Page 17 of The Monster's Mate

“I spoke to Saber when he came in,” I tell him. “He recommended having Nadia or Meena check her over, just to be safe.” Meena is Nadia’s grandmother, and she’s a healer. Well, in addition to her gifts of prophecy. “Did you collect Veryn from Mrs. Segar?”

“He slept through the trip.” Bane gives a curt nod. “He also managed to fly this afternoon, like really fucking fly, not just coast.” He smiles, shaking his head. I’d guess he’s remembering something from their time together. “I’ll stay with her if you want to siphon over and grab one of the witches.”

That would be smart.

Bane is the opposite of diplomatic. Not that I’m in much better shape at the moment.

“I’d also really like it if someone here would accept my jar, that way I would no longer be forced to check in with Wraith every twenty-four hours,” I grumble, bending to give Charity a quick kiss on the forehead.

My alarm rises at feeling how warm she’s grown since I last checked.

Fuck.

That can’t be good.

I appear in Nadia’s home.

Wraith is technically the keeper of my jar. He hasn’t made a single wish, which is good for him. There’s that whole “they never go how the wisher intended” thing, and also, he can still pass me off to someone else. If he doesn’t, the magic will tie me to him until he completes his third wish.

My ear settles against Nadia’s bedroom door as I listen for sounds they’re still awake. They have two newborn daughters, so there’s every chance they’re already in bed, or they could be up for a late-night feeding.

I suppose it’s lucky I don’t have to worry about interrupting another of their fuckfests. I’m fairly confident witches have a similar healing pattern to humans.

“You’ve checked in,” Wraith grumbles, ripping the door open. “Feel free to disappear to do whatever it is you do for twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes a day.”

Luckily, my magic rights me before I can tumble headfirst into their bedroom.

“My mate is ill,” I say softly. “Saber recommended I fetch Nadia or Meena.”

“Wait, what’s wrong with Charity?” Nadia calls out from the darkened room.

“She’s feverish,” Wraith replies, glancing over his shoulder.

A shiver runs down my spine, the same way it always does when he or Knight reads my mind.

“I don’t think she’s been sick once in the four or five years I’ve known her,” Nadia says, sounding alarmed.

“Cover your tits if you’re turning on the light,” Ridge, her alpha wolf, says.

“It’s only the one, and Violet is mostly blocking it from view.” Nadia laughs, and the light flicks on.

I frown. “I thought she drank blood.”

“Violet drinks both,” Nadia informs me. “I would come with you, but Nan is better with illnesses. Reproductive health is more my specialty. I’ll call her, so she knows to expect you.”

I bow low to show my gratitude. “Where do I find Meena?”

“She lives with Thornton just down the street,” Nadia says.

Wraith grabs my arm. “I’ll take you.”

Meena shoos all of us away from Charity as she does a quick evaluation.

I’m unsure why Wraith is still here, and it terrifies me to imagine he’s around to be sure she doesn’t die.

I’ve heard the story of how he shoved Nadia’s soul back into her body when she nearly died as an adolescent.

This had better not come to that.

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