Page 39 of Monsters of Desire and Nightmares of Passion

Khal walks outside to make sure it’s clear while Draw stays with me.

“Why didn’t you tell me anything during my dreams?” I ask.

Draw looks down. He has gorgeous blue eyes that are penetrating and sexy at the same time, a strong chin, and silky dark hair. Somehow, I prefer his real face to this one.

“I couldn’t tell you anything, Ivy. By slipping into your dreams, we were already breaking a lot of rules. Magic is something one can’t play with. You had to remember us on your own.”

“They killed Emily.” The memories about my best friend had been locked inside my chest and, when released, hit me like an avalanche. Once again, I feel the connection to the guys like threads of darkness, and pain slips down each one of them.

“Yes, they killed all the girls and their Shadows. We barely managed to get you away from there, my love. You were badly injured.”

“What have I done?” I sob.

Draw cups my chin and stares deep into my eyes, holding my gaze, offering me his strength.

“We’re connected. Everything you feel, we feel. It’s okay to share your pain with us. We’ll help you heal and will kill anyone who tries to hurt you.”

Tears roll down my cheeks. I allow myself to mourn the loss of my best friend and her Shadows. I need to. It’s cathartic. The pain is less piercing now that it’s shared. I lean against Draw. His strong arms wrap around me, holding me, comforting me.

“When you woke up after that fight, your mind was closed not only to what you saw but also to the past. You refused to accept what happened and preferred to think that we… all of us… were just signs of your mental illness. The moment you refused to acknowledge us, we became stuck in between dimensions, a place that is worse than death. You’ve never been mentally ill. We were real. Wearereal. I’d give anything to take those years of pain and suffering away from you.”

“I… I’m so sorry for the pan I caused you.”

“The mind is a place full of wonders. After you got hurt so bad, you refused to accept anything that did not feel real. Your psyche shielded you from the pain. None of us were upset with you. We only felt powerless and wished we could get you back.”

Mrez

I step out of the nurse’s station and into the hospital’s hallway. I walk next to a group of nurses and enjoy the looks they throw my way. I need to choose an appearance that will open doors with women and men alike. I nod to the closest nurse, a tall and attractive brunette, and say, “Hello.”

My voice is back. It returned along with Ivy. Maybe I’m more like her than I thought. It doesn’t matter.

Like the rest of the guys, all these years my mind and my heart have been with Ivy. My body still hums, deeply intoxicated by her scent and her touch, as well as the fact that we sealed the pact and claimed her. It makes me feel whole. She had been missing all these years. Now, not only is Ivy back, but she also missed us and wants us. No matter who or what I have to fight to keep her safe, I will do it.

The next few days will be hard on Ivy because she’ll feel so much pain as she recalls all the losses she suffered. Ivy is the last of her kind, at least on this continent. If The Church of Light is out to get her, that means they have found the forgotten artefact and need her blood to bring it to life. The Church of Light has plans for Ivy and, whatever those plans are, I knew they’ll not stop until they got their hands on her.

As I walk past another group of nurses, I smell another person tainted by possession through The Church of Light. It’s a distinct smell that clings to the inside of my nostrils like the scent of tar from the pits of darkness. Even though we have monstrous shapes and feed on human emotions, The Church of light is the one that breeds real monsters. The difference is their monsters have nice faces and angelic smiles, and they use trickery to get what they want.

I must hurry. It makes no sense to turn back. Ivy is safe with Khal and Draw. I need to get a car as fast as possible.

I make my way to the elevator, stealing one of the employees’ badges from their pocket on my way. I always like to find an easy way out if possible.

The doors to the elevator open and I step in. A guy with a doctor’s name tag runs up behind me, jumping into the elevator with me just as the door closes. His smile makes me freeze in my tracks.

He’s possessed.

I smell it. The doors have already closed, so it’s too late to leave the elevator and take another route. His eyes flicker green as he pushes the button. I had picked Underground Level 2. He chose Level 3. Okay.

“Are you new here, Dr...” He bends over and glances at my name tag. Fuck, I snatched the name tag of a middle-aged Indian doctor named Rajesh Sanjy. I look more like a Scandinavian God with blond hair and blue green eyes. That was a mistake. Oops. “…Dr. Sanjy?”

He asked the question with a hint of humor in his voice. I’m so tempted to pummel the amusement off his face. I’m so not in mood for jokes.

My tentacle pierces through the lab coat and wraps itself around his neck, lifting him up slightly as he desperately claws at it. His eyes flicker between their natural color and the toxic green shade of the possessed. His weak fingers grab my tentacles, trying to push his thumbs into my suction knobs.

“Stop that.” My tentacle tightens around his throat. “It tickles.”

I pronounce the words slowly in my Shadow voice, allowing my head to morph into the form that’s natural to me. That scares the shit out of humans. I twist head from side to side, cracking my neck in the process and allowing a smile to creep over my lips. Who’s the funny one now?

“You’re him. You’re an alien, man. I… don’t kill me.”

---