Page 24 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Underworld

Rose shakes her head, gesturing to the portraits. “I don’t know what those words mean, but you’re welcome to take a picture.”

“It means there’s technology that can read a face, the same way we read words, and identify who the person is. I forgot to ask about their middle names,” Evander continues, lifting his phone to each portrait, snapping a picture. “There might be a ton of Harriet Copthornes to wade through.”

“I believe we were the only ones in town at the time, but of course. Mother’s middle name was Rose. Father’s was James.”

“James,” Evander repeats, and there’s something strange about the tone of his voice that rings alarm bells. “Harriet Rose and Theodore James.” He frowns at his phone screen for a moment, Rose’s father staring back up at him.

“That’s him. He owned a bookstore on Queen Street, if that helps, under the name T. J. Copthorne Bookseller and Stationer.”

“Holy shit, you don’t show up on camera,” Seth interrupts, his phone pointed at Rose. “I didn’t realise. That really is ghost-like.”

“I could have told you that,” I say, pulling my gaze away from Evander and his sudden odd change in demeanour. “I said before, no one else on this street can even see her, and my flatmates are all non-human.”

“It’s the magic.” Evander’s jaw is clenched, his frown more pronounced than it was five minutes ago. “Seth, go shift and search the backyard, see if you can scent anything out of the ordinary. I’m going to look around inside a little more. It’s getting late, and I want to get back to Ellie.”

Seth nods and disappears without a second glance, the dynamic between the two — alpha wolf versus pack member — suddenly obvious.

“I don’t think there’s any ferries running this late that’ll take you back,” I say without thinking.

Evander nods. “There’s water taxis, and helicopters. I’ll go with whatever I can find.”

Of course. He’s filthy rich. He can do whatever the fuck he wants.

“Seth is out there now,” he says, nodding his head in the direction of the back garden. “If you want to see what a shifter looks like in his wolf form, Rose, feel free to go watch him do his thing, the moon should still be bright enough for you to see him in the dark.”

“I would quite like that, actually. I am still very new to this post-Unravelling world, as Zak calls it.”

“What will you be doing in here?” I don’t know why I have the sudden sense that Evander is hiding something.

“Seeing if I can pick up the scent of fae anywhere. There’s certainly other scents present in this house right now.”

“Yeah,alright,” I say, feeling defensive. Is every fucking alpha I know going to directly point out that they smell my cum in this place? “She’s my mate, I’m allowed to —”

“I didn’t mean anything,” he laughs. Hedid,and I shake my head.

“Come on, Rose, let’s go watch this wolf.”

Rose is nearly astranslucent as when I first met her by the time the wolf brothers leave, despite it not yet being midnight.

“You’re tired, eh?” I ask her. Her form is no longer solid, but I still hold my hand to her cheek, and she closes her eyes, her frown pronounced and her chin wobbling. “Oh babe, please don’t cry,” I whisper.

It’s a futile request. She lets out a sob, and I can’t even hold her in my arms anymore. It’s so fucking unfair. “It’s going to be okay,” I tell her. “We’ll find a way.”

“A way for what? For me to come back from the dead? Or out of wherever I’ve been kept? If fae have had me this whole time, what have they been doing with me? Zak, I’m so scared. Why can’t I remember any of it?”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve got you,” I tell her, but I don’t, and she fades out of sight and out of existence once more.

My phone ringsat ten the following morning, waking me up. The nameEvanderlooks blurry on the screen, but my heart begins to race, adrenaline spiking. I’m wide awake as I swipe the answer button.

“Hello?”

“Zak. I wanted to update you; there’s been a lot of developments in the night. I don’t think I explained my mother’s history to you at all, but she was once a core member of the Maheras coven. The current High Witch is my great-grandmother, and has expressed a lot of interest in Rose’s case. She’s concerned thatwe may miss a window of opportunity, and wants to act tonight, given how unpredictable Rose’s form and appearance is.”

It takes a moment to process what he’s said. “I don’t know anything about the First Realm,” I admit. “I’ve never heard of that coven. I’m the least non-human non-human you could find, in terms of knowledge about that stuff. What do you mean about acting tonight? They’re not going to hurt her, are they?”

“They won’t hurt her, not intentionally. The witches want to save her. I don’t think you realise how big this is. This situation is unheard of, and they think she might be the key to unlocking some new information about the Unseelie fae.”

“She doesn’t know anything.”

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