a frustrated sigh. ‘I did nothing. Thank you for your sacrifice; I felt when your energy exploded. All of us fucking owe you.”

I waved him off. “We’ve all paid our power to the worlds. This time it was my turn.”

His heavy hand was the one to land on me now. “You saved my mate and unborn child. If I didn’t already owe you a hundred times over, I would owe you everything now.’

The moment between us was filled with a deeper understanding of who we were now and how much had changed in our lives. “No owing,” I reminded him. We’d all lost count of the number of times someone had saved the other. “I’m just thanking the fucking sands that I’m not burying the rest of my family this moon. It’s bad enough we lost Alistair, but it could have been everyone.”

“We will ensure that never happens again,” Shadow said.

A look passed between us, and no words had to be spoken to tell me we were on the same page. One day, when we figured out a way, we would eliminate the threat of the gods once and for all. But not this moon.

Shadow followed me as I moved along the valley, picking up the pace until I was sprinting back to the flat planes. As we left, I felt the wards close in again, protecting us from the powers that wanted to destroy the worlds. Tsuma had wanted to raise the gods, and ironically, now her bones would be part of the very security system she’d tried to break.

When I reached the docks, it was to find Darin’s ship still there, the princeps standing on board as if he’d been waiting for my return. ‘Is she okay?’ he called down to me.

The fire of my power surged within me, but luckily for him, this day my arms were full and I had no time to beat this overstepping motherfucker to death. ‘She’s fine. I take care of my mate.’

He held both hands up, and I didn’t bother to tone my energy down. I was without reason when it came to Lale, and any male that thought to go near her would learn how little tolerance I truly had. Darin was only alive because I’d needed him here in the Delfora.

His bravery this moon had saved him, but there were no more chances.

Ignoring everything else, I called my sands to surrounded Lale and me, hating how small she felt in my arms. For the first time in more years than I cared to remember, she was vulnerable, having sacrificed her massive powerbase. But it didn’t matter, because she was strong in her own right, and I had more than enough power for us both.

My entire mission in life, from this point forward, was to protect and love my mate. Fuck, she would be so sick of me by the end she’d probably pull her blades on me. Honestly, I couldn’t wait.

There was no hotter moment than when she kicked my ass.

Truth was, I could not live without this stubborn, frustrating, and beautiful female.

From this day forward, all threats against us would be eliminated without thought. The raging deserts had nothing on me and my need to protect her.

Until the sands faded.