Page 39 of The Monster's Mate

It disgusts me on a foundational level.

“No more guilt or sadness.” Using the hand in her hair, I pull her closer. “We’re together now, and that’s all that matters.”

I kiss her, and her lips part for my tongue as she tugs at my arms, pulling me on top of her.

She’s the softest thing I’ve ever had the honor of touching, and I certainly don’t mean physically.

I lose myself to the kiss as she writhes under me, but one thing is clear—Cyril will never take her from me.

I’ve sacrificed enough to our fucked-up family. The universe gave me a gift in the form of Charity and Veryn, and I intend to protect them with my life.

Chapter Sixteen

Bane

My nerves are shot, and my fury is at an all-time high as I jog inside my front door, completely nude. The clothing I wore when I left was fully shredded upon listening to news I expected but didn’t want to hear.

My head tilts.

There’s no breathing or noises to indicate anyone is here.

Not even Eldritch.

That motherfucking piece of shit.

I stomp back out the door, and my wings erupt as I cross the courtyard to check Charity’s house.

It’s a quick trip.

Ripping open Charity’s front door, I move inside.

Athos, of all fucking creatures, comes out of the kitchen in Charity’s frilly pink apron with a mixing bowl in the crook of his arm. He frowns, gesturing at my nude form. “You forgot your pants, but somehow remembered your ridiculous boots.”

I found the boots and my phone next to my destroyed clothing in the meadow where I met my informants. I’ve learned from experience, replacing phones is a pain in the ass, so I shoved the device in my shoe before taking off.

Athos’s head tilts. “Are you okay?”

“Where is my mate?” I growl as my claws elongate.

My dragon is riled to the point he’s about to push me out of the driver’s seat if we don’t see Charity within the next thirty seconds.

“Our mate is in her bed with her newly awoken other mate,” Athos says in a jovial tone that makes me ache to rip his head off. “Did you get the pictures I sent you?”

A low warning growl escapes my lips as the dragon fights for control. He has very particular ideas about what we should do next.

The first step is to kill Eldritch.

The second will be to fuck and bond our mate next to his bleeding corpse.

“Why don’t you just not do whatever it is you’re currently contemplating?” Athos suggests. “You’re stubborn as fuck, but they’rebonded, Bane. You understand how a matebond works. He can’t hurt her. He would never want to, to begin with.”

Charity wails from upstairs, and my nostrils flare, picking up the scent of her arousal.

“That also means you can’t murder him,” Athos says, like he’s breaking something down for a toddler. “It would hurt your mate.”

“Fuck you,” I growl as the irrational thoughts continue.

Fine.

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