Page 10 of Mortal Magic (Shadow Shifter)

Her eyes darted to the door. “Vampires feed on fresh blood. That’s what you are, a vampire.”

“We aren’t vampires. That is a monster from human folklore. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if the basis of that myth has something to do with us. Trust me, if there was any other way to sustain our demon soul, we would’ve found it. Fresh blood is the only thing that sates our shadow.”

Riley clutched at the golden cross around her neck. “What do you feed on?”

“The blood of any living creature can sustain our shadow, but we only feed on large game. If you feed on humans, you become a reaper.”

Her eyes narrowed on him. “You said reapers were part of your clan.”

“That is a recent development. They are trying to rehabilitate their eating habits to be part of the other clans. If you have an animal, feeding on human blood kills it. While you strengthen your shadow warrior, it feeds on your totem animal, destroying it. The alliance with the reaper clan is new. With Dannika as their leader, we hope they will be able to maintain the new protocols, but honestly, there are no guarantees. You can’t kill a human.”

Her eyes flickered. “I’m not killing anything. I’m not vegetarian or anything, I like the occasional chicken burger or seafood linguine, but I’m not killing an animal. I’m not drinking its blood. If that means I die of starvation, then so be it.”

“Riley, be reasonable.” He knew he had made a mistake as soon as he spoke.

Her eyebrows arched as her pupils flared. “For the record, asking a woman to be reasonable after you’ve just told her she’ll never eat again, is about as sane as approaching a starving wolf pack, naked.”

“Since many of the shadows shift into wolves, we do not fear them.”

Her hands fisted at her sides. “Because you eat them, you brute!”

Her anger crackled through the air, making him reassess his situation. “I’m not handling this well. I understand how difficult this is. I was human. My parents were killed, and I was bitten. I was young and fought back, but in the end, I was forced to accept that for a shadow, blood is life, and human blood is the road to destruction.”

Riley glanced at the ground. The desolation on her face was worse than watching his own parents murdered. She clutched her stomach before her body shook. “I can’t do it. I can’t cause an innocent animal pain.”

“There is no pain, Riley. Our prey feels nothing. Our fangs produce a sedative. By the time they draw their last breath, they are deeply asleep,” Colton said.

Her eyes met his. “Is that true, or the lie you tell yourself to negate the fact that you are monsters?”

His jaw ticked. While she had every right to be angry, her words hurt. He never wanted this life. He intended to grow up on the farm and marry a buxom blond girl from a neighboring farm. They would’ve raised sheep and tended their crops. He wouldn’t have learned about the shadow shifter world, or the ongoing war, but as he watched Riley struggle to accept this reality, he was thankful. He could’ve had an ordinary life. Now he looked for something truly extraordinary. Something he didn’t dare dream about.

“If you don’t believe me, why not find out for yourself? Let me take you hunting,” Colton said.

“No way. I’m not killing an animal to satisfy your ego,” she snapped.

“Eventually, the pain will become too much and you won’t have a choice. Then you will endanger the very people you care about.”

Her hands tightened around her stomach. “Is there anything else about your fabulous lifestyle you failed to mention?”

“Our emotions dull as we age and with that, our human desires. We live for the hunt and the kill. You have changed the trajectory of my life. For that, I can never adequately thank you.”

Her lips pursed. “I can’t express how thrilled I am to have made your life easier.”

Colton’s eyebrows scrunched. “This is your new home. I will do everything and anything to make sure your transition to our world is comfortable.” He gestured around the room. “You can redecorate in any manner you wish. You have endless finances at your disposal.”

Her eyes flickered with anger. “I don’t want to redecorate. I want to eat a chocolate bar and drink a cafe mocha.”

“Riley, if I could-”

She dropped to the ground, clutching her stomach, pulling her knees into a fetal position. “It doesn’t matter. I’m dying.”

Colton knelt beside her on the floor. He placed his hand on her stomach, feeling the muscles tense beneath. “You should have had at least a week before this kind of hunger. Demon venom must consume the remnants of your human blood at a faster rate.”

Riley grabbed his arm. “I can’t be this thing. Just kill me. Don’t let me suffer. I’m begging you.”

The memories rolled through his mind as if they were yesterday. The red-haired woman in a white ruffled dress was soaked in her own blood. He had killed the reaper who had attacked her, but the bastard had spent time with her. Terrorized her until she started the transition. Her bones were breaking and her face splitting apart before he granted her the mercy she begged for. While he had felt some empathy for that woman, his emotions had been dulled. Like a paper cut. Something that stung for a second but was forgotten in moments. Riley’s request was like having his heart torn out with a spoon.

“No Riley. You are far more important than you realize. We need you. I need you. Give me a chance to prove it to you. Trust me.”

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