Page 154 of Rescued By the Beast
"For the stars' sake... Then why all the mystery?" I cross my arms. "Have you already set the wedding date, is that it?"
"No." Lucy shakes her head. "It has to do with you and Mark." She points to herself and then to Shadow. "And also with us."
I snuggle up against Mark's body, feeling my face burn.
"Um, babes..." I swallow hard. "Look, no judgement, I'm flattered and all, but if you and Shadow want to explore new things, Mark and I aren't intoswinging, okay?"
Lucy gasps, her eyes wide.
"Sandra!" She almost chokes, and Shadow pulls her closer into his embrace, the gesture laden with possessiveness. "Of course not, stop being crazy!"
"I don't share my woman," Shadow growls.
"Neither do I," Mark replies in the same tone, tightening his arms around me.
"By the stars, guys, it was just a misunderstanding!" I start laughing nervously.
Lucy sighs and laughs too.
"I'd better speak up before your mind wanders even further," she says, shaking her head. Then her eyes meet mine. "Shadow and I know the truth about you two."
My heart stops for a second. My body tenses, and Mark instinctively pulls me closer to him.
"W-what do you mean?"
My partner kisses my head, a gesture of comfort. He wants to remind me that I'm safe, that there's nothing to fear. I should trust that. If Lucy has discovered my secret... maybe it's not a problem. I was going to tell her eventually.
Shadow clears his throat.
"I know you're both shape-shifters," he says, his voice calm but firm. "I can sense both of your essences."
My breath catches.
"If you can sense it," Mark interjects, sounding suspicious, "that means you're supernatural too."
Shadow nods.
"But then... why can't I smell your essence?"
"My kind doesn't give off much of an essence. It's rare to pick up," he explains. "Only another of my lineage can easily track my scent."
Then he explains what he is and where he came from, answering some questions from Mark, who is quite interested,as he didn't know about this type of supernatural being, and I knew even less.
My attention turns to my friend.
"Lucy..." My voice comes out weak. "I wanted to tell you about myself, I swear..."
She breaks free from Shadow's embrace, and I do the same with Mark. We meet halfway and embrace each other tightly.
"I understand," she whispers. "I've also been hiding something from you since I moved here."
"You were protecting Shadow... I understand."
"Not just that." She steps back and twirls the ring on her finger. "We're not just engaged, we're fated mates. I accepted the bond ritual with Shadow... and became like him."
The world around me seems to sway.
"What do you mean, like him?"
