Page 92 of Their Pretty Little Monster

“Did Wolfe tell you about his mom? About the Great Desolation?” His question slices through the quiet, his tone no longer playful, more exhausted, more serious.

I nod slowly, my throat tight. “He mentioned… that my father killed his,” I whisper. Even saying it buries me under guilt because he’s my dad. “It’s horrifying to think I’m related to someone capable of that.”

“When Wolfe escaped the crumbling castle, he tried to save his mother but never reached her in time…” His response falters. “She plummeted to her death as her bedroom tore in half during the castle’s destruction.”

My hand flies to my mouth, stifling the gasp escaping. “Oh, shit!”

“He’s struggled with the loss of his parents for a long time.” He yawns.

My heart aches fiercely for Wolfe, imagining him as a young man facing such brutal losses. I recall his words, how he’d do anything for those who believed in him. He might claim he’s no hero, but in my gaze, he’s nothing short of one.

“I feel so awful for him,” I whisper.

Nyko shifts, grimacing from the movement.

“After the destruction, your father imprisoned a lot of Shadowfen, including Wolfe, kept in a damn dungeon for months until we managed to escape. Clay was with us, too, and it was his idea to steal Howler.” He pauses, catching his quick breathing.

The horror of his words chills me to the bone. My skin crawls at the thought of what they faced, being trapped and tormented.

“I… I had no idea,” I stammer.

“Just… just so you know.” His gaze drifts to the ceiling. “Wolfe’s been through a lot. He can be an asshole sometimes, but he’s suffered immensely and never stopped fighting for his people. Try not to be too harsh on him. So, if you want to take your anger out on anyone, I give you permission to try killing me again.” The corner of his mouth lifts, and he lowers those grinning eyes.

I roll mine. “And what about your family?” I ask softly.

“My father was the King’s physician, taken during the Great Desolation. My mother… I never knew her. She died during childbirth with me.” His words fade, and his eyes close once more, the confession seeming to drain what little energy he had left.

As I sit there, absorbing his words, my heart beats with sorrow, not just for Nyko but for all of them. They’ve all lost so much, endured unimaginable pain, yet they found a way to keep fighting toward the goal of finding a new home.

Not much time passes before Nyko slips back into a fitful sleep, and I slip my hand away from him.

I sink deeper into the chair, my thoughts working overtime as the storm outside intensifies, almost mirroring the mess I’m in—scary, dangerous as hell, and looking like there’s no way around it.

Chapter

Twenty-Six

SAGE

“Maybe I should just stay with Nyko,” I suggest, looking up at Killian. His hand is warm and engulfing mine, holding me a little too tightly, as if he’s afraid I might slip away. He towers over me, the blue of his skin almost glowing under the dim lights of the hallway, his muscles bulging, and his presence feels both comforting and overwhelmingly powerful.

“You need to eat something, stretch your legs,” he insists. “Besides, Wolfe’s there with him now. They’re going to do another checkup with the doctor.”

The intensity in Killian’s deep blue eyes softens, and he leans a little closer, his long, silver-white hair cascading over his shoulder and down his chest. He’s wearing pants, at least, which is less distracting than Wolfe, who goes full commando in his monster form.

“Did you miss me?” he teases, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, a twinkle in his gaze. He impresses me with how he can switch from fierce to charming in a heartbeat.

I smile in response because I can’t control myself around him. “Maybe a little,” I tease him back.

Laughing, he draws me closer to his side, his lips on my brow, his breath on my skin. I inhale the strong woodsy, masculine scent tinged with a hint of saltiness, just as I remember his cum tasting when he splashed himself all over me.

“Don’t lie. You’ve been hungry for me. I can see it in the way you stare at me. I smell your arousal the instant I touch you.”

My legs tremble, a flush of heat burning between my thighs.

“There’s my pretty little monster.” His lips curl into a wide smirk.

“You know, you don’t need to always say the obvious. Sometimes, less is more.”

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