Page 4 of The Monster's Mate

The wobble in her voice makes me ache to pull her into my arms to offer her comfort.

Not only are we not at that level, but I’m also currently invisible.

Well, to Bane and Charity.

I’m fairly sure the wyvern can sense me.

Eldritch.

I’ve got to stop referring to him as his beast. That might take a bit of adjusting to, since he’s been the wyvern for the entirety of my time in Haven.

“And he completely shifts while he’s asleep, but never during the day. That tells me it’s some type of mental block,” Bane says with a softness to his tone that only appears when he’s talking to Charity. “He’s from an old line of some of the most powerful blood in the dragon realm, and an alpha shifter, at that. Once he reaches maturity, he may be stronger than even me.” It sounds like it’s exceptionally difficult for him to admit that. “If you don’t allow him freedom to bond with his beast, then as soon as it’s capable, the dragon will take full control. Without a more powerful alpha to force the shift, it may be a long time before his animal lets Veryn take the driver’s seat.”

“I mean…” Charity’s entire body shrugs, or maybe that’s a shiver of fear. “If it came down to it, couldn’t you or Dread force the shift?”

“For now? Yes.” Bane pulls a hand up, tenderly brushing his fingers over her cheek. “Once he’s a few years older, that will no longer be a guarantee. That’s why I need to work with him…regularly. Once Veryn builds a bond with his dragon,he’llbe able to force his beast to cede back control. They’ll come to an understanding. If they maintain this level of disconnect, you’re risking a situation like we’re currently experiencing with the wyvern.”

“Eldritch,” she corrects. “You know he’s my mate. I need you to drop the grudge.”

“The fuck he is,” Bane snarls. His yellowy-green eyes turn to reptilian slits as smoke pours from his nose.

They’re both delusional.

Eldritch is Charity’s mate.

Butso is Bane.

There’s no way she’d be able to hold her ground, staring into the eyes of a furious alpha shifter if she wasn’t.

Eldritch huffs his displeasure and stands, shaking out his massive form.

I siphon through the air, and my hands come to rest on the wyvern’s giant muzzle as I stay invisible.

It’s frustrating.

I can sense no intelligent consciousness, outside of the monster.

The man must be hiding in there somewhere, but the beast has completely shut him out, to the point my magic can’t even reach him.

It’s unlikely I’d be able to grant him a wish if I could.

The infuriating catch to my magic is that I can’t grant wishes for personal gain without the universe exacting its price.

In nearly two thousand years, I’ve never seen a selfish wish end even remotely how the wisher intended.

Only when a wish is pure of heart can I direct the magic to an outcome without grisly repercussions.

It’s why even Charity can’t wish for Eldritch’s halves to be made whole. It would be well-meaning, but not truly free of personal gain.

I’d like to think the wyvern accepts me as another of Charity’s mates. He’s never tried to maul me, like he regularly does with Bane when Charity isn’t watching. Scratching under his jaw, I prepare to siphon if necessary, but he grunts and settles back on the ground.

I ignore Bane and Charity’s arguing, which I’m beginning to view as their dysfunctional form of foreplay, and rest my head against the wyvern’s.

“You’ve been in control for long enough,” I assure the beast in little more than a whisper. “You valiantly protected Eldritch from the pain the two of you were forced to endure, but youhave a mate now. Don’t you want to allow him to experience that connection?”

The wyvern huffs, closing his slitted eyes.

Yes, even overgrown reptiles enjoy a good jaw scratching. I’m just not sure the monstrous side of him understands a word I’m saying.

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