Page 39 of Their Pretty Little Monster

As she does, a great thunderous growl sounds in the air, the ground shivering beneath us, and instantly, the cliff behind her crumbles, leaving us stranded on a shrinking ledge.

She hurries to my side, glancing around, shuddering.

“Destiny disagrees.” I chuckle, drawing her even closer, an arm tight around her back. “You’re exactly where you’re meant to be.”

“I don’t believe you,” she murmurs, her gaze darting around us. “We’re different races. I don’t…” She trails off, her attention searching the kingdom down below for answers. Her fingers tremble slightly in mine. “All my life, these dreams… seeing places crumbling, feeling lost. If this is all true, then…” Her voice cracks, and she’s shaking harder now.

“Sometimes destiny hides the truth from us until it’s time.”

Her gaze locks with mine again, desperation behind that glassy stare. “If I’m here in this vision, if I’ve seen it all before… what does it mean?”

I hold her gaze, steady and unflinching. “You know what it means, Sage,” I say softly. “Deep in your heart, you’ve always known the truth.”

Her breath catches. “No, you’re lying…”

Just as fast, the vision is ripped away, and we’re both lying on the forest ground, gasping for air.

I draw myself up, my head still fuzzy. Next to me, my true mate’s scrambling to her feet, tears fresh in her eyes.

“Sage,” I reach for her with my hand, a darkened pain in my chest tightening for her agony.

“No, you’re wrong.” She pulls away from me. “I’m not your true mate because I’m not like you. I’m not a monster. I hate this place, so how can I belong here? My mother…” Tears fall down her cheeks, then she darts into the woods, away from me so fast that I’m still stumbling on my feet from the vision, from her reaction to a truth I hadn’t intended to reveal to her.

Not yet, anyway.

Well, fuck!

Chapter

Thirteen

SAGE

My whole life, I’ve been fearful of being selected for a Bride Offering. No one explained what to expect, so of course, I expected the worst.

Now, I find out that maybe I’m part monster.

This has to be some cruel joke.

My breaths come faster as I charge straight out of the ritual forest, clutching my dress where Killian tore it across my chest, making a beeline for the stairs in the hallway.

Noticing a large, insect-like monster coming down the stairs, I teeter on the spot, not wanting to deal with that, while at the same time tying up the loose, torn fabric of my dress into a knot in the middle of my chest, covering myself up in case I end up flashing anyone.

I make a rash decision to head downstairs instead of up to where my room is.

Right now, I just want to be alone.

Away from everyone, especially Killian, knowing he’ll try to find me. I can’t cope with the ritual I experienced, how desperately I wanted to give myself to him, or the reality of what the vision revealed.

Me as his true mate.

Me as a half-monster.

Fuck!

Shaking my head, I wipe away the damn tears, wishing more than anything to be with my mom, to ask her for the truth. I’m shaking with anger at her for keeping me in the dark. Maybe she did it to protect me, seeing we’re already outcasts in Nightingale Village, but that doesn’t explain why she never told me more about my father.

I keep running, not ready to face it all. My calves ache as I descend the stairs, my breaths coming in sharp gasps. I finally stop on a random floor when I spy a set of open doors that lead to what looks like a glowing lake. I have no idea how this vessel carries such luxuries, but it’s like its own tiny world.

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