Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 1)

The icy shock of water did help me momentarily regain my composure. The fire, while still roaring through my veins and body, was muted enough that I could pull myself up and push the long, sopping strands of hair off my face. Shadow was framed in the doorway of the large, copper-lined shower, staring down at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

Normally, this would be the point that embarrassment made itself known—I’d tried to literally get myself off in front of him. But I couldn’t muster up anything other than a moan as more arousal pulsed inside. The music surged stronger and my body arched in time to the beat. The cold water hurt as it hit me, but it wasn’t enough to fight the pull.

“Just leave,” I bit out, my hands scrambling to pull my clothing off. They were chafing against my sensitive skin. “Let me take care of this without someone staring down at me like a disapproving father.”

Not that I remembered what having one of those was like.

Shadow did his rumble chest thing, sounding frustrated and annoyed.

“I’m not doing this on purpose,” I screamed, and somehow tears were streaming down my cheeks at the same time. Hopefully, he couldn’t tell with the water.

“You will get no relief from your own touch,” he finally said, and then he was under the water with me. The moment the water ran down his face, following the planes of his perfect features, I cried out.

“You’re not helping,” I said, sucking in air and getting a half-lung full of water. Everything about him stimulated my senses. Shadow and this music combined were lethal to me and my hormones—I couldn’t fight either individually, and together, there was no chance in hell.

“You need me or you won’t make it through tonight,” he said roughly.

That caught my attention through the haze in my head. “What do you mean?”

Eyes as red as the lava that had been outside the window met mine. Not just met but locked on to and claimed. “You know exactly what I’m saying, Sunshine. You cannot handle the entire song… It will get worse.”

“Why can’t we leave?” I cried as my back arched again, and because Shadow was in the shower with me, I ended up plastered to his leg, my body trying to contort itself to ease the pain.

“It’s too late to leave,” he said.

Before I could say another word, he sank down on his knees before me, and I gasped as he came as close as he could. “I will help you. For this one day only.”

I groaned, the tears still falling, and my hope that he hadn’t noticed was dashed as he reached forward and brushed his thumb across my cheek, wiping them away. “The pain is fleeting,” he reminded me. “And I will replace it with pleasure.”

“Please,” I begged.

“You will hate me tomorrow,” he said, “but I can live with that. What I don’t want to see is you suffering when I can stop it.”

“I’m not drugged,” I reminded him, words getting hard through the throbbing in my body. “My mind is clear. My vagina, on the other hand, is not a happy camper.” With those words, the ache in my pussy increased to the point my hands were heading that way again.

Shadow caught them in both of his as a slow grin tilted up his lips. “Let’s make her happy then.”

Thank the fucking gods.

My shirt at this point was half over my head and Shadow wasted no time ripping it off. When I was just left in a black bra, breasts heaving as I continued trying to fill my lungs with air, he stared down at me.

No doubt I looked like a drowned rat, but the flames burned hotter in his eyes, and I took that as a good sign he wasn’t going to completely hate this. When I reached out for his shirt, he shook his head. “No, this is about you tonight, Sunshine. Let me do what I do best.”

I didn’t like that, but there was no way to fight him. He had the power, and I was desperate… I needed him. The pain was getting worse and I hadn’t forgotten what he’d said—I wouldn’t survive the whole song without his help.

In mere seconds, Shadow had stripped me completely, leaving me a naked tangle on the shower floor. The moment the rush of water from the showerhead hit my clit, I came, hard and fast. It was a jolt, just like being shocked with an electric fence. Pleasure and pain mingled together, stabbing at me, and when it was over, I felt more achy and worse than ever.

“You can’t fix this on your own,” he reminded me.

I groaned. “So, how can you fix it?”

Brilliantly red-and-gold irises and a wicked smile were my only answer, and then he lifted me with one hand, carrying me out of the shower. His fire power had us both dry by the time we reached the bed, and when he dropped me back into the soft, cool sheets, I writhed. That orgasm had not helped in the least.

As I moved around, Shadow reached out and placed one of his huge hands on my chest, holding me in place. I wanted to scream, but as he held me down, his power beyond anything I could fight, he dropped his head and, direct as always, he took no detours on his way to my clit. The second I felt the first firm stroke of his tongue, followed by his lips sucking the bundle of nerves into his mouth, I sent out a silent scream, the pleasure too much for me to handle without breaking.

The hand holding me down started to slowly move over my body, stroking in time to his tongue on my pussy and the next orgasm had me actually screaming, hands clawing at the bed, trying to find traction. Shadow’s dominance didn’t ease, as he refused to allow me to move, even as I was shattered over and over by his mouth.

A finger on the hand that had been slowly tracing my body slipped inside, and I was tight, needing a few moments to adjust as he continued to eat me like I was the best fucking ice cream he’d ever tasted. In a few seconds, that finger found my favorite spot inside, and when he stroked me, the pleasure built in my stomach again.

“Motherfucker,” I cried as I came again, this time wondering if I was going to pass out.

I didn’t, but it was close.

He slowed up a little after that, and I thankfully felt an ease on the driving need inside me. Seemed he was right after all; the intensity of the spell was easing with his “help.”

When the latest round of pleasure faded, I felt my body relax into the bed, and for the first time since the music had started, there was no overwhelming urge to claw my own skin off.

Shadow lifted his head, fingers still casually exploring my body. “It’s working?”

I nodded. “Yes, it’s not as bad—argh,” I cried out as he hit that spot inside again. “But for the love of shifters, please don’t stop.”

The sight of his long body sprawled out between my legs, eyes hooded as he stared up at me, fingers bringing me pleasure like I’d never felt…

“Fuck,” I cried, the next orgasm hitting me hard and fast again, dragging pleasure all the way from my spine by the feel of it.

Shadow shook his head. “Maybe I should be thanking Len after all.”

My head was a soft pleasant ball of fuzziness after countless orgasms, so I didn’t try to read into it too deeply. “Me too,” I agreed.

Shadow’s low chuckle sent hot gusts of air over my sensitive skin, and with another surge of music, I arched, and he met me halfway, his mouth once again proving this god had sure as fuck not been celibate for his many years alive.

Through the night, he never touched me in any other way, and he never allowed me to touch him. This was just about easing my pain through this spell, and he was attentive in a way that was overwhelming. It was frustrating to have him still hold so much of himself back from me, but I wasn’t surprised. This was just a duty to him. Maybe one he enjoyed, but still a duty.

It would be stupid of me to think anything else.