Dannika walked towards the door, but Ryder grabbed her arm.
“Dannika, please stay. You will have the final say on who you choose as a mate, but combat gives the men an equal opportunity. You will see their shadow abilities, and you will know who to choose. If it is anything like our shifter forefathers, you will feel the pull.”
Memories of her time with Raine rolled through her mind. The feeling of oneness. Of being incomplete without him. She had never needed anyone in her life, yet the way her shadow had reached for him, mixed with his, was something she didn’t understand. Yes, she wanted to leave, but she was unsure if she actually could.
“Why should I trust you? Every moment since my attack has been about the shadows trying to control me.”
Ryder nodded. “I’m sure it seems that way, but we have our rules for a reason. You don’t understand the ramifications of turning reaper, the pain it causes the rest of the clan. These rules are to ensure fledgling’s survival, but you are nothing like any other fledgling before you.”
She stilled the tremble in her body, a reflex from her childhood she was yet to control. “I have no wish to be different. I just want my life back.”
Ryder’s eyes softened. “All fledglings struggle with the loss of their human life. I wish there were some way to make this easier on you, but as far as humanity is concerned, Dannika Ray is dead.”
She sucked in a breath. “I’m not dead and I’m not giving up my job or life at the shelter, even if I learn how to be a shadow.”
“I wish that were possible. Every shadow that transitions from the human world struggles to leave their life behind. We don’t do this to be cruel. We do it to protect the family and friends left. The reapers can track our movements as we track theirs. If you stay around humans too long, they will notice. If you show attachments, they will die.”
“I don’t have a family. I’m alone, so there’s no one for them to go after, but my life is my choice.”
Ryder’s eyes flickered. “Not anymore.”
Dannika had the urge to lash out, but something in Ryder’s eyes made her falter. She always had an issue with authority, but since her transition, her first instinct was to fight. While she’d always been willing to fight back, she questioned her deep-seated need for violence. That was something new.
She’d never enjoyed being the center of attention, either. Now, every shadow shifter looked her way.
Some appraised her with interest, their lust barely contained, but others looked at her in disgust. She knew those men would kill her if they caught her alone. She was accustomed to the eyes of killers, but she had always been on her turf to deal with them.
Ryder touched her arm. “Dannika, please trust me.”
Despite her indecision, she had the feeling the bear leader was on her side. Her animal trusted him when it didn’t trust the leader of the wolves. “What exactly do you want me to do?”
“Nothing other than watch the fights. Your animal will know who its mate is. When the trials are over, you will choose and we will abide by that choice.”
Maddock shook his head. “The winner of the trials should be her mate. This is not her choice.”
Ryder growled. “You forget where you came from. We were once shifters. Our forefathers took one mate. Don’t forget the sacrifice they made.”
Maddock’s eyes flared. “I forget nothing. Our ancestors made the ultimate sacrifice, which is why one girl shouldn’t break the rules we have had in place for centuries. We lost everything so humanity could survive.”
Dannika’s heart stuttered. Maddock was angry, but he wasn’t lying. There was more to the shadow shifter’s history. “What are you talking about?”
Raine turned her to him. “We were once shifters, a species that turned into our totem animal. We were not fettered to the shadow world, and our species flourished. We could take a mate from the human world. But it was only done by choice. Turning a human without consent was prohibited, and punishable by death.”
“What happened? What changed?” she asked.
“A rift between ours and the demon world opened. We fought by humanity’s side, but the humans were no match for the demons. They died by the thousands and our future died with them.”
She blinked. “There are demons?”
Raine glanced at the leaders. “Not anymore. Our sacrifice closed the rift, but it changed us forever.”
While she had no interest in watching men fight over her, she needed more information about the shadow shifters and her new world. “I’ll watch the trials provided the final choice is mine when I am ready.”
Ryder nodded. “You will have the final say.”
Dannika glanced at Raine. Though his face appeared stoic, she could feel his excitement. He wanted to fight. He wanted her.
She tramped down the thrill of excitement when he returned to her side. “You’re going to tell me everything about the shadows and their history, right?”
