Page 178 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Underworld

“You have plans for the rest of the night?” I ask her. “If not, I thought you might want to continue your exploration of the house.” Where I’ll have her to myself. Thank the gods the ghosts don’t come inside the house so I’m not distracted while looking out for my mate.

“The cavern?” she asks.

Why didn’t I put limits on her exploration? “As long as it’s safe enough.”

She jumps from her chair, pulling away the cotton balls and shoving her feet into sandals. “You okay with me abandoning you until tomorrow, Glenda?”

“Sure,” the ghosts says, waving her off. “Have fun. Maybe toss out the three-week rule and have somerealfun.” She disappears before I can say anything.

Frustrating, free-loving phantom.

“Here, can you take Maximus?” Hayden leans over the side of the camper van, handing the tiny dog to me even though it’s obvious he could get down by himself. He blinks pitiful eyes at me, and I take him rather than remind her he’s a ghost.

Then I reach for her instead of letting her take the ladder.

“Oh.” Her sweet sound of surprise makes my move worth it.

I run a shadow below the curve of her generous ass, using the excuse of holding her close while I lower her to the ground. Three weeks, and we have only a few days left to go. Yet my control frays with each passing hour. “We could stay here instead,” I suggest, thinking of new ways to make her come. The advantage of having a shadow form means there areendlessvariations to try and pleasure my woman.

“Cavern,” she says. “Now. Wait, no. First, help me put on my new bracelet you brought me, then we go exploring.” She holds up her hand with the chain and crystal.

Creating the tiniest tendrils of shadow, I fasten the clasp and spin it so the charm is on top. “Do you like it?”

“It’s my favorite of the treasures you’ve brought me.”

“You say that every time.”

“Because I love them all, from the pixie-sized door to the nymph-crafted sketching reeds, but this is special because it’s fromyourhome.” She reaches toward me, and I pull her into my side.

The fact that she loves my realm’s artwork best delights me. If only I could take her there one day. But for now, I’m content to simply accompany her into the house for her research.

Maximus trails behind us.

“You say it’s always dark in your home realm?” she asks as we head through the front door.

“There is some light, but only enough to let us travel from shadow to shadow. We don’t require more.”

“How would someone like me get there?”

“You mean a mate?” I ask. If I had a heart, it would skip a beat at the thought of her wanting to live in the Shadow Realm.

“I meant human,” she says, her hazel eyes teasing. “But sure. Is there a way to travel there if you’re not a shadow being?”

“You’d need a royal demon to either teleport you or open a portal for you.”

“Like the portal you said you felt in the basement here? By the way, that basement makes no sense from a structural viewpoint. Why build a staircase to nothing?”

“Because it leads somewhere when a portalisopen. The fact it’s below ground suggests a connection to the underground realms. Maybe the minotaur king’s labyrinth or one of the dwarves’ jewel mines. No, I’ve not been to either, but I’ve heard stories.”

To my surprise, she doesn’t question me on those realms. Instead, she simply snuggles into my shadows. “Hmm. Nothing about this house adds up. Mismatched wings, doors to nowhere, a window that opens to a wall.”

“Does it match what your ghosts tell you?” I ask.

“None of them remembers even a rumor about when it was built or for what family. The exterior appearance has changed versions from a ceremonial temple to Rancho Adobe to whatever bastardization of Victorian this is.” She gestures at the narrow hallway we’re in with its high ceilings and hidden nooks. “Apparently, it has burned multiple times, but the house simply comes back. They say it’s cursed.”

I consider the several species other than human who could’ve crafted such a place to protect the ley lines, but only one stands out given the portal access and fire resistance. “More likely it’s demon built.”

“Like the one who led us both here.”

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